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***Samuel Monette, the strong leftie from Repentigny, has won six Canadian Junior titles during his career, has been at the National Center in Montreal for the last two years, reached a top 160 ITF ranking and recently signed with the University of Indiana to start his college career in September 2012.***
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ONcourt: Your two years at the NTC provided you with great opportunities, what sticks out in your mind?
Sam Monette: The opportunity provided me with a chance to mature as a person and to develop autonomy. I was very lucky to live all types of new experiences from travelling the world to seeing and competing with the best players of my age.
ONcourt: Was it hard to make the decision to bypass the opportunity to play pro and go to University?
Sam Monette: Last year in May I had a close match with Vasek Pospisil and I was unsure as I was doing well. Since then I have taken a step backward and decided to fulfill my childhood dream of playing on a US college team.
ONcourt: What schools were you interested in and what made you decide on Indiana?
Sam Monette: I was fortunate to have many schools interested in me, Mississippi State, University of North Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn and Illinois to name a few but at the end of the day, “the feeling right” school was Indiana. I felt comfortable with the coach, Indiana is recognised as a top ten school in psychology which will be my major, and my friend and role model, Isade Juneau, will be a teammate.
ONcourt: What are your plans till you go to school?
Sam Monette: I will keep on training hard but my priority will be school, which I will attend full time, as I must finish 14 credits to get my CGEP degree.
ONcourt: Can you see yourself going pro after college?
Sam Monette: Of course, players do not mature till they are 24 and I’ll finish University when I am 22. I look at college as a step to the pros.