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***Rafa came to Canada from Germany in 2008 and started his tennis training at ACE Tennis in Burlington. He was there for a year on a part scholarship waiting for his family landed immigration status. Now, two years later, due to financial constraints he had to move with his parents in Saskatchewan. He was in the finals of the ITF in Burlington against Braydon Schnur, quite a journey. Rafa’s current ITF ranking is 675.***

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ONcourt: Where do you live in Saskatchewan, how do you practice there, and are you now in school?

Rafa Davidian: Once I left ACE, I didn’t play for 6 months. It was winter and there are no indoor courts nearby. I was doing a lot of fitness though.

ONcourt: How have you managed not only to maintain your game but to improve?

Rafa Davidian: I love the game of tennis too much to quit. So I decided to play some ITF’s in California. I went there, practiced for two weeks, and played the tourney. I wasn’t playing my best at all, but still managed to beat some top US juniors. Luckily, I managed to find a friend of my dad who was a tennis coach. Now I am training with a couple of good players ad staying at my coach’s house. I have been practicing hard, playing four hours of tennis and doing at least one hour of fitness each day.

ONcourt: What are your dreams and how do you hope to attain them?

Rafa Davidian: I wanted to be a pro my whole life. I am going to work hard to become a top player and start playing futures. I would also love to play in a US university but that’s ‘Plan B’.

ONcourt: Would you come back and train in Burlington, and will you compete for Canada when you get your landed immigrant papers?

Rafa Davidian: Of course, I would come to ACE. It was tough but it was worth it. Pierre’s training of discipline and sportsmanship is great and I totally support it and believe it’s the right thing. I really like the fitness that Kyrylo is doing. After a month of work, you’ll be moving like there’s no tomorrow!

Thanks for everything!