Scholar Stories: Siimar's Journey from Estonia to Michigan Paying Dividends
4/1/2020 10:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis, Features
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Despite the cancellations of winter and spring sports due to COVID-19, MGoBlue.com will continue to highlight our student-athletes' stories through May 6.
By Ryan Makuch
The jump from overseas to university is never an easy one. For junior Mattias Siimar, though, that was something he always had his mind set on.
"I always knew I was going to go to the United States," the native of Estonia said. "It wasn't really too long of a thought process."
That move proved to be one that's paid dividends. Alongside twin brother Kristofer, also a member of the University of Michigan men's tennis team, Mattias has helped the Wolverines reach new heights.
Why make that jump? As Siimar said, bluntly, "Tennis provided me an outlet to pursue a free education."
Always mindful of academics, he noted that a college education in the United States is one of the best in the world. Moving to the U.S. and being given the opportunity to play at a high level was a no-brainer.
Throughout his recruiting process, Michigan was always on his radar.
"Michigan has been pretty good in tennis for a long time," he said. "I was looking for the best mix of tennis and academics, and if there were rankings like this, Michigan would be number one for sure."
For every student-athlete, the balance between the two disciplines is one that needs to be minded daily. Siimar says it's a matter of effort.
"I have to do everything other students are doing, and also play sports for basically four hours a day," he said. "I don't have much free time -- I'm studying over the weekend."
Siimar doesn't mind it, though. While he may not have the more "typical"Â student experience, he gets to make up for it within the context of his sport.
"I have fun on the court and with my teammates," he said.
Last year, the Wolverines went 18-9 and made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The hope was that the good times would continue to roll. And that they did.
This season, while ending early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a thrill ride for Siimar.
"It was like a rollercoaster that didn't go down," he said.
While the matter of the season ending early was "pretty much straight down,"Â Siimar noted that the season outside of that was excellent.
On Feb. 1, the Wolverines welcomed No. 8-ranked TCU into Ann Arbor and defeated the Horned Frogs, 4-2, for the team's first victory over a top-10 opponent in nearly nine years. The Wolverines went on to best three more top-10 teams (No. 9 Columbia, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 4 Texas), finishing the year at 14-3 and ranked No. 3 in the country.
Individually, Siimar finished 15-8 in singles action, primarily at No. 2 or No. 3, and went 25-4 in doubles, playing primarily at No. 1. Siimar and sophomore Andrew Fenty made a run to the doubles final at the ITA National Fall Championships, finishing second.
"We had great memories every weekend," Siimar said of the season. "We were celebrating basically after every match ... there were only positive emotions."
Just as impressive as his on-court accomplishments are, his off-court path is just as noteworthy. Siimar is enrolling in the School of Information in Information Analysis. In addition to his major through that program, he also is working on his minor in another exceptional school on campus -- the Ross School of Business.
The School of Information allows Siimar a multifaceted learning experience that will allow him to prepare for the real world and give him a well-balanced education.
"I like the School of Information because it teaches me hard skills like front- and back-end programming but also soft skills like how to interact with stakeholders and customers," he said. "In today's globalized world, I believe that communication skills are as important as coding skills."
Post-graduation plans are something that Siimar continues to feel out in a positive way. In regards to continuing his tennis career post-university, Siimar said, "I'm covering my bases to do whatever I want," he said. "I'm not putting any pressure on tennis."
Thinking about favorite memories, Siimar said that while he believes he's done well academically and has enjoyed his time in the classroom, his fondest memories have come on the tennis court.
"I enjoyed when we made the Sweet 16 my freshman year," he said about a favorite on-the-court memory. He also has fond memories of his parents visiting from Estonia. The family went to the Wolverines' football game against Notre Dame this season and enjoyed the atmosphere and Michigan victory.
"Michigan means the world to me," Siimar said. "I believe that every student is very proud to say that they are Wolverines when someone asks because Michigan is one of the best colleges in the world." Siimar also expressed gratitude that he gets to say he is both a Wolverine student and a Wolverine athlete.
"It is an absolute blast to be a Wolverine," he said.
No matter what the future may hold, Siimar has cherished his first three years as a Wolverine.
Already hungry ahead of next season, expectations are crystal clear for 2020-21. He noted that the squad would retain a large number of players (they will lose only two seniors to graduation). With the expectation that all returning players will make another leap in their games over the summer, Siimar says that another top-five or top-10 season is certainly in the cards.
"We are expecting more," he said.
With what he has accomplished so far, there is no reason to doubt that the best is still to come for Mattias Siimar.
Players Mentioned
