Ra Díaz: Finding His Rhythm on the Court

“I was always a big fan. Tennis wasn't just in my household, it was all over Chile,” he said.

Music took over his life first however. He played in the band, Suicidal Tendencies, then an unexpected call came to join Korn in 2021. Touring became his world, and with it came long days and time away from family and friends. But tennis changed that.

The spark came when he met his now wife, Emily, a former Division I player at UMass Amherst. They connected online while he was on tour. She posted a photo from a show, he replied, and soon they were talking travel, adventure, and eventually tennis. When they finally hit together in Massachusetts, she smiled and told him, “You hit like a South American.” He still doesn’t know exactly what she meant, but he was hooked.

Long-distance love turned into cross-country tennis travel. In 2023 while Díaz was living in Las Vegas, he visited Emily in Massachusetts 34 times. When she was at work, he would fill his time with tennis. He took lessons, played matches, and even rode the bus and walked in the rain to make it to the local drop-in clinics. 

In just two and a half years after picking up his racquet once again as an adult, Díaz has played in 20 U.S. states and 16 countries, most recently finishing up with multiple hitting sessions on the band’s Canadian tour. 

“Somehow, the right situations just happen. Tennis people everywhere have been welcoming,” Díaz said. “I’m obviously not going to be a tennis pro, but I do want to see where I can take it and prove to myself I can belong and play with these people. It’s much more fun than sitting in a hotel room, it’s healthy, and there are a lot of likeminded people who I’ve enjoyed meeting through tennis.”

Whether he’s on stage in front of tens of thousands or rallying on a public court in a nation he’s never been to, Díaz carries the same two things with him everywhere he goes: his racquets and a Chilean flag. He follows Chilean players on tour, even waking up early to catch their matches across the globe, and always seeks out authentic Chilean cuisine in new cities.

“Being Chilean is a big part of who I am,” he said. “No matter where we are, we always want to represent. It’s just a Chilean thing. We’re proud of our culture.”