[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Although head coach Greg Van Emburgh appointed senior Lachezar Kasarov team captain this year, it is clear that the success of the men's tennis team during the upcoming fall season is highly contingent on the leadership of last year's co-captain and top player, Jeremy Sonkin.

With expectations for the team flying high, this onus of responsibility might seem daunting or overwhelming to the average player. Fortunately for the University of Wisconsin, Sonkin is no ordinary player.

After a busy off-season of training and preparing with his teammates, Sonkin is ready to compete hard in the fall season and lead the team into the trenches against a formidable Big Ten conference in the spring.

Sonkin is no stranger to pressure and is excited to fulfill his role as the team's top singles player and emotional leader this year. The highly recruited Wheaton, Ill., product chose the University of Wisconsin over several other schools because he knew there would be "great opportunity [at UW] to challenge myself."

Sonkin realized that he would have a special opportunity to not only lead the team as an underclassman, but also turn the reeling tennis program around.

Since coming to UW in 2004, Sonkin has worked rigorously with strength coach Scott Hettenbach on improving his skills and conditioning. Over the last two years, he has sculpted his six-foot-four frame — by losing approximately 25 pounds — in order to improve his speed, quickness, agility and endurance.

"My body holds up much better over the course of the season now that I have less weight on me," he said.

Sonkin spent the summer in Madison to continue his training. When he wasn't traveling all over the country for tournaments, Sonkin was working one-on-one with Van Emburgh to improve specific parts of his game they both felt he needed help with.

More specifically, Sonkin concentrated on improving his volleys and forehand stroke. According to Sonkin, this summer's work has paid off.

"I feel more comfortable on the court now that I have addressed those parts of my game," he said.

Sonkin currently has a nagging elbow injury that has put a damper on his playing in the last couple of weeks, but he expects to be close to 100 percent in the near future.

As for the upcoming season, Sonkin expects to be a top-three finisher in the regional tournament, where he lost in the quarterfinals last year, and also wants to win the Big Ten singles tournament this fall.

While he's currently a theatre/drama major, he sees himself going pro in a couple years and wants to eventually be competing in some of the biggest professional tournaments like the U.S. Open and the French Open.

However, his concerns right now are all about the team itself. Sonkin acknowledges that the team should be "noticeably improved" from last year and looks to contend for the Big Ten title in Van Emburgh's second season as head coach.

"If everything goes according to plan, [the men's tennis team] should be right there competing towards the top during the Big Ten title race in the spring," Sonkin said. "On any given day, we have the talent to go out there and beat anyone in the conference.

"We just need to go do it when it matters."