Hard work pays off

For Southeast Asian (SEA) Games men’s singles tennis champion Cecil Mamiit, the key to success is hard work.

There’s no short cut on the rocky road to the top. It takes long hours of practice, a lot of sacrifice and dedication to the point of obsession to become a champion. And Mamiit is a shining example of a player whose hard work has paid off.

Since turning pro in 1997, the Los Angeles-born Fil-Am has beaten stars like Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and Mark Woodforde. He was once ranked No. 72 in the world and is now working on bouncing back into the top 100.

Mamiit, 30, pushed himself to the limit playing for the US. He confessed it was to avail of the financial assistance of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) that made him wear the US colors. But with the USTA channeling aid to younger players, Mamiit saw the chance to devote the rest of his playing years for the Philippines.

The USTA’s attraction is what sways up-and-coming Fil-Am stars to try their luck as American players. It’s a reality of life and Mamiit said Fil-Ams shouldn’t be blamed for testing the US waters before heeding the call of the Motherland.

"There are Fil-Am players around," said Mamiit. "From my experience with the USTA, it will be hard for these players to make a decision to change their citizenship for the Philippines.

The USTA provides a lot of help. They provide free coaches to travel with them and wildcards for challenger and tour events and the US Open."

Mamiit said unless the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association (PHILTA) or anyone can provide as much help as the USTA, the turnover of young Fil-Am prospects from the US to the Philippines will be slow.

"It was hard for me to leave the US from 1996 until 2005," admitted Mamiit. "I was getting so much help when I was ranked No. 72. Always a problem for a tennis player is travel expenses. When you’re a successful American player, it’s easier to find sponsors. The exposure is great in the US. The problem with the USTA is it has a lot of players to deal with so there is an age limit. The USTA constantly looks for young players.

"But I know there are some Fil-Am players considering to play for the Philippines because Eric (Taino) and I are currently playing. The interest is slowly emerging in the US. I know of a few young Fil-Am players but I can’t tell if they can be potential champions. They’re too young to tell."

Mamiit said at this point in his career, his only goal is to represent the Philippines in all major tournaments.

"It would be nice to be in the big tournaments again, representing the Philippines," continued Mamiit whose father Cesar is from Alaminos, Laguna, and mother Lisa from Sariaya, Quezon. "My commitments to Philippine tennis right now is a long list. So much improvements have to be made for the tennis program to succeed. A good start was for us to play in Group 2 of the Davis Cup again. We should have a long list of promising young players who will soon make an impact in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) tour.

"At the moment, it seems like P. J. Tierro is the only one I’ve seen. I’m considering having P. J. travel with Eric and me in some tournaments so he can get some exposure in playing against the big guys. It’s great to have some sort of team atmosphere where we are playing on the road. It would be very beneficial for P. J. The problem is P. J. needs to get his ranking higher. He has talent but he should have an opportunity to see how far he can go. He can’t just stay in Asia. A huge problem is the financial aspect because it will cost money for us to travel to certain tournaments."

Mamiit said he would be agreeable to conduct clinics and spread the gospel of tennis throughout the country.

"I did a few clinics after the SEA Games with the help of Cebuana Lhuillier," said Mamiit. "The problem is the time I have to take out of my schedule. As you know, tennis doesn’t have much of an off-season. It’s hard to find time. But I know I will be around during the Davis Cup. I will always try to find time to work in clinics."

As for his love life, Mamiit said he’s been looking around for the right girl but hasn’t found her yet.

"It’s been hard to have a relationship when I’m on the road," said Mamiit. "So I don’t know when I’ll get married. My family is very supportive of what I do. They understand the sacrifices that I take in order to do what I do. I hardly have time to see them because I travel so much. But we try to take advantage of the time when we do see each other. My mother is a nurse and my father is retired. I’m an only child so I get all the attention."

On a personal note, Mamiit said he hopes to break into the world’s top 100 with Taino so "Filipino fans will follow us around the world and come out to see us play."

Mamiit said national teammates Johnny Arcilla and Tierro are coming on strong as the next Filipino tennis stars.

"Johnny and P. J. are coming up right behind us, being the next tennis hopefuls," he said. "You never know there could possibly be another Filipino player working right now to be next in line to make huge strides.

"In order for there to be a bright future, there needs to be motivation and desire to make this all happen. Whether it’s from PHILTA, the players, the kids, the parents, the sponsors or the fans, everyone needs to get together and be willing to contribute as much as they can in order to achieve success. I try to bring hope and inspiration to everyone who watches me play, showing that anyone can do it with hard work and in a professional manner. Working hard in a collective way – this is the start and there are already signs that this can all happen."