One could say Ivan and Marcos Vazquez were born to play tennis together.
The brothers on Marquette men’s tennis spent their childhoods watching their father, Juan Vazquez play tennis matches. Not long after, Ivan started taking lessons, and Marcos, who is two years younger, followed suit. Now, Ivan is wrapping up his senior season at Marquette, and Marcos is in his sophomore year.
Not many tennis players end up playing at the Division I level, let alone with their sibling. They competed in multiple sports together growing up, from baseball, basketball and even ping-pong.
“I remember looking to the side of the court and seeing (Ivan and Marcos) there, wide-eyed, absorbing everything,” Juan wrote in an email. “They didn’t fall in love with tennis because I told them to. They fell in love with it because they experienced it — the energy, the discipline, the passion.”
As Ivan and Marcos started competing in junior tournaments, parental support and family time didn’t waver.
Early in the morning, their mom, Janahaie Cintron, would help them get up early to eat breakfast and spend time together. She took pride in making sure that their tennis essentials were ready for match days. Both parents’ influences on their sons’ efforts, on and off the court, helped them big time on their road to Marquette for the Cidra, Puerto Rico natives.
“Seeing them represent not only their university but also their Puerto Rican roots fills my heart with so much joy,” Cintron wrote in an email. “They’ve worked so hard to get there, supporting each other as brothers every step of the way, and that makes it even more special. Watching them chase their dreams together reminds me that all the sacrifices were worth it. My heart is full every time I think about them out on that court.”
Despite being close, the two siblings’ contrasting personalities strike a balance on the tennis team.
“I talk too much, sometimes, he’s the opposite, so I feel like for the guys, it was refreshing seeing a Vazquez that doesn’t talk so much,” Ivan said. “It’s a great team chemistry and I feel like he can complement that.”
The wrinkle in both the Vazquezes’ college tennis journey has been that neither played at the Division I level in their first year at Marquette. Instead, they competed on the club team before making the leap to the next level and adjusting to the speed, intensity and pacing of Division I college tennis in their second years as Golden Eagles.
Teddy Wong, a senior from River Hills, Wisconsin – who also made the jump from club to Division I alongside Ivan — said that those extra reps gave their experience a boost.
“The competition level was always high with Ivan and I always playing together, getting better with each other, then we got on the (Division I) team and kept improving more,” Wong said. “Ivan was able to help Marcos train a little bit, and Marcos is a really good player, he’s super competitive and that helps a lot.”
Despite their personality differences, Marquette head coach Jud Shaufler said that both brothers have improved their ability to deal with feisty competition and have a similar energy about each other.
“They don’t get too high, too low, they’re even-keel guys, as it spills over into the competitive part, they’re learning when they come up against strong personalities, that you can’t back down,” Shaufler said. “Marcos is learning what this whole thing’s about, and how you’ve got to hold up to those strong personalities, so I would say that there’s some parallels too.”
The brothers furthered their chemistry by participating in a few beach tennis tournaments together back home in Puerto Rico during Marquette’s offseason. It provided a literal sandbox spin on their favorite sport.
“That was a pretty cool experience to do, we did two or three tournaments together and we did decently good, even though it ain’t our main sport,” Marcos said.
Marcos said that reuniting with Ivan has helped make his game more well-rounded in addition to acclimating to a new team and coaching staff.
“He’s been really helpful during the process, like keeping me stable, what to do or not to do around Coach (Shaufler); so, he has helped me out a lot,” Marcos said.
To Ivan, Marcos joining the Golden Eagles did two things, filling a void while also making their childhood dreams come true.
“Growing up, this is what we dreamt of doing, we wanted to get academics while also playing the sport we love,” Ivan said. “When I joined, that was really fulfilling for me, but it was just missing that other component.”
The brothers have cherished the time and experiences they’ve cultivated after their reunion at Marquette.
“Being far from (your parents) is hard, but they’re always going to be there for you,” Marcos said. “These are unforgettable moments that I’m never going to take for granted, because I’m always going to be learning.”
As Marquette progresses through its season, there is something special to be said about the power of family, on and off the court, as Ivan closes out his last season of his collegiate career.
“We like to help each other out with whatever we need. If it’s school, a meal swipe I need, I know he’s always there for me, vice versa, and the same deal with tennis,” Ivan said. “We’ve been together our whole lives, and we’ve got a special bond — it’s how family goes.”
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU.
