DURHAM, N.C. – Duke men's tennis head coach Ramsey Smith and the Blue Devils will welcome three incoming freshmen to the program in August. Robert Levine will come to Duke from Bedford, N.Y.
Check back to GoDuke.com throughout the coming weeks for profiles on each of the incoming Blue Devils, and be sure to follow the team all year on Twitter and Facebook.
Robert Levine
Bedford, N.Y. l Laurel Springs School | Right Handed
Prior to Duke: Levine is a blue chip prospect from Laurel Springs School. He has been as high as No. 3 in the TennisRecruiting.net national rankings and currently has a Universal Tennis Rating of 13.79. He has achieved a top-100 ITF ranking, aided by 60 points from the March of 2015 International Spring Championships.
In August of 2015, Levine played in the Winnipeg National Bank Futures presented by Manshield Construction qualifying draw and defeated Connor Davies of Canada to advance to the main draw. Once in the main draw, Levine downed Edward Bourchier of Australia 6-2, 6-1 to move to the second round. As a result, Levine picked up one ATP point and earned his first ATP ranking.
Levine played in two Dominican Republic Futures events in December of 2015. He won two qualifying draw matches in each tournament to move to the main draw. In the F2 main draw, he captured two more matches to move to the round of 16, where he fell to Argentina's Juan Ignacio Galarza, 6-1, 6-3. The pair of wins gave Levine three more ATP points and his highest ever ATP ranking.
In February of 2016, Levine scored a victory over Gonzales Austin, the 2015 SEC Player of the Year from Vanderbilt, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (5), in the fourth and final qualifying round of a Futures clay-court event in Plantation, Fla.
What is your favorite tennis memory?
RL: My favorite tennis memory is playing in the US Open (juniors) after watching the event live every year growing up.
How did you get started playing tennis?
RL: Neither one of my parents were tennis players, but my brother, Matthew, started playing tennis and was competitive from a young age. I really just followed in his footsteps.
Why did you choose Duke?
RL: I chose Duke because I feel like Ramsey [Smith] and [Johnathan] Stokke are going to help me take my game to the next level. The atmosphere surrounding athletics at Duke is something that I can't wait to be a part of. It is very unique to find such enthusiasm and support of athletes at a school that is as prestigious as Duke is academically.
What is one thing that would surprise most people reading this?
RL: I have traveled to 14 different countries.
Who has made the biggest impact on your life?
RL: My dad and my brother have influenced my life the most because they are my biggest role models and who I go to for advice.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to young tennis players?
RL: My advice to young players would be to never lose sight of why you began playing tennis. This will allow you to enjoy your time on court even when you are losing or trying to make it through a difficult practice.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
RL: You cannot just be one of the crowd. You have to be willing to stand out and act differently.
Quick Hits:
Favorite athlete: Roger Federer
Favorite book: Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
Favorite TV show: Suits
Favorite movie: The Town
Favorite musician: Matoma and Kygo
Pre-match meal of choice: Subway sandwich
If you were to play another sport, what would it be? Soccer
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