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Rishi Verma didn’t think he wanted to play tennis in college until he was a sophomore at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Verma discovered how much more could be gained from the sport when competing with others for a common goal.

Four-Star Rishi Verma Has Committed to Swarthmore
© Contributed Photo

“I think I fell in love with my high school team and then also the USTA team events have always been my favorites,” said Verma, who began playing tennis at age 7. “I started working a lot harder and just found the joy for the sport. It wasn’t just through winning. I found a deeper appreciation for what tennis was giving me.”

Verma will get a chance to experience those emotions for at least four more years. The four-star senior has committed to Swarthmore College, a Division III school in Pennsylvania.

“Something about being on campus and walking around and being with the guys on the team felt right,” Verma said. “The mission of the school really fits with what I want. For me, playing D3 tennis is more about being a student and growing as a person as it is a tennis player. I felt like Swarthmore had the best of both worlds.”

Verma didn’t know much about Swarthmore until head coach Jason Box reached out to him about visiting the campus.

“I got on the phone with him and the conversation just went really well. It felt like we were both talking about the same things,” Verma said. “We talked about the game the same way and the way he ran the team aligned with what I have done with my high school team and my tennis personally.”