University of Memphis Athletics
From the Mind of a Tiger
Apr 09, 2020 | Men's Tennis
Senior Jan Pallares: In his own words
Our staff at GoTigersGo.com wanted to provide some insight into the various ways the Coronavirus is impacting our Tiger family. To get things started, senior men's tennis player Jan Pallares will tell us what this experience has been like for him. Before the American Athletic Conference's announcement came out, Pallares was celebrating his match-clinching performance in the win at No. 46 LSU.
What was your reaction/the team's reaction to getting the news that the spring was canceled?
When we went to play against LSU and Tulane for Spring Break, we never thought that those matches would be our last matches of the season. In fact, we never had the chance to play against Tulane, because two days before playing against them, the NCAA announced that the Spring Season got canceled for the rest of the semester due to Coronavirus. I remember that the night before playing LSU, we were having a meeting with coach Paul Goebel, and he told us that the match against LSU could be our last match of the season. Obviously, we did not believe that, but I remember coach telling us "Boys, tomorrow could be our last match of the season, so let's have fun out there and give everything we got." It did not feel real that we had to drive back to Memphis in the middle of our Spring Break; it was heartbreaking.
As an international student-athlete, what kind of discussion did you have about going back home to Spain vs. staying in the US?
With the season being canceled, I really thought about going back to Spain. It was the best time for me to go back home and see my family. Nevertheless, the situation in Spain is TERRIBLE. People cannot leave their houses, they cannot go to work, they cannot do sport outside, etc. After having multiple phone calls with my parents, we decided that it would be better for me to stay in Memphis. Before all this happening, I already had a plan of working as a tennis coach here in the United States over the summer. Since we got another year of eligibility, I am scared to go back to Spain, and not be able to fly back to Memphis because of the Coronavirus.
What have you been doing during quarantine?
There is not much to do right now in Memphis. Everything is closed and we can barely play tennis. However, I am trying to stay as busy as possible. I am working out and running every day, I am doing schoolwork, cooking more than ever, and most importantly; I am doing FaceTime every day with my parents and friends from back home. Hopefully this quarantine ends up soon, because I always want to do things outside, but right now that is not possible.
Have you been able to improvise some training/workouts to keep yourself in tennis shape?
I have been working out and running in order to stay in a good shape. Even though I have not been playing tennis in a daily basis, I have my workout plan. Every day I do body weights, and afterwards I go for a long run. Definitely, when it comes to my workout, this is the most exciting part of the day. It sounds crazy saying this, but working out allows me to be outside and enjoy the good weather that Memphis is having.
What was your reaction to the NCAA granting the extra year of eligibility?
One of the best news I have ever heard in my entire life. Playing college tennis has been the BEST experience of my life. I love my teammates and my coaches, and just for the fact that I get to spend more time with them on and off the court, that makes me the happiest boy in the world. I feel that the NCAA did an amazing job with giving us the opportunity to have one more year. In addition, this extra year gives me the opportunity to keep studying and keep improving academically. This extra year has given me the opportunity to apply for a Journalism minor and I am super excited about it. Without this extra year, I would not be able to keep studying, but the most importantly, I would not be able to share the tennis court with my teammates.
How are you adjusting to online classes?
This last semester I decided to do an Internship (12 credit hours) plus one online class (3 credit hours), so quarantine has not affected the way I am doing school. Nevertheless, it did affect part of my internship since I have to work from home. For my internship, I am working for the University of Memphis Athletic Department, and also I have been working for the Junior Tennis Program at the Colonial Country Club in Cordova, TN.
How have you and your teammates stayed in touch?
We are like a family. I have never thought I would get that close with a group of 8 guys. By saying this, we stay in touch every single day. We have a team "WhatsApp" group chat where we talk every day and make sure we are all safe and healthy. We are lucky that we have phones and we can do videocalls. Without videocalls I would not be able to see both my family and friends, so I am very grateful for that.
What was your reaction/the team's reaction to getting the news that the spring was canceled?
When we went to play against LSU and Tulane for Spring Break, we never thought that those matches would be our last matches of the season. In fact, we never had the chance to play against Tulane, because two days before playing against them, the NCAA announced that the Spring Season got canceled for the rest of the semester due to Coronavirus. I remember that the night before playing LSU, we were having a meeting with coach Paul Goebel, and he told us that the match against LSU could be our last match of the season. Obviously, we did not believe that, but I remember coach telling us "Boys, tomorrow could be our last match of the season, so let's have fun out there and give everything we got." It did not feel real that we had to drive back to Memphis in the middle of our Spring Break; it was heartbreaking.
As an international student-athlete, what kind of discussion did you have about going back home to Spain vs. staying in the US?
With the season being canceled, I really thought about going back to Spain. It was the best time for me to go back home and see my family. Nevertheless, the situation in Spain is TERRIBLE. People cannot leave their houses, they cannot go to work, they cannot do sport outside, etc. After having multiple phone calls with my parents, we decided that it would be better for me to stay in Memphis. Before all this happening, I already had a plan of working as a tennis coach here in the United States over the summer. Since we got another year of eligibility, I am scared to go back to Spain, and not be able to fly back to Memphis because of the Coronavirus.
What have you been doing during quarantine?
There is not much to do right now in Memphis. Everything is closed and we can barely play tennis. However, I am trying to stay as busy as possible. I am working out and running every day, I am doing schoolwork, cooking more than ever, and most importantly; I am doing FaceTime every day with my parents and friends from back home. Hopefully this quarantine ends up soon, because I always want to do things outside, but right now that is not possible.
Have you been able to improvise some training/workouts to keep yourself in tennis shape?
I have been working out and running in order to stay in a good shape. Even though I have not been playing tennis in a daily basis, I have my workout plan. Every day I do body weights, and afterwards I go for a long run. Definitely, when it comes to my workout, this is the most exciting part of the day. It sounds crazy saying this, but working out allows me to be outside and enjoy the good weather that Memphis is having.
What was your reaction to the NCAA granting the extra year of eligibility?
One of the best news I have ever heard in my entire life. Playing college tennis has been the BEST experience of my life. I love my teammates and my coaches, and just for the fact that I get to spend more time with them on and off the court, that makes me the happiest boy in the world. I feel that the NCAA did an amazing job with giving us the opportunity to have one more year. In addition, this extra year gives me the opportunity to keep studying and keep improving academically. This extra year has given me the opportunity to apply for a Journalism minor and I am super excited about it. Without this extra year, I would not be able to keep studying, but the most importantly, I would not be able to share the tennis court with my teammates.
How are you adjusting to online classes?
This last semester I decided to do an Internship (12 credit hours) plus one online class (3 credit hours), so quarantine has not affected the way I am doing school. Nevertheless, it did affect part of my internship since I have to work from home. For my internship, I am working for the University of Memphis Athletic Department, and also I have been working for the Junior Tennis Program at the Colonial Country Club in Cordova, TN.
How have you and your teammates stayed in touch?
We are like a family. I have never thought I would get that close with a group of 8 guys. By saying this, we stay in touch every single day. We have a team "WhatsApp" group chat where we talk every day and make sure we are all safe and healthy. We are lucky that we have phones and we can do videocalls. Without videocalls I would not be able to see both my family and friends, so I am very grateful for that.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Tennis Edition - April 15, 2025
Tuesday, April 15
Men's Tennis: Getting hyped for outdoor tennis match - March 31, 2024
Sunday, March 31
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Tennis 5/6/21
Thursday, May 06
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Tennis 3/3/21
Wednesday, March 03