ATHLETE PROFILE – RAFAELA HAEGELE

Sophomore, Rafaela Haegele, is a driving force on the St. Edward’s University tennis team. She was recruited in 2011 after being a part of an athlete showcase. Her fierce game came with time and dedication. As a child in Stuttgart, Germany she became interested in tennis. At the age of four, Haegele played tennis with her parents and was truly a natural.  When she was seven she began competing in tournaments around Germany. As Haegele grew her love for tennis did as well. Her practice time logged in at as much as three hours a day five times a week. Her hard work paid off. Before her time at St. Edward’s Haegele was ranked 77th in Germany for women eighteen and under. Her love of the game led her to choose St. Edward’s University. In Germany, as well as most of Europe, athletics and academics are completely separated. The Universities do not have student athletic organizations. Students are forced to either go onto University study or continue in the athletic realm. This lead Haegele to search for an American university that could provide her with an education as well as an outlet for her tennis career. St. Edward’s became a perfect home Haegele. Allowing her to international business and play competitive tennis with a seasoned team. She currently plays both singles and doubles. Coming from a singles background Haegele admitted she learned most of her doubles game at St. Edward’s. Saying, “Paige Rachel (current teammate) really helped me understand how to play doubles.” The two girls play doubles together for St. Edward’s often and know how to complement each other on the court. Rachel plays a great net game, while Haegele knows how to control the baseline. Another obstacle Haegele faced was becoming comfortable playing on a cement court. In Germany most tennis courts are made of clay. This makes the bounce time for the ball slow down, whereas on a cement court the game is all about speed. Haegele adapted well making it to the top of the St. Edward’s team. She compares her game to the legendary Steffi Graf. Haegele and Graf each play an aggressive baseline game complemented by a powerhouse serve.  For this and many reasons Graf is Haegele’s favorite professional tennis player. St. Edward’s tennis program is made up of many international students ranging from all the way from Brazilian to French. Haegele says, “Tennis is an international language.” The game brings the team together.  In their match against Texas State Haegele was the only to win. She admitted that it was the toughest match of the year, but also happy to have won against such a good team. Overall Haegele is just happy to be able to play competitive tennis at the University level. When asked what her favorite part of the game is she replied, “Even if you make an error you can still turn it around and win. So you should never give up.”