Courtesy of Howard University Athletic Media Relations
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 1, 2020 – Howard University junior broadcast journalism major Tiffany Hunt had an opportunity to chat with fellow student-athlete Sagar Raju from the men's tennis team, asking 10 questions for the 2019-20 Senior Profile series.
Q: What's your favorite part of tennis?
A: My favorite part is my teammates, for sure. Normally, tennis is a very individual sport, but having my teammates cheer me on is something that I truly appreciate.
Overall, I love the competitive nature and individuality of the sport because in singles matches, I represent myself and I don't rely on anyone else.
Q: How did you get started in tennis?
A: At age three, my dad bought my brother and I plastic tennis rackets. Around age nine, I started training for the sport.
I'm sad that it's coming to an end, considering the sport's impact on my life.
Q: What kept you motivated?
A: I played for fun before college, but I was motivated by the love for the sport. Once I arrived on campus, I respected the sport being a NCAA Division I student-athlete while gaining a new family, my teammates.
Also, in the collegiate level, you're depended on winning your singles matches for a team victory.
Q: If you were not competing in tennis, what other sport would you do?
A: Most likely, I would choose either ultimate frisbee or basketball.
In ultimate frisbee, I played competitively and won titles on my high school team.
Prior to high school, I played basketball before focusing on tennis.
Q: Who is your favorite athlete and why?
A: I'm a LA (Los Angeles) native, so the late Kobe Bryant was my favorite athlete. I grew up watching him develop into an iconic superstar. I valued his work ethic because he demonstrated you can achieve whatever you want to accomplish through hard work and perseverance.
Q: What's your favorite memory at Howard?
A: My favorite memory was last year's Howard Homecoming (2019) because it was my last hurrah, so I took advantage everything HU had to offer.
Q: Plans after graduation?
A: After graduation, I plan to attend medical school. Currently, I am looking at Howard's Medical School.
Q: What or who will you miss at Howard?
A: Of course, I'll miss my friends and playing tennis. Also, I'll miss everything about Howard, especially what it offered me.
Q: What advice would you give future Bison?
A: The best advice I can give to future Bison would be to never say no to opportunities but say yes to every opportunity you can because four years can go quickly.
Q: Who would you like to thank?
A: I would like to thank my family, head coach Larry Strickland, my teammates and my friends.
About Raju
Raju was a four-year member of the men's tennis team where he excelled on and off the court.
In his sophomore campaign, Raju and former teammate Karim Shokeir snatched up a team-best six doubles victories, including a perfect 4-0 record in conference play.
Off the court, Raju was a highly decorated student-athlete, earning Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Scholar Athlete twice (2018 and 2019). The California native also was selected to the 2018 and 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tennis All-Academic Team.
Raju was robbed of his senior season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), competing in only five matches.
Graduating May 2020, Raju continues his educational path by attending medical school, planning to be a future cardiologist or neurologist.