We caught up with Eric Dosal out of the Tennis-Miami.com community! Here's his story.
I grew up in Miami, went to college at Babson College in Boston, then made my way to Wall Street to work in Finance for a few years before coming back home to Miami to join the family business. It's been 20+ years since I came home and during that time I have been working with my family (mostly my brother) starting, selling & operating different businesses in the technology space. Currently I spend my professional time running Compuquip Cybersecurity, a cybersecurity consulting practice.
I am currently a
member of the Tennis Miami Competitive2 (3.25) League but a future member of
the Elite & Advanced (4.0) League (wink wink!)
How long have you participated in your league?
This is my 2nd
full season as I was recovering from an injury that kept me out of 2 other
seasons earlier this year.
How did you first learn about it?
A friend of a
friend told me about Tennis Miami when I was looking for regular matches to
improve my skills. I was tired of
playing the same people over and over without any structure.
How often do you play?
My goal is to
play twice during the week and once on the weekend which ends up being about 2
to 3 times per week depending on scheduling and how my body holds up.
What do you like most about the league?
I love the
structure of the league which allows you to schedule matches based on your
availability vs a required day of the week as other leagues have. And I love the tracking of scores and rankings
for the league so you can see how you’re playing compared to others in your
league.
Tell us about your most memorable match(es)?
I had one match
against someone that played mostly junk balls and frustrated me to the point I
wanted to scream and smash racquets. But
I learned more in that match about the mental game and patience than any other
time. Outside of the league, just
recently I played a match with my brother while we were in Park City, Utah in
December in a “bubble” they put over the outdoor courts since there was 2ft of
snow outside. Playing at high altitude
totally changes the game.
Who are your favorite rivals in the league? Why?
I don’t have
many rivals but Jesus Gonzalez is who I’ve played with the most and it's always
fun to play against him.
Do you have any other interesting comments about your experiences with the league?
I feel like it's
a big community and I’ve seen some players advance to other leagues and thought
“that means I know I can do it too”.
Everyone is extremely friendly and I’ve never had a bad experience on
the court.
How did you get started playing tennis?
My mother
started me playing tennis when I was very young, however I chose baseball over
tennis and played baseball through college.
I didn’t pick up tennis again for another 30+ years in 2021 when I
wanted some “fun exercise” outside. I
have been playing regularly ever since.
Do you play to compete, or for fun?
A little of both.
I have a lot of fun on the court and love the calorie burn. But the competitive nature of the sport feels
great, I feel like a kid when I’m out there chasing balls down.
What level player are you? (NTRP rating)
I have never had
an official rating but from everything I have read and other tournaments I’ve
played I would comfortably say I’m at a 3.5 level.
What do you love about tennis?
I love the
fitness aspect, the mental challenge, the opportunity to compete, the fact you
can’t think about anything else on the court, and the social aspect.
Who are your favorite pro players? Why?
I’m a big fan of anyone with a single handed backhand because that’s what I have so guys like Tsitsipas, Dimitrov, Musetti, Theim, Wawrinka, and of course Federer. Besides that I’m a fan of Taylor Fritz (currently the top American), Nick Kyrios (excitement on the court), Casper Ruud (his playing demeanor), and Jack Sock (doubles skills),
When I’m not playing tennis I love to workout, I love to read, I love to spend time with my family which includes my amazing daughters and my incredible wife (who also plays tennis).
