Paving the way for the North Carolina men’s tennis squad’s 2-0 start to the season Saturday was a 22-year-old sophomore from Billund, Denmark, whose English is as fluent as his impressive backhand.
Esben Hess-Olesen — UNC’s No. 1 singles player and a member of the nation’s No. 44 doubles team with junior Nelson Vick — swept his competition Saturday, going undefeated on the day and helping guide the Tar Heels to consecutive victories.
“(Hess-Olesen) has been a huge factor in the team, his work ethic has been contagious, and he’s really led the way,” said UNC assistant coach Tripp Phllips, who helped recruit Hess-Olsen. “He’s really improved a lot, and he’s been a guy who’s done it the right way.
“He’s turned into a really good player, and it’s helped us as well because it kind of provides a blueprint for the other guys of what they need to do if they want to have success with their games as well,” he said.
The 6-foot-2 Dane has been preparing for the stiff competition of Division I tennis his entire life.
“Because Denmark is such a small country, I’ve always played a lot with older guys in tournaments,” he said. Hess-Olesen said he rarely played in juniors tournaments, preferring to play against adult competitors.
“I think it’s been good preparation for me,” he said.
“The competition is huge here, but it’s definitely different, because over here, I play so many guys my own age, and that’s kind of what I wanted to do. I feel like that’s where I want to compete. I want to compare myself with guys my own age and try to be the best.”
Coach Sam Paul praised the star’s effort.
“It’s great to have those types of players on your team because they do the extra things and the small things to make themselves be better and great players,” he said.
