Athlete of the Week: Stratas Anastopoulo

West Ashley sophomore tennis player Stratas Anastopoulo has been serving up a storm in his first few matches. The season has only just begun, and he is already 2-0 in his singles matches. So far in his high school tennis career, he has accumulated 45 singles match wins.
“If he continues on the current pace, he will graduate in 2018 as West Ashley High’s all-time leader in singles victories,” says boys’ tennis coach Ronnie DuPre.
Anastopoulo’s strength is playing singles matches and part of the reason he does so well is his outstanding serve. Anastopoulo admits he has a good serve, but he also acknowledged that it’s something he has spent the last six years perfecting. “I watch YouTube videos on how others compete, and I take their strategies and use them in my games,” he says.
In addition to spending time his free time researching ways to improve his game, Anastopoulo spends two hours a day, five days a week practicing with his team. “Stratas has a great attitude and work ethic,” says DuPre. Anastopoulo claims his greatest tennis achievement was reaching the second round of the State Tournament last season.
That great work ethic has proven instrumental to his success in many ways. He recently recovered from an injury, a torn ligament in his hand that caused him to delay his exceptional progress. “I wasn’t able to play during practice, and I was out for half of the season,” Anastopoulo says. “[I want to] thank my coaches and teammates for motivating me after my injury.” The motivation from his teammates helped him to employ his motto “give 100 percent in everything” and come back swinging this season.
“He is an outstanding player and student,” says DuPre. In the classroom Anastopoulo works hard to stay focused and apply his motto to his schoolwork. Outside of school, he does whatever he can to stay active and stay in top physical condition for his tennis matches.
Most of Anastopoulo’s hobbies involve working out, playing sports, and just being active in general. When he’s not playing tennis, he enjoys playing basketball as a competitive sport. He says both sports fit his aggressive offensive style.
After high school, he plans to pursue his hobbies in a more professional manner. He would like to play tennis in college, hopefully for Coastal Carolina. He plans to earn his Bachelor’s degree and then become a professional fitness trainer.