In this article we tell you more about student-athlete Maarten van Welij. In addition, at the bottom of this article you will find the video in which Maarten tells more about himself.

Sports: Tennis
Entry semester: Fall 2025

This is Maarten van Welij, a passionate tennis player from the Netherlands. In his youth he started with rugby, but after a while he lost interest in that. His father watched Roger Federer a lot and enrolled Maarten for tennis lessons. At first he was not enthusiastic, but a year later he gave the sport another chance – and he has been in love with tennis ever since.

Maarten is a happy and positive person who always challenges himself to the max. He also enjoys helping others and derives satisfaction from working together. He is known as an aggressive player with a powerful forehand, strong serve and tactical insight. In addition, he is a fast learner and makes great strides in his development.

His tennis club is different from most clubs; here there is a strong emphasis on team spirit and cooperation. Because of this, Maarten has learned to play not only for himself, but also for the team. This makes him a true team player, a valuable trait that he likes to take with him to America.

In the US, Maarten wants to develop further as a player and become the first player on the team. He also hopes to grow as a person, get a degree and improve his English language skills. His ultimate goal is to reach the highest level both individually and within the team and to have a positive impact on his environment.

“I will strive to become the best player and best person I could possibly become”

Maarten van Welij

Would you like to see more from Maarten? Check out the video below where he introduces himself.