Samford University Athletics

Rouxanne Janse van Rensburg 
Women's Tennis
Class: Senior
Major: Nursing graduate / MBA
Hometown: Franschhoek, South Africa  

How old were you when you started playing tennis? Did you play anything else growing up?I was basically born on the tennis court. My mom went into labor while teaching tennis. You could always find me on the tennis court while my mom taught my sister, who is seven years older than I am and also played tennis at Samford. I played netball (similar to basketball) until I was in 10th grade. I always knew that I wanted to play college tennis but I enjoyed the team aspect of netball and it helped me with my fitness for tennis.

Who is your funniest teammate?
Alonna Wood is definitely my funniest teammate. She is a burst of energy and is always the loudest person on match days. She knows how to make me laugh when I'm having a bad day. You can hear her yelling: "Lets go Samford!" from miles away!

Where are you from? What is your favorite thing to do there?
I am from Cape Town, South Africa and grew up in a valley on a wine estate. We are just 45 minutes from the beach and safaris. I didn't realize how lucky I was to have grown up in such a pretty area until I left for college. I like to do as much touristy things as I can when I am home for example hiking to the top of Table Mountain (one of the 7 natural wonders of the world) or going shark cage diving.

Who is your favorite professional tennis player?
My favorite tennis player is Roger Federer. He is so classy and composed when he plays. Truly one of the greatest of all time. There are a lot of young guys who will be taking over soon. I recently watched Carlos Alcaraz play and he is definitely one to watch. I am a fan already.

What is your preferred surface to play on? Why?
My favorite surface is hard court. I grew up playing on it and it suits my game the best. I have never played on grass but I like watching the pros play on it the most. Especially Wimbledon where all the players wear white and the fans are always respectful towards the players.

What are your career goals beyond tennis?
I have played tennis for 24 years and hope to pass down what I have learned to young aspiring tennis players. Once I complete my MBA however I would like to go back into nursing and work in the Emergency Department for a few years. I have always been interested in the business side of health care so hopefully I can find a way to combine my healthcare and business background in a healthcare administrative role as well.

Message from Rouxanne:
"Samford has been so good to my team and family. Both my sister and I have been blessed to play tennis on such a pretty campus with world class facilities which would not have been possible without the support of donors. I have been lucky enough to experience a new scoreboard during my time at Samford and it makes me proud to send my friends and family pictures of our facility as it encourages talented South Africans to follow in my footsteps. Thank you to all the donors for supporting Women's Tennis and Samford Athletics."