North Carolina State University Athletics
Martinez Seeks Opportunity to Maximize Last Season on Court
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
RALEIGH, N.C.- For senior Nicole Martinez, her final season on the courts is one that has a vast amount of value to her. After having hip surgery in May, Martinez has been on a road to recovery for several months with hopes to be ready for the 2015 spring season.
"I had a tear in my labrum in my hip and it was causing me constant pain. I decided to get the surgery over the summer so that I could recover throughout the fall and prepare for the spring season," Martinez said.
"It's been a long recovery and have gone to rehab everyday, but it's good because now I feel much better and I'm ready to get back to the court. It's been a long process and I've had to have a lot of patience, but I'm hoping to be ready to go 100 percent in the spring."
For the Quito, Ecuador native, tennis has been common ground amongst her family members. She recognizes her family as the influential factor in picking up the game.
"My dad plays tennis a lot, so since I was a little kid he would always take me to play and we would watch a lot of tennis together," Martinez said. "My grandpa plays too so that was also a big influence on me. My mom doesn't play but she loves to watch."
When looking for an opportunity to play collegiate tennis, NC State turned out to be the perfect combination for what Martinez was seeking in athletics and academics.
"Prior to college I was working for an architecture program back home, so I had a lot of options with my academics," Martinez said. "NC State is one of the top programs in the field though so that was one of the main factors in my decision-making."
"I was also looking for a good team and good coaches and the program seemed like the right fit for me."
When making her decision to play for a Division I program, Martinez knew that it was the best opportunity for her to be able to pursue both her athletic and academic aspirations.
"It's different back home in the way that here in the United States you can get a scholarship for playing tennis," Martinez said. "Back home that's not available- there just aren't playing scholarships available. If someone would want to play professional tennis they wouldn't stay in Ecuador they would have to go somewhere else because its not as popular as it is in other places."
Despite having been to the United States multiple times before coming to NC State, it was still a big adjustment when Martinez first arrived on campus.
"It took a while to get used to- the culture here is definitely different from back home. Personally, it was not too hard to get used to because since I was a kid I've always loved to travel, meet new people and learn new cultures so that helped me get used to being here away from my family," Martinez said.
As time has passed, Martinez has come to appreciate the environment she has become accustomed to.
"My favorite thing about NC State is the people- I love the people here. I've made a lot of new friends and I feel like this is my second home. That's something has really kept me going throughout my career."
With her final season on the court nearing, Martinez is striving to meet the goals she has set for herself and her team.
"Being my last season I just want to have a lot of fun. I plan to work through the holiday break since it is my last season and I want to give it my all," Martinez said.
"I would love to go to the NCAA tournament as a team, and I know the girls have been working really hard so I hopefully it will pay off."
After the 2015 spring season is over, Martinez's time as a part of the Wolfpack will not be over. She will graduate in the spring of 2016 with an architecture major and a few postgraduate plans.
"The plan is after graduation I want to stay in the states for a year to gain experience in the field, and maybe get a job for a year and see how it goes," Martinez said. "I would like to go back home but you never know what can happen in a year."
