They say that the shortest distance between two points is not always a straight line—sometimes it’s a curve. But for Martin Wetzel, a junior on the No. 21 Harvard men’s tennis team, the curvy road to Cambridge took 23 years to travel—not that he would have it any other way.

At one point, Wetzel was the second-ranked junior in his native Germany. He represented his homeland on the Junior Davis Cup Team, and for good measure, he joined the German Army.

And that was all before he attended the University of South Florida. In his two years with the Bulls, Wetzel was undefeated in regular season spring dual matches.

And this was all before Wetzel finally, at the ripe old age of 23, began his junior year at Harvard.

“What I like a lot is that you learn for life here at Harvard,” notes Wetzel, now 24. “Harvard just gives you lots of options. If you’re really active yourself, there are unlimited opportunities in all fields.”

As if he really needed to come to Cambridge to learn for life.

CROSSING THE POND

Growing up in Hergatz, a small town in southern Germany, Wetzel took up the game at the suggestion of a father’s friend, who was also the manager of a local tennis club. The youngster was not even eight, but he proved a quick learner.

His parents, Hans and Susanne, were never serious tennis players, nor was his sister Carolin.

But Wetzel was in the right place at the right time: German stars Steffi Graf and Boris Becker were at top on their respective tours, and the booming German federations supported their rising stars, funding practices and trips.

He competed intensely, earning ATP rankings and representing his country in international competition.

And after completing high school at 19, Wetzel fulfilled his civic duty with a 10-month stint in the German Army.

After his service, Wetzel again faced a decision, this time between a German college—at which sports are “not as prestigious, not as important”—or an American one.

And so Wetzel left Europe for the University of South Florida, where he began his freshman year in the fall of 2000.

“Martin is an excellent person,” says Bulls head coach Don Barr. “You won’t find a better person than Martin. He’s just first-class.”