Jack Cross — No Days Off

Some stories are written long before the first match. For Jack Cross, that story began in a hospital room, side by side with his lifelong friend and teammate, Niels Hoffmann. Born on the same day, at the same time, their paths were destined to cross — not just in life, but on the tennis court.

Now a sophomore on the Cal Poly men’s tennis team, Jack has grown into a player defined by grit, consistency, and brotherhood.

Q: How do you balance training school and competing and still find time to show up every day with energy?

Jack: I’m able to balance my training school and competing with something fun on the side that’s able to take my mind off of tennis, whether that’s hanging out with some friends playing ping pong at the tennis facility, hanging out with my girlfriend, whatever it is, just to be able to take my mind off the stress that I have while playing tennis or doing school.

Q: Amazing, how much of your success you attribute to luck and how much skill and hard work?

Jack: I would attribute most of my success to hard work, always, a little bit of luck is nice, but definitely all the hard work that I’ve put in through the years, especially when no one’s watching.

Q: What does everyday matters mean to you personally?

Jack: To me, everyday matters means taking no days off, showing up and putting in 100% effort, even on days where you don’t want to be there, days where you’re not feeling like it can’t take any days off.

Q: What’s your most regular pregame ritual? And be honest.

Jack: My most regular pregame ritual, now that I’m in college, is just jamming out in the locker room with my teammates. I like to get in a nice mood before I play, but mainly just try to have some fun before war.

Q: You had a brutal match. You’re drenched in sweat. And there’s one thing you always do, right after, what is it?

Jack: After a brutal match, me and my teammates, we love to go to the training room and hop in the cold plunge together. I think it’s great brotherhood after going to war with some of my best friends, some of my brothers just being able to debrief, get a laugh in, have some fun in the cold plunge before getting on with their day.

Q: If your training playlist had to be one song on repeat for a month, what would it be?

Jack: The song that I would have on repeat in my training playlist forever would be Run This Town by Kanye West.

Through the grind, the rituals, and the recovery, Jack reflects the spirit of The Regulars. He is consistent, committed, and motivated by community. For him, tennis goes beyond individual performance. It is about showing up side by side with those who share the fight.