Meeting Petro Kuzmenok

By Kathleen Ortiz     1/28/25 11:33pm

Petro Kuzmenok, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, competes for the tennis team. He is majoring in mathematical economic analysis.

Rice Thresher: When did you start playing tennis, and how did you get into it?

Petro Kuzmenok: I started playing tennis when I was 5 years old. My mom played tennis as a kid, and she thought I would enjoy tennis like she did, so she signed me up for lessons to try it. I’ve loved tennis ever since. 

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RT: Describe one of your earliest tennis memories.

PK: One of my earliest memories of tennis is back when I lived in Ukraine. I was practicing against a wall when I was 5 or 6 with a coach, and I hit the ball too high, accidentally hitting it over the entire wall. I was told there was a zoo somewhere behind the wall, so I thought I hit some animal with the ball and would be in trouble. 

RT: Did tennis always come naturally to you?

PK: The physical elements of the sport came pretty naturally to me. I had good hand-eye coordination and was pretty fast, which helped a lot. Also, I was very competitive, so I would work hard to improve and stay super focused in practice and matches. However, mentally, it was quite difficult for me to stay relaxed when playing tournaments, and I would often get really upset with myself or nervous, which would make me play a lot worse at certain key moments. I’ve gotten a lot better at managing my nerves and being more positive on the court, but I can always get better. 

RT: When did you know you wanted to continue playing in college?

PK: I think I always knew that I wanted to play in college, as I loved playing tennis and competing, and I wanted to keep improving my game. College tennis is an ideal environment for this since you’re practicing so often, you’re surrounded by knowledgeable coaches who can help you and you have your teammates to practice with every day. It’s a great opportunity to improve, but it is also an opportunity to be in an electric, competitive environment, and this is a lot of fun.

RT: Why did you choose Rice University?

PK: I chose Rice for a variety of reasons, the main ones being that Rice is amazing academically, and I felt like I would really fit in with the team dynamic that was in place. Our coaches are very understanding and supportive of the players, which is extremely important. They truly care for us, which makes the college tennis experience a thousand times more enjoyable and, in my opinion, productive. Many schools kind of just use the players until they’re injured and run down, as they don’t really care for their well-being in the long run. They often also try to micromanage the players’ game which can be difficult to deal with. This is not the case at Rice, and I am enjoying my time here a lot. 

RT: How do you balance your classes with tennis?

PK: Balancing classes and sports can be a challenge, as we miss class quite often when we travel for matches, especially in the spring season. For this reason, I try to take most of my harder classes in the fall, when we travel less and miss school less and have a bit of a lighter schedule in the spring.

RT: Who has been most supportive of you while chasing your goals in your sport here? In what ways have they helped you?

PK: I think my teammates and friends have been the most supportive of my tennis during my time at Rice. Our teammates always push each other to be better and to work hard, which helps to create a community in which hard work and discipline are essential. I am motivated by their commitment to our team and also work harder as a result. Also, my friends here at Rice have been very supportive of my tennis, they always ask how our team is doing and show a lot of interest in our success which means a lot to me. I feel really grateful to have them in my life.

RT: What has been your favorite memory of playing tennis at Rice?

PK: My favorite memory of playing tennis at Rice is last spring when we were playing the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Half of our team was sick, and we were trying to grind through and still try to win. It was tied 3-3, and I was the last match still playing. Despite being sick, I was still able to clinch the match to win 4-3 and the whole team swarmed me when I won. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

RT: What are your goals for this season?

PK: My goals for this season are primarily to improve my game as best as I can. Also to work on positive body language when things aren’t going my way so that I can reset during a match. I don’t want to set goals for stats or for winning because if I start to focus on my record and the numbers, then I will inevitably start to get nervous in matches since I’m not focused on having fun and improving, and instead focused only on winning.

RT: What do you do when you aren’t playing your sport?

PK: When I’m not playing my sport, I like to hang out with my teammates and friends from Sid Richardson. Our team is very close, so we spend a lot of time together outside of tennis, doing things like playing video games or just hanging out and talking. I’m not much of a party guy, so I don’t necessarily go out as much as other people would, but I still like to spend time with friends in a more relaxed setting.

RT: What is something that most people don’t know about you?

PK: I think most people don’t know that I can get pretty nervous on the court or in general. People tell me I always look very relaxed when I’m playing and just in general, and look like nothing really bothers me. That’s just kind of my personality, I feel like I always look super calm, but I tend to get nervous or anxious quite a bit whether it be in a match, if I have a test coming up or something like that. I guess I’m good at hiding it.

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