Aces on the court

UTRGV Men’s Tennis player Emilien Burnel has tallied a dozen Western Athletic Conference awards in his second year with the program.

Management senior Burnel and his partner Sam Whitehead were recognized as the Western Athletic Conference Doubles Players of the Week for the week ending last Tuesday.

Other accolades Burnel has received during his time at UTRGV are:

–WAC Singles Player of the Month (Sept. 2022)

–WAC Doubles Players of the Month (Oct. 2022)

–WAC Doubles Players of the Week (Jan. 24, 2023)

–WAC Singles Player of the Week (Feb. 7, 2023)

–WAC Singles Player of the Week (Feb. 22, 2023)

–WAC Singles Player of the Week (Mar. 10, 2023)

–WAC Doubles Players of the Week (Mar. 15, 2023)

–WAC Doubles Players of the Week (Mar. 22, 2023)

–WAC Singles Player of the Month (Sept. 2023)

–WAC Doubles Players of the Month (Oct. 2023)

–WAC Singles Player of the Week (Jan. 23, 2024)

Originally from France, Burnel has lived in Croatia, Romania and the United States.

Burnel, who has two sisters and a brother, said he got involved in tennis when he was 3 years old because his older brother played.

“He’s been a coach for six years now,” he said about his brother who is a tennis coach in France. “I know he likes it. … It’s kind of different to be a coach in France than a coach in the U.S. I know in France you have to pass a degree, so you have to pass a degree to be a coach while here, you can just be a coach.”

Asked what he likes about being at UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley, Burnel replied he feels like a better player since he has been here.

“I think my level has increased a lot since I’ve been here,” he said. “I like the people and the team. Like, it’s different to move places when you’re young than to move places when you’re older … but it was easy to adapt thanks to the guys that were here and also the new guys that came.”

Burnel said the Valley is a unique place to move to since it has a big Hispanic culture, so he tries to keep up his Spanish skills.

He said the team feels more united this year.

“I feel like the team we have this year looks way more like a team,” Burnel said. “… It’s a really nice relationship with everyone because I feel like everyone is really, really close with each other. I know it doesn’t happen with every team or everywhere, so I feel like that makes it special.”

Burnel has special memories playing at UTRGV.

“Last year, I feel like I finally found myself playing tennis, like, beating people I never thought I could [beat] before,” he said. “When I came here, our coach pushed us hard in practice … to be mentally ready, physically ready. I felt good on the court. When I won my match against [Southern Methodist University], which was my first big win here, I think that was special for me.”

Burnel said it is challenging to be fully focused and have the energy to give it your best on the court and in the classroom every day.

“It’s good that you have the team because you know you can rely on them if you ever feel down or something,” he said.

Burnel said he has been taking 21-credit hours for three semesters. He said he takes accountability for his academics, but knows he can reach out for help from head coach Nathan Robinson, administration and professors.

“That was a little bit challenging,” he said. “I’ve been doing good with my classes, so I haven’t had any issues with that lately. So, it’s been good.”

Burnel said being at UTRGV reignited his hope for pursuing tennis professionally.

“I always wanted to try to go pro when I was younger,” he said. “But I kind of stopped believing in that when I was at [Northern Kentucky University] because I didn’t have good results. When I came here and I saw that I could hang tight with some of the best players in the country, it kind of reopened my thoughts about it.”

Robinson said Burnel has been the hardest worker on the team for two years, adding the senior is talented, intelligent and competitive.

“He’s very easy to get along with, just a good person to his soul, great student,” he said. “It’s hard to find a flaw when you start talking about Emi.”

Robinson said exceptional student athletes on the tennis side don’t get as much recognition, and Burnel was successful in many aspects such as academically and on the court.

Whitehead said he met Burnel in 2022.

“This year, I’m living with him,” Whitehead said. “I’m with him all the time. … He’s a good friend. … I love playing doubles with him.”

Whitehead said Burnel is a hard worker and sets the standard on the court.

“He’s also a very caring person,” he said. “He’s a very good friend. He tries to be a good friend to everyone. Personally, he’s been a very good friend to me. I’m sure once he does leave, we’ll be good friends for the rest of our lives.”