Q & Ace with Gabriel Flores
April 2, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – They are stories of perseverance. Stories about growing up, becoming men and being a part of a family. One-by-one, we hear from them. These are the Miami Hurricanes…
Gabriel Flores | Sophomore | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
When I was a little kid I played baseball and soccer, and a little bit of basketball as well. After school I would go to the tennis courts because my brothers had practice. I spent a lot of time at the tennis club because of them. Then, one summer, when I was about 6 years old I went to a tennis camp and loved it; so I’ve been doing it since then.
The U is the greatest place in the whole world.
The person I look up to the most is my father. He’s so disciplined at every decision he makes. He always tries to look at the positive and negative sides of everything.
I chose the University of Miami because of the great tradition, academics and the athletic program. A big factor was that it’s close to home. I’m from Puerto Rico and we have similar weather and the Latin culture here played a big role in my decision.
My team is young and talented.
If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life it would be mofongo. It’s a Puerto Rican dish with fried plantains, and inside is either chicken or skirt steak and a special sauce. I want some right now!
In 10 years I see myself as a sports agent. I want to go to law school and do sports law. I would love to work with baseball.
Tennis has opened so many doors for me. I’ve been able to travel all over the world, meet new people, play with the stars. I’ve met a lot of professional players and learned from them.
I have travelled all over Europe, South America, North America. I’m really lucky that tennis has given me this opportunity.
If I won the lottery I would keep doing what I’m doing right now. After college I would go play on the professional tour, because that can get expensive. But after that I would follow through with my goal of becoming a sports agent.
I have a special place in my heart for Chili’s Molten Lava Cake. I have a VERY special place in my heart for that.
If I could have one superpower I would want teleportation. Easy.
I never start the first game of each set with my towel. I leave it on the bench. Also, if I win a point with a certain ball I have to keep playing with that ball. If I use a towel for that point I have to keep using it, no matter what.
When I want to laugh I start talking to my teammate Omar. He makes me laugh a lot.
After a stressful day of training I usually freshen up and hang out with my team or my girlfriend. We go to the movies or to dinner and talk so I can get my mind off of everything for a little while.
If I could go back in time I would go back to the “caveman era”, maybe 10,000 BC. I would love to interact with the wild animals.
I love when Coach Mario tells us to just have fun. It’s simple, but it means a lot. It takes all of our stress away.
When I’m not playing tennis I’m either studying or with my girlfriend.
If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to a resort in Bora Bora on the water. I’ve never been there, but I would love to go.
When I look back on my childhood I will always think of my two older brothers. It was really fun growing up with two brothers. The messing around, the fights, all of it. It was very special.
