Athlete of the Week: Rhea Makesar

Rhea Makesar, a biomedical science sophomore from Perth, Australia, is a member of the UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team. On Feb. 1, Makesar won her singles match (6-4, 6-3), securing a 5-0 lead against Texas A&M University Kingsville Javelinas. 

Women’s Tennis Wins Season Opener Over Texas A&M-Kingsville – UTRGV Athletics 

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: “Fun fact about me [is] that I was born in Wales, which is in the U.K., before I moved to Australia.”

Q: Who or what got you into tennis? 

A: “I think my mum and dad really inspired me to play because I’ve always been around sports, and I guess I was playing a bunch of sports when I was younger. And tennis just stuck with me the most. So yeah, that’s what I stayed with.”

Q: Who is your favorite tennis player and why?

A: “Right now, it’s Aryna Sabalenka. I mean, her game style is so attacking. And I’m trying to kind of mirror that in my game, and also her mentality and the way she’s gone over the years. It just shows her mental toughness.”

Q: What is your favorite music genre and who is currently your favorite artist?

A: “I think my favorite genre is probably R&B. I mean, I love SZA. She’s probably my favorite right now.”

Q: Do you have any meet day superstitions?

A: “We have, like, these UTRGV tattoos. So, I’ve been placing them in the exact same spots every time we play.”

Q: What is your favorite show/movie?

A: “My favorite show right now, it was ‘Prison Break.’ I’ve just finished watching that. So, that was my favorite one.”

Q: Do you have any hobbies?

A: “My hobbies, I mean, back home, I love going to the beach. And just hanging around by the water is probably one of my favorite things to do.”

Q: What serves as your biggest motivation”

A: “That’s a tough question, actually. I mean, I’ve just always wanted to try and do what I love. And I think just working hard in tennis and trying to see how far I can go is what motivates me. And also making my family proud because they put so much effort into my game and my career.” 

Q: What is something you like about UTRGV?

A: “I love my team culture. I mean, everyone, we’re so close together as a family and everyone’s wanting the same goal. So, we’re all working towards it.”

Q: What do you hope to achieve by the end of this spring semester?

A: “I think, I mean, as a team, we would love to win a conference. That’s our main goal. But I think it’s also just trying to improve as tennis players ourselves, like, individually and just trying to become better people. And hopefully, we’ll get another 4.0. I’m stuck with the classes I’ve got this semester.” 

—Compiled by Jose Rodriguez and Daniela Chapa-Reyes