Clemens stays modest despite phenomenal year

In an outstanding year for UCLA men’s athletics, Tobias
Clemens has been head and shoulders above his peers.

But don’t tell him that; he won’t agree.

When he was notified he had won the Daily Bruin award for
outstanding male athlete of the year, his reaction wasn’t
just one of happiness. It was one of confusion.

“Shouldn’t you give that to someone who deserves
it?” Clemens said. “Like one of the soccer guys,
maybe?”

But that’s just vintage, Tobi. He even seemed surprised
when he heard a list of his accomplishments this year, as if his
modesty wouldn’t allow him to believe what he’s done on
the court.

This year, Clemens was the co-Pac-10 Player of the Year and
peaked as the No. 5 player in the nation. He played No. 1 singles
on a team that was ranked in the top five in the nation for the
majority of the year. To top it off, Clemens also had an incredible
streak of matches spanning a two-and-a-half month period where he
didn’t drop a single set to an opponent.

“How about (golfer) John Merrick?” said Clemens,
still confused. “He’s had such a great year.”

Believe it or not, Clemens’ domination on the courts this
year almost never happened. Now a junior, he almost didn’t
make it past his freshman year at UCLA.

“My first quarter was a disaster,” Clemens said.
“I was feeling so homesick, and I played terrible. My mother
told me that I shouldn’t run away from my problems so
quickly, so I gave it one last try.”

Clemens, a native of Germany, subsequently made the long trip
back to Westwood where UCLA head coach Billy Martin had a surprise
waiting for him.

“Billy hooked me up to play with Pete Sampras,”
Clemens gushed. “It gave me such an adrenaline rush, because
he’s the biggest tennis player ever, and so famous in
Germany. After that, things got better, because I’m the kind
of person that if things are going well on the court, I feel
comfortable with everything else.”

Clemens attributes his turbulent freshman year to culture
shock.

As a teenager playing on Europe’s juniors circuit, he had
never experienced anything like UCLA or the pressure of collegiate
athletics and had a hard time acclimating himself to both. However,
as both his demeanor and his English improved, Clemens found
himself making more friends, which eased tensions.

“I got to know more people, and the language barrier got
lower,” Clemens said. “Classes were hard though,
because I didn’t always understand what was going on and had
to take extra time learning.”

Add to that the incredible amount of time Clemens had to spend
practicing and traveling with the team, and it may be surprising
that he has still been able to balance his time well enough to
excel in his studies. As a business economics student, Clemens has
made the athletic department’s academic honor roll every
quarter, according to Martin.

Apart from his modesty, Clemens’ most apparent trait is
his intensity, to which his teammate and roommate, Erfan
Djahangiri, attributes much of his success.

“Once he’s on the courts, he forgets everything (and
focuses on the match),” Djahangiri said. “We’ve
played in practice twice, and he even forgot we were friends. His
only goal is to win, and until he has, we’re not
friends.”

Djahangiri claims Clemens’ intensity is due to his hailing
from Germany. On a team where many of his fellow Bruins also come
from Europe (Djahangiri is Swiss), Clemens’ German precision
is legendary.

“He’s always the first one up in the morning, and
he’s always on time,” Djahangiri said with a laugh.
“We’re all kind of messy, but Tobi keeps things clean.
He knows how to have a good time, too, but he’ll never let
himself go crazy. That’s very German.”

While being a star athlete at UCLA can be a dazzling prospect,
it’s obvious Clemens is still a normal twenty-something.
After all, he does enjoy a good detective novel. “I like them
because they make me think.”

And, according to his roommate, he eats bratwurst like any good
German would. He’s also incredibly family-oriented, which is
evident not only in his respect for his parents, but in his biggest
regret for coming to UCLA:

“I miss being able to see my younger sister grow
up,” Clemens said.

Clemens doesn’t know what the future after UCLA will hold
for him. After this year’s disappointing loss to Vanderbilt
in the NCAA semifinals, he’s determined to come back next
year and win a national championship. However, once he graduates,
he will be faced with the decision of whether or not to turn pro or
pursue a career in finance.

For the time being, Clemens is enjoying every minute at
UCLA.

“I especially love the feeling of community here,”
Clemens explained. “In Europe, anywhere you go, you’re
just a student. Here though, we’re all Bruins, and I love
that. We’ll all always have something in common, and it
brings us closer.”