Seven questions with Neel Epstein ’25, men’s tennis

Neel Epstein ’25, originally from New York, N.Y., is currently on the men’s tennis team. At this year’s ITA New England Regional, Epstein was the singles runner-up, and he will travel to Rome, Ga. for the ITA Cup on Oct. 10. 

In this edition of Seven Questions, Epstein discusses his achievements at Middlebury, his improvement as a tennis player and his favorite restaurant in town.

Jack McGuire: To start off, you were the runner up at the ITA New England Regional. Can you describe the significance of this achievement and the work that went into it? 

Neel Epstein: Yeah, so our fall season is usually a shorter season. It’s usually around eight weeks, and it kind of revolves around the ITA, starting with the regional, and then the national tournament. Those are kind of our two most important events of the fall. So, to be able to participate in the national tournament is a great honor, and something I've been looking forward to my entire Middlebury career. I'm excited that I finally got to participate as a senior. 

JM: What is your favorite Middlebury tennis memory throughout your time here?

NE: I probably have two favorite memories. They're both in NCAA quarter final matches where we were, you know, tied 4–4 with the other team, and we were able to come up and win those matches. Once in 2023, I got to clinch the match. Then last year, in 2024, my teammate Noah Lewis ’27 clinched the match. Playing in that moment and being on the sidelines watching my teammate carry us across the finish line, it's a great feeling and it gives you a lot of confidence.

JM: How did you get started playing tennis as a kid? What's been your journey to play at the collegiate level?

NE: My dad played tennis in college at Cornell, so that was kind of probably why I started playing tennis. Then, he got me into it. I actually wasn't a very competitive tennis player until a little bit later in life. Most people in collegiate tennis start playing in tournaments when they're around 10 or 11. I didn't start till I was 13 or 14. So I kind of had a later start to it, but I really fell in love with this sport. Around the age of 16 or 17, I decided that I really wanted to pursue it as a collegiate athlete, and I went to live in a tennis academy in Spain for a year. I really put a lot more effort into it and felt like I was able to get a lot better. It was always a dream of mine to play in college, and I was happy to make that happen.

JM: Why did you choose Middlebury?

NE: If we're talking about athletics specifically, there was a coach who retired two or three years ago, Bob Hansen, who is probably the greatest Division III tennis coach of all time. He's won eight or nine national championships, and he has a passion for tennis that's really contagious, and so I felt that from the first time I spoke with him, and that's what really convinced me that Middlebury was the place for me as a tennis player. Then the whole academic and student life portion of it also is very important. But to focus on that, I think that there is a special level of care and passion that people here have for tennis. 

JM: How do you think you've progressed and grown as a player while at Midd?

NE: It's funny that I ended up making the ITA for singles, but I think the biggest improvement that my game is actually on is my doubles game. Last year, I played with Robbie Ward ’24. He and I had had a really good year playing doubles, and I think the coaches had a strong emphasis on working on your volleys and working on your serve on volley. That focus towards those parts of my games really helped my doubles game rise. As a junior, I never did well in doubles. I was losing in the first round almost every single time. Coming to college and being able to play at a high level, I think I have made significant strides in that regard.

JM: What are your personal and team goals for this season?

NE: I think personal and team goals kind of go hand in hand. My personal goal is that the team does well. The team doing well, given that we're at a streak of countless final fours or better, means winning a national championship. Every year we don't win, I wouldn't say it's a disappointment, but it's that we feel like we came up short. I think that's always the goal in the back of our minds. These individual tournaments and accolades are nice, but at the end of the day, my personal goal is that one time during my four years here we get across the line. 

JM: What is your favorite restaurant in town?

NE: My favorite restaurant in town, and I would say this goes kind of in hand with the tennis team, is Sabai Sabai. We, as a team, often like to go there the night before matches. We either get pad thai or the pad see ew, and those are two of my favorite things there. I think most of our team really likes that place.