This feature originally appeared in the Spring edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.



Paul Barretto has been on the run, all match. It's a Friday evening at the Hellman Tennis Complex in Berkeley, and the Cal men's tennis team is in a tight one as the sun begins to set and all six singles courts are in play.
 
While the wind chill keeps coaches and spectators bundled up in extra layers, it's a scene straight out of a junior tennis player's dream. Friday night, under the lights, anybody's match to win.
 
Barretto, sporting a blue shirt and dark shorts on court No. 3, awaits a big serve from his opponent. All crowd-chatter is virtually non-existent as Barretto, known by his teammates and family as "Pauly," lunges a forehand back to the opposite side. The ball is returned and Barretto's opponent makes a move toward the net, preparing to volley back his response.
 
Unfazed, Barretto reaches back and sends a backhand down the line. Moments later, he lets out a yell and sends a fist bump toward the crowd, where a familiar face is leading the cheers for a small contingent of the Blue and Gold faithful.
 
It's his older brother, Dominic (or Nic), a junior for the Bears, and one of the team's most recognized leaders. While Paul, a sophomore, stands about an inch taller, Nic's wavy hair sets him apart.
 
They're competitors in their own right, but brothers above all else. Along with their older brother, Marco, they've built their lives around tennis and an unwavering commitment to each other wherever they go.
 
"We're all just really competitive with each other in a friendly way," Paul said. "Being naturally so competitive with each other, being close in age, playing the same sport, forced us to individually really want to improve and compete with each other."
 
Before Marco spent his collegiate tennis career at the University of San Francisco, and his younger siblings committed to Cal a few years later, the trio grew up in nearby Tiburon, exposed to a tennis background virtually from the moment they could walk. Their father, Eddie, was a USF alum who competed on the professional tour, although the Barrettos were kept busy with other sports initially, too.
 
"My brothers were in soccer, and I was in basketball and ran track and cross country," Marco said. "It was just getting difficult to manage us all being in different places. We were never pushed to play tennis in any way, but at one point, we just said we'll go to one sport to make things easier. Since we were already members of a tennis club and us being around a community of tennis players so much, we just felt like that would be best."
 
That club was Belvedere Tennis Club, a stone's throw from Richardson Bay in Marin County. Aside from traveling to tournaments, the brothers made it a priority to stay close to home both for college and for each other's sake throughout childhood. As Nic puts it, they were virtually inseparable when it came to their favorite sport, especially during the summer months. They spent endless hours working on their craft, fortunate enough to have a brother (or two) to test their skills against.
 
"If you spent a summer with us, you'd really get to know us, because that's when tennis had all the time in the world for us," Nic said. "When we were younger, we literally used to spend every single waking moment with each other. Basically, we would just try and find ways to entertain ourselves."
 
 When the brothers ran out of things to do, they always deferred back to the sport that bonds them together. While tennis is meant for singles and doubles play, it's safe to say that the three have shared the court a few times in their endeavors. From training at odd hours of the day to traveling around the state, they built each other into the competitors and people they are today — challenging but supportive with individual personalities.
 
"Marco is more of the rock of our family," Nic said. "He's always there for us, always supporting, comes out to our matches. He's always been just super steady in our family and works so hard and is so consistent.
 
"And for Pauly, he's extremely courageous and confident," Nic continued. "He's always been a little cocky because he's the youngest brother, as the baby in the family, but he's used it in a good way. He's used it towards his confidence, and he's used it towards being courageous and taking risks."
 
Cal Director of Men's Tennis Peter Wright has coached his fair share of brothers in his program. Despite the occasional hiccup, Wright believes that the younger duo of Barrettos are the epitome of the positives that come from having brothers competing for the same team at the collegiate level.
 
"Energy. Enthusiasm. Positive. Competitors," Wright said of Nic and Paul. "Nic just brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm, and his positive energy is contagious. He finds ways to raise the level of people around him regardless of what his circumstances are. The two guys together are energetic and enthusiastic. Paul's had a huge impact on the tennis court itself, specifically in singles. But I think the impact that they both make on and off the court is really hard to quantify because I look at Nic as a team leader and a team captain. And even though Paul's his little brother, Paul has plenty to say for himself, too."
 
On April 10, 2018, USF and Cal came together for a match the family will never forget. All three brothers took to the court that day, with Paul clinching the overall win for Cal in straight sets. Although Marco has since graduated, he still finds time in his schedule to support his younger brothers dueling on the court for the Bears.
 
To describe each other, the brothers turn to words such as supportive, determined and hard-working. But when asked about their own attitude, one particular feeling is accentuated the most: grateful.
 
"Every time I go out to practice, every day I go out to the gym, I'm just so grateful to do it in a place where I love doing it," Nic said. "It's so close to my home, close to my family, and that's just the best."
 
As Paul's growth on and off the court has continued over the past year, Nic's focus remains on the bigger picture, impacting his team as a leader while grasping how lucky he is to take on such a role.
 
And while the brothers are mum, or perhaps too humble to admit what's in store on the court for their remaining time together, their head coach is prepared to take this group far. A few years ago, Paul was a member of the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, and Wright is confident that the Barrettos are a part of something special at Cal.
 
"I want them to be a part of an NCAA championship team," Wright said. "That's what we've been building. Every day we're taking one step closer to accomplishing those goals."
 
Win or lose, it's no secret that Marco, Nic and Paul were built for each other, on and off the court.