Omaha league captain Christian Cortinas honors his Dominican Republic heritage

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month taking place Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 in the United States, USTA Nebraska is highlighting league captain Christian Cortinas.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Christian Cortinas grew up playing baseball, which is a strong part of the country’s culture.

However, by the time he was a teenager, he had to give up baseball. And that’s when tennis, though begrudgingly at the time, entered his life.

“I needed to stop playing baseball when I was 13 years old, and my father bought me a racquet,” he said. “I was not too happy because I wanted to play baseball.”

But 37 years later, Cortinas captains and plays in a number of USTA Nebraska 4.0 men’s leagues in Omaha. His three sons all play in USTA leagues and tournaments as well.

Cortinas said diversity months like Hispanic Heritage Month are important so others know who they are working, living and playing with in their local communities.

“Hispanic people come from all over the world to live near them, and they bring a lively heritage,” he said. “I like to talk with people about my country when I meet new people playing tennis.”

As for his future tennis goals, Cortinas hopes to keep improving his game at the 4.0 level and to continue captaining teams, which he really enjoys.

“I’m from the Dominican Republic where tennis is not the No. 1 sport,” Cortinas said. “However, I have a great love for tennis and enjoy watching my boys playing tennis and sometimes playing with them.”

Check out additional National Hispanic Heritage Month feature stories from across USTA Missouri Valley by clicking here.