Men's Tennis Q&A: Andrew Rogers

After an impressive career at the University of Tennessee, Andrew Rogers is now at Pepperdine and a key member of a men's tennis team that is currently ranked 19th by the USTA and 27th by the ITA. The graduate transfer has a 15-10 overall record and has held down a spot in the middle of the team's lineup. He talks about his first year with the Waves and his screenwriting major:

Q: How do you feel after recent team wins against UCLA and USC?

A: I'm definitely feeling very good and that's mainly because in the three weeks leading up to those matches we struggled. To be able to get those wins at home and in front of an alumni crowd was really special. We're all feeling really good.

Q: How has your work ethic in the classroom helped your work ethic in your sport, and vice versa?

A: It's very different. My work ethic in tennis has helped more in the classroom, in terms of doing the little things right and being super diligent in how you go about practices. Whether that's doing extra serves or extra hours when nobody is watching. It ties into the classroom with studying and being diligent about doing school work.

Q: What fostered your passion for screenwriting?

A: Before Pepperdine, I did four years at the University of Tennessee. My freshman year, my coaches persuaded me to do a summer session. The pitch was to be on campus with three of my teammates, training and lifting weights. When the summer came and it was time for me to move in, none of that was true. I was in a four-bedroom dorm room hitting tennis balls, taking one math class, and staring at the white walls. I watched a lot of movies for comfort and that's where the passion began. I did research on how movies are made. I learned that the screenwriters are the ones that come up with the ideas and the screenplay in the foundation for a movie. I thought that was something that I might want to do. Four years later, here I am with the chance to get a master's degree in screenwriting.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your degree in screenwriting?

A: I want to write movies and TV shows that are impactful and move people. Movies that can make people laugh and cry. I want to share stories that are based in reality and show the harsh truth that people and individuals go through.

Q: What has been your biggest motivator in athletics and academics?

A: Since I was little, my parents did a good job instilling a goal mindset and a want to strive to be the best I can be and do anything I set my mind to, whether that's in school or on the tennis court. It's this nagging pursuit to try to be the best I can in whatever I'm doing.

Q: What has been your biggest takeaway from being an athlete here at Pepperdine?

A: I did four years at another school where there are over 27,000 students and sports are a very big thing. At the University of Tennessee, it's very easy to get lost since it's a big school. The football and basketball teams suck all of the attention away. Because Pepperdine is a lot smaller, the connections with our team and the fans, and the rest of the school and other athletes, it definitely feels a lot more intimate. It feels like more of a family, which is really special.

Q: What's your favorite memory from this season?

A: So far, it would be beating UCLA and USC in the span of 48 hours. It's really special and I'm fortunate enough to be a part of that. I'm fortunate enough that Pepperdine invited me to come here as a transfer. That was really special because it showed us that we're doing the right things to keep working and keep improving. That weekend was a good turning point for us in terms of how we play together as one unit and one team and playing for each other.

Q: Lastly, what were the biggest effects that COVID-19 had on your college experience and athletic career?

A: COVID hit my junior year at Tennessee. For me it was a big hit because initially I was a walk-on at Tennessee so I had to earn my scholarship and earn my spot. When COVID hit my junior year, I was having my breakout season. I had gotten a big boost in my scholarship and had been playing the best tennis I've played since I started. I had been given more responsibilities from the coaches and we were finally developing the culture we wanted at Tennessee. COVID hit and all of that was cut. Unfortunately, my scholarship was cut too. It forced me to backtrack three years. Going into my senior year, I was back at square one. I had to re-earn everything that, unfortunately, COVID cut. I had some times during that period that I struggled and maybe didn't go about things the right way, but I had a good group of guys around me that were really there to help me.

Players Mentioned

Andrew Rogers

Footer