“I’ve been playing tennis my whole life…It is my life,” said first-year Jose Aguero, amid a mess in his room only Serendipity could produce. Aguero, born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, is one of the new members of the tennis team this year. Aguero to Guilford at the beginning of this semester, after graduating from Colegio Valle Verde in October. Planning on majoring in engineering at a different school, Aguero chose Guilford because “a friend of my father came here; he suggested it to me so I came.”

So far the 18-year old Aguero has liked Guilford.

“The only difference (between Guilford and Guatemala) is my girlfriend is in Guatemala, my family, my best friends,” Aguero said. “But now I’m getting to know more people, making good friends, you know?”

Aguero’s roommate, first-year Jake Blumgart, commented that “he’s a really great roommate. He’s cordial, funny as hell, and he’s clean too. I don’t think he’d say the same for me though.”

Aguero’s dedication to the sport has played a major role in his and the team’s overall success thus far.

“If I’m not in school, I’m playing tennis,” Aguero said. “When I’m not playing tennis… I don’t know. Probably playing video games,” Aguero said, holding up a worn copy of FIFA 2005, a soccer videogame. “I’ve been playing FIFA since … well, I had the Nintendo version of FIFA World Cup 1998, so I guess that’s when I started.”

Playing tennis six to ten hours a week, he still finds time to do everything else, including maintaining a good standing in his classes.

But tennis still takes top priority for Aguero.

“It (tennis) is like my best, most loyal girlfriend. It’s my life,” he said, pointing to the tennis rackets strewn around the room. “My whole family, well the Aguero side, plays tennis. My grandfather won a NCAA Division 1 title for Tulane in the 1950s.”

“I’ve traveled to many places because of it.”

When he was living in Guatemala, Aguero played in many International Tennis Federation (ITF) matches across North America, Mexico, Aruba, Texas, Miami, Cuba, and Caracas.

“In Guatemala, I used to have to get up at five in the morning to practice from six to seven,” Aguero said. “Then I’d go to school, and have to practice from three to six. Four hours a day, twenty hours a week.”

Although Aguero trains less here, coach William Fickles said via e-mail that “He is extremely passionate about tennis and dedicated toward improving everyday.”

Having won both his singles match and a double match with senior Bobby Iordanov against Bridgewater, Aguero and his teammates are preparing for a rush of matches. They are scheduled to play Ferrum on Mar. 23 and Greensboro College on Mar. 24. Competition remains intense, with few breaks until the ODAC championships in Lexington, VA, April 15-17.

“And I was planning on studying!” Aguero said after looking over the schedule.

So far, the Men’s Tennis team has won all three of their matches, including the match against Bridgewater. Each victory has come from teams in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

As to what Aguero plans to do in the off season: “I don’t know,” he said. “Probably play soccer in the fall. I mean, I love sports.