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University of Toledo tennis player Thalita Rodrigues practices at Two's Athletic Club in Toledo. The Brazilian player doesn't let having one arm prevent her from being competitive on the court.
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UT's Rodrigues is an inspiration on the tennis court

BLADE/LORI KING

UT's Rodrigues is an inspiration on the tennis court

At a recent University of Toledo women’s tennis practice, Thalita Rodrigues rested the ball on her racquet, which she carried in her right hand. Raising her racquet quickly to lift the ball in the air, she prepared for her service motion.

At the peak of her unique toss, she reached with her racquet and made contact with the ball.

It’s a service motion her grandfather taught her in Brazil. It’s how she has served since she learned the sport at a young age. Born without part of her left arm because of a viral infection her mother had during pregnancy, it is how she was forced to adapt her serve.

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Despite all the moving parts, Toledo coach Tracy Mauntler said Rodrigues’ serve is one of the best on the team.

From the time she picked up a racquet, Rodrigues wasn’t deterred by playing with just one hand. She embraced the sport, and it became part of her.

“For me, it was not hard because I loved the game and I just wanted to play,” Rodrigues said. “In the beginning, I didn’t want to stop. I would just spend the whole day playing tennis. It was not hard because I saw tennis as a chance to have fun.”

Rodrigues, born in Brasilia, Brazil, grew up idolizing Brazilian tennis champion Gustavo Kuerten and drew inspiration from afar by watching Serena Williams.

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While tennis wasn’t as popular in Brazil when Rodrigues was young as it is now, her whole family has a tennis background and her father served as her coach from a young age.

VIDEO: Thalita Rodrigues excels at UT despite having only one arm

At the age of 21, Rodrigues decided to come to the United States to continue her education and pursue a career in the sport.

“I came here because my dream is to continue to play tennis,” Rodrigues said. “It was a great opportunity to come to the United States and play tennis and study at the same time.”

She spent two successful seasons at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan. Through some luck at a national junior college tournament in Arizona, she caught the attention of Mauntler.

Mauntler went to the tournament to look at current UT player and fellow junior college transfer Kokoro Chishaki, as well as another junior college prospect.

While walking to the courts to watch someone else, she was immediately drawn to Rodrigues.

“She wasn’t really on the radar,” Mauntler said of Rodrigues. “But she was hard to miss, and not in terms of not having her arm. It was more the way she plays. She has a lot of heart on the court and she was kind of mesmerizing. I’ve never felt like that watching a player play.

“I was just completely inspired by what she was doing, and I knew the team would feel the same way when she got here.”

When Mauntler talked to the coaches at Seward County after seeing Rodrigues play, they offered a glowing endorsement. 

“They said all the things that we thought about her right away,” Mauntler said. “They said she’s never going to complain. Her work ethic is great. She is going to inspire people. There’s no real downside with her.”

Mauntler has been impressed with Rodrigues’ work ethic and raves about her positive approach to the game.

“She’s very unselfish and hard-working, and she never complains about anything,” Mauntler said. “Anything you throw at her, I think in her head she’s thinking, well I’ve done a lot of harder things than that. Whatever the running or the practice or whatever I give to her, it’s really nothing harder than she has already done.”

Rodrigues said it was tough at first to make the move to Toledo, but her teammates have welcomed her with open arms. 

“At junior college, I stayed for two years, so I had a family there and all my friends [and I] were very close,” Rodrigues said. “I came here and didn’t know anyone. But my teammates are very good and they helped me a lot. I’m grateful to have them as teammates.”

Mauntler said Rodrigues was taught the fundamentals of tennis well by her father and grandfather in Brazil.

While the coaching staff has made minor adjustments to her backhand to keep up with the pace of indoor tennis, Mauntler has tried not to tinker too much with Rodrigues’ technique on her ground strokes, volleys, and her serve.

Playing at No. 6 singles for most of this season as a junior, Rodrigues has a record of 8-5 going into Sunday’s regular-season finale vs. Miami (Ohio). In doubles matches, Rodrigues is 11-8 playing with two different partners.

“Right from the start, I was just really impressed with her positive attitude both on and off the court,” UT teammate Claire Aleck said. “We love having her on the team and she has been a great addition. She has been an inspiration for me and I think I can say the same for all of us. It’s obviously not easy for her, but seeing her hard work has pushed us to become better as a group.”

The transition from junior college to Division I can be difficult but Mauntler said Rodrigues has done well so far.

While junior college teams often are strong at the top of the lineup, Mauntler said often they lack the overall depth of talent of teams like Toledo. That depth alone has helped Rodrigues compete at a high level every practice and has Mauntler excited about her potential.

“I don’t know that she has been pushed like this on a daily basis,” Mauntler said. “She has made huge strides even since January. I’m excited to finish up this spring and then have the summer and see what she can do next year. I expect her to be a staple in the lineup for us.”

Toledo is 15-5 overall, 5-2 in the Mid-American Conference and has won five consecutive matches.

As a No. 6 singles player and a valuable doubles player, Rodrigues has done plenty to prove her worth to the team this season.

“It’s nice to talk about someone’s story, but at the same time you need to prove yourself,” Aleck said. “I think Thalita has proven herself as someone who can overcome hardships. I think it’s allowed us as a team, when you think you can’t handle certain situations or you think you are going through a hardship, it’s a helpful reminder to us that you can do anything.”

Contact Brian Buckey at: bbuckey@theblade.com419-724-6110, or on Twitter @BrianBuckey.

First Published April 20, 2018, 5:30 p.m.

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University of Toledo tennis player Thalita Rodrigues practices at Two's Athletic Club in Toledo. The Brazilian player doesn't let having one arm prevent her from being competitive on the court.  (BLADE/LORI KING)
UT tennis player Thalita Rodrigues serves the ball during a recent practice.  (BLADE/LORI KING)
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