meet the Dominican tennis superstar! victor estrella

First Dominican Tennis Player to reach Top 100

When thinking of athletics in the Dominican Republic, I’m sure that one word comes to mind, BASEBALL! Well, here we home more than just baseball players. The Dominican Republic is now the country of

origin, of the 99th best tennis player in the world! Victor Estrella Burgos, “the first player from the Dominican Republic to crack the top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.”  Not only is this a significant accomplishment for our country but for the whole Caribbean as well, Estrella is the first person to represent the entire region at the French Open!

The Santiago native recently won his third tour-level tournament berth when he competed in Sony Open Tennis two weeks back and  is the Dominican tennis player with the most Davis Cup wins games along with four ATP Challenger tournament wins. There is no doubt that a star is in the rise. The 33 year old might be considered a bit aged to ascend in a world where younger tennis players rein, yet he shows no signs of slowing down in his efforts to pursue his dream of reaching the Top 50.

This admirer of Roger Federer has endured a lot through his career especially in October of 2012 when he suffered a major injury leaving him out of the game, literally, for six months. Despite this set back in September of the next year Estrella was more determined than ever with his impressive comeback and win record.

In the Q&A found on the ATP website, Victor gives his perspective on his journey and answer to one of 10 questions asked. If you’re interested in reading the entire article, click here.

“The recent trend of players peaking in their 30s has been a prominent one and Estrella certainly fits that mould…

You are the first player from the Dominican Republic to reach the Top 100. Discuss what this achievement means to you.

It’s great that my country is beginning to be recognized for its tennis achievements. We have reached our highest [ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking] of 27. It’s great that we are realizing that tennis has a future here and to give it the support that it deserves, especially to the younger players to continue growing their games and improving.”

We also asked Estrella a few questions of our own,

1.        How does it feel to be sponsored by a company like PUNTACANA Resort and Club?



“Well first of all, it gives me great joy and satisfaction to feel that my work is recognized and supported, this allows me to continue to strive in the future knowing that I have the support in a stand out way. to follow in the near future with the support of a company like PUNTACANA Resort & Club, with such an inspiring story and made up of successful people and entrepreneurs. Just to know that I have been acknowledged by these people is an honor in itself”.

2.        What does it feel like to excel in a sport that is not famous within your country?
Well, there are pros and cons like everything in life, but in this country the cons are more pronounced. Without the necessary support, someone with the appropriate experience to serve as a guide, or trained refs ... etc everything gets complicated, but as you say , which is your motto as well, equal amounts of sacrifice and perseverance make goals be met and when my time of achievement comes I will receive the most satisfaction in knowing that I overcame, overcame all those adversities”.

The points Estrella mentions are valid and can definitely be used towards improving our system. For this exact reason PUNTACANA Resort & Club runs a tennis camp as well as a tennis program for all the ball boys around the area. Having a tennis center near by that takes boys in and teaches them discipline and a skill is not only empowering but also provides opportunity at growth. Estrella himself got to where he is today because he was a ball boy in his youth at a resort in Santiago, that is where we learned all the valuable skills he still puts in practice today. For more information about our tennis center please click here.

Don’t miss the tennis matches and keep your eye open for Victor Estrella, the rising star.