Being a college student takes a lot of energy, devotion, dedication and time in order to have good grades, be in good financial standing and more. If you add the responsibilities and pressures of being an athlete, circumstances can become stressful and overwhelming.
Rhajzon “Rha” Rankins is one such student athlete. Since attending Morgan, he has devoted himself to both academics and his exceptional prowess in tennis.
“We play alongside each other, side-by-side and court-by-court. We support each other,” said Mikael Carpenter, a senior at Morgan and Rankins’ fellow teammate. “Energy and support are big things for us and just knowing that your brothers are there fighting for you gives you motivation to put on a good match.”
Carpenter has been part of Morgan’s tennis team since 2020. He is a three-time MEAC Player of the Week winner and was named the 2023 MEAC Player of the Year. He is the only Morgan player to have received that honor and has been teammates with Rankins since 2021.
“Rha is definitely a great addition to the team because he comes with energy and he is always backing up his teammate whenever the situation is called for,” said Carpenter.
Rankins, who was born and raised in Washington, D.C., spent his childhood with his parents and grandmother. His aunt was married to former D.C. Mayor Marion Berry and she owned a tennis center. This access enabled Rankins to begin playing when he was just three years old.
“I lived a majority of my life with my dad and grandmother. I went to elementary school in a rough neighborhood,” said Rankins. “When my parents were working, I was [at the center] and I watched tennis all day.”
Rankins said his grandmother pushed for him to attend better schools and before long, he was accepted into Lafayette Elementary School in Northwest D.C. Later, Rankins became the captain of the tennis team at School Without Walls High School; joined the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (DCIAA) First Team All-conference; won the DCIAA conference championship twice; and was conference MVP once.
“I didn’t have access to opportunities that [many] high-level tennis players had growing up,” said Rankins. “Morgan gave me [access] to high-level training and competition on a day-to-day basis and that helped me improve as a player. Tennis is a very expensive sport and just the match experience alone helped me improve.”
After high school, Rankins attended Morehouse College during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and transferred to Morgan in 2021.
Rankins’ success at Morgan helped him build the confidence and chemistry he needed with men’s tennis team. As his career in tennis ends, he said he will pursue a career in finance and get his masters degree after completing undergraduate studies.
“Tennis is a very clear cut sport. When you win, you win — and when you lose, you lose,” said Rankins. “I do have the wins and accomplishments but I’m not willing to put all of my eggs into one basket.”
Rankins is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in December 2025.
