Photo by: Ryan Luparello
Perez Peña Reaches New Heights
May 09, 2023 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. – For Miguel Perez Peña, it's not the individual glory or success that he wants to be remembered by.
Transitioning into singles in the Bulldogs' top-five matchup against the Gamecocks in Columbia on April 7, Georgia jumped out to a quick lead 3-0 lead needing just one more win to sweep the Gamecocks.
For his second consecutive match, the sophomore's singles victory acted as the match-clinching win for the Bulldogs. His performance a week prior against Arkansas earned him a permanent spot on court five.
This season, Georgia men's tennis head coach Manny Diaz has seen Perez Peña respond to the challenge in front of him. He has seen his confidence grow in big opportunities presented to him.
After a Southeastern conference play finale win over the Ole Miss, the Bulldogs completed the last leg of the spring season gauntlet: an undefeated record in SEC play for the 16th time in program history.
One of the biggest contributors to the Bulldogs' conference dominance has been the steady, consistent play from Perez Peña.
"I'm going out to the court thinking that I just need to fight I need to do my best," said Perez Peña. "I need to play smart, and I think I've been doing a really good job of being smart and sticking to what I do best."
The Spanish native arrived at Georgia in the fall of 2021 as the second-ranked prospect after a decorated junior career. Perez Peña featured for the Spanish national team in the European Championship and Davis Cup, while also collecting five International Tennis Federation junior singles titles.
His first visit stateside came on his prospective visit. Although the experience was overwhelming and felt immense, Perez Peña recalls how welcoming the new environment felt.
Perez Peña acknowledged and embraced the "warm" culture that the fans provided at matches. He recognized the responsibility that came with donning the revered red and black. Despite the hardships from being far away from home, choosing Georgia was one of the best decisions he has ever made.
During his freshman year, Perez Peña held a 12-13 overall record and a 4-7 record in the spring. This spring, he's hit his stride, leading the team in singles wins with a 28-11 record and boasts an 18-6 mark in dual match play.
"I think I've been putting less pressure on myself," shared Perez Peña. "Last year, I came as a freshman, and I wanted to impress everyone. I feel like this year I've just, since the beginning, I've been playing confident. I've been trusting myself, believing in myself, and I've been executing what I do well at a high level."
For Perez Peña, his improvement comes from the belief in his ability to adapt to his opponents. At times during his freshman year, he found himself matched against opponents who played with serious pace and speed, and he would then try to play even faster.
"Last year, I would play with players that will play fast, and I would try to play even faster than them."
But not this year. The sophomore has settled in his role within the team tallying 18 straight-set victories in the dual-match season with 11 of those victories coming in matches 6-4, 6-4 or better.
"This year, I've been reading the matches really well, the opponents, and been able to adapt my tennis."
Perez Peña is top-three in the team in singles win percentage. His 16-match increase in the singles win column is the highest of any returning player on the roster.
"I want the people to recognize me as a person that gave everything on court every single match, regardless of the outcome. A person that fought like a Bulldog and gave everything for his teammates."
So, set aside the individual glory for Perez Peña. He's fought to reach the heights of his junior career. He's fought to propel his team to an undefeated conference slate. He's fought to reach the championship game of the SEC tournament.
And now, alongside the band of Bulldogs who roam the Magill Tennis Complex, he stands ready to fight like a Bulldog in search of an NCAA tournament championship.
Transitioning into singles in the Bulldogs' top-five matchup against the Gamecocks in Columbia on April 7, Georgia jumped out to a quick lead 3-0 lead needing just one more win to sweep the Gamecocks.
For his second consecutive match, the sophomore's singles victory acted as the match-clinching win for the Bulldogs. His performance a week prior against Arkansas earned him a permanent spot on court five.
This season, Georgia men's tennis head coach Manny Diaz has seen Perez Peña respond to the challenge in front of him. He has seen his confidence grow in big opportunities presented to him.
After a Southeastern conference play finale win over the Ole Miss, the Bulldogs completed the last leg of the spring season gauntlet: an undefeated record in SEC play for the 16th time in program history.
One of the biggest contributors to the Bulldogs' conference dominance has been the steady, consistent play from Perez Peña.
"I'm going out to the court thinking that I just need to fight I need to do my best," said Perez Peña. "I need to play smart, and I think I've been doing a really good job of being smart and sticking to what I do best."
The Spanish native arrived at Georgia in the fall of 2021 as the second-ranked prospect after a decorated junior career. Perez Peña featured for the Spanish national team in the European Championship and Davis Cup, while also collecting five International Tennis Federation junior singles titles.
His first visit stateside came on his prospective visit. Although the experience was overwhelming and felt immense, Perez Peña recalls how welcoming the new environment felt.
Perez Peña acknowledged and embraced the "warm" culture that the fans provided at matches. He recognized the responsibility that came with donning the revered red and black. Despite the hardships from being far away from home, choosing Georgia was one of the best decisions he has ever made.
During his freshman year, Perez Peña held a 12-13 overall record and a 4-7 record in the spring. This spring, he's hit his stride, leading the team in singles wins with a 28-11 record and boasts an 18-6 mark in dual match play.
"I think I've been putting less pressure on myself," shared Perez Peña. "Last year, I came as a freshman, and I wanted to impress everyone. I feel like this year I've just, since the beginning, I've been playing confident. I've been trusting myself, believing in myself, and I've been executing what I do well at a high level."
For Perez Peña, his improvement comes from the belief in his ability to adapt to his opponents. At times during his freshman year, he found himself matched against opponents who played with serious pace and speed, and he would then try to play even faster.
"Last year, I would play with players that will play fast, and I would try to play even faster than them."
But not this year. The sophomore has settled in his role within the team tallying 18 straight-set victories in the dual-match season with 11 of those victories coming in matches 6-4, 6-4 or better.
"This year, I've been reading the matches really well, the opponents, and been able to adapt my tennis."
Perez Peña is top-three in the team in singles win percentage. His 16-match increase in the singles win column is the highest of any returning player on the roster.
"I want the people to recognize me as a person that gave everything on court every single match, regardless of the outcome. A person that fought like a Bulldog and gave everything for his teammates."
So, set aside the individual glory for Perez Peña. He's fought to reach the heights of his junior career. He's fought to propel his team to an undefeated conference slate. He's fought to reach the championship game of the SEC tournament.
And now, alongside the band of Bulldogs who roam the Magill Tennis Complex, he stands ready to fight like a Bulldog in search of an NCAA tournament championship.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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