Sport: Tennis
Hometown: Brookline, Mass.
High School: Roxbury Latin High School
School/Year: COL’ 05
Major: Economics
Minor: Theology
High School Highlights: 2001: All-League . Ranked top-5 in New England by USTA. 2000: All-League . League MVP . Ranked top-5 in New England by USTA. 1999: All-League . Ranked top-5 in New England by USTA. 1998: All-League . Ranked top-5 in New England by USTA.
Georgetown Highlights: Career: 44 singles wins . nine Big East singles wins. 2005: Captain . No. 1 singles and doubles. 2004: Captain . No. 1 doubles . Wins against top-20 Virginia and North Carolina. 2003: No. 1 doubles. . 2002: Most total singles wins in ten years . No. 1 doubles.
When did you first start playing tennis? When I was five. I used to go to camps over the summer, but I pretty much trained in my home club [Longwood Cricket Club]. My dad [Lars Bildman] got me into tennis. Don’t know why, but he did.
What was the best moment in your career so far? The best team victory that stands out the most was against Yukon my sophomore year, 4-3 at Yukon. I won my doubles match that day against one of the better teams I played that year. Individually, what probably stands out the most actually was last year against Villanova. I lost a super close match in a third set tiebreaker, but it was great since I had 30 of my friends out here cheering me on. We actually won the match. Another match that stands out was BC last year. My dad and brother [Lars Bildman, Jr.] came. It was actually my dad’s first time at Georgetown. I played one of the best matches of my life.
What is a typical tennis practice like? We warm up running and you know jogging, side-stepping, that fun stuff for ten minutes. Then we get into hitting, where we warm up our strokes. We get into doing some drills, like hitting drills or other specific drills. Coach works on things he thinks we didn’t do well at matches. Then we practice some serves. At the end of practice we get into playing actual points, like in a match. What it comes down to for me is if I am serving well, I will play well the whole match. If I am serving poorly, all hell breaks loose.
What do you do to get psyched for a match? I don’t really do anything, to be honest. I have never had any problems getting pumped. I have a problem of getting a little too psyched up. Sometimes I need to calm down a bit. I feed off the energy of my teammates.
Do you have any superstitions or lucky items? I used to wear the same pair of boxers to every match, but after a certain number of years I stopped doing that.
Who’s your biggest rival? Our biggest rival is definitely BC. We lost to them all three years [I’ve played here so far]. My freshmen and junior year we had match points and ended up losing. I have won all my singles matches. If we beat them this year, bar none that will be the greatest moment of my Georgetown career. [Editor’s note: The men’s tennis team took on Boston College last Saturday and lost 6-1.]
If you could be great at any other sport besides tennis, what would it be? Why? Football for sure. I played football all through high school. I was captain and all-league my senior year. I just love football. I like the Patriots.
Who is your favorite tennis player? Stefan Edberg. He is the great Swedish player of the 90s who I try to model my game around. My dad is from Sweden, and my mom [Annick Wadsworth] grew up and was born in France.
What is your favorite restaurant in Georgetown? Nathan’s. I like the horseradish-encrusted twin filets.
What are you currently listening to? A lot of Interpol.
Freshman dorm? New South. My roommate [Travis cCurt (COL ’05)] was probably the dirtiest roommate ever. I’d come home from tennis roundtrips and my room would be trashed with pizza boxes, Chinese food and beer cans everywhere. To this day I don’t think he has cleaned up a single thing. I have lived with him for four years. Most of my best friends are from my hallway freshmen year, like Andrew Brown (COL ’05), and Byron Perry (COL ’05). CSD! We’ve spent some long nights and early mornings together.
Looking back at your years at Georgetown, do you have any regrets? I really don’t. The one thing I would consider changing is my major. Looking back at it, I would have considered applying to the business school. I have met the greatest people and have the best friends. I have had a great time playing tennis and doing schoolwork as well.
Who’s your biggest inspiration? I’d have to say both my parents. My mom was always the one taking me back and forth from tennis practice pretty much everyday, taking me to tournaments in New England, flying me across the country for national tournaments. And my dad for his ability come into a foreign country and be so successful in business. Both of them came to the U.S. from foreign countries not knowing anyone and managed to succeed. They raised three kids. I have a little sister [Andrea Bildman] who is a freshman at Loyola.
What is the thing you miss the most about home? I miss my friends from home, but I also really really miss a fridge full of food at all hours of the day. We can’t keep anything in my fridge; all the vultures eat it. Scavengers, that’s what we call them. You can say Byron again.
What magazines do you have on your coffee table? None. I have a couple of old newspapers. My roommate Travis has his GQ on the coffee table and his Men’s Health.
Favorite food? My mom’s homemade lasagna. It’s delicious. Meat lasagna, I love meat.
Favorite escape from Georgetown? Recently, I have been going up to New York a fair amount. It’s fun to get out of the Georgetown scenes. A weekend here and there – see other people and go to new places. I’ll have to say I like the East Village. My girlfriend Ashley lives in New York. She has a great apartment in the Lower East Side.
Favorite movie? I am not a huge movie person. A couple of movies that stand out are American Psycho, and I have always been a fan of Point Break. Some of my roommates watch movies two times a day, but it’s just not my style. I also like Boondock Saints.
A movie you would not admit to being your favorite? The Little Mermaid.
What is your favorite course at Georgetown? Favorite professor would be Rabbi [Harold] White (theology). He was just very laid back, and to be honest, I don’t know if he knows who I am. I have had one class with him, and I really enjoyed it. It has you reflecting on your own personal experiences.
Pepsi or Coke? Coke, for obvious reasons.
What is your biggest pet peeve? Mood swings. People who have mood swings – bad ones. You can say my roommate Andrew Cleary (COL ’05).
Most embarrassing moment? As a kid, I used to really get embarrassed by my dad because he wears really exotic, bright-colored and crazy clothing. Now I have come to love it. When I was a kid, I dreaded him coming to any events. Last year for our BC match he wore one of the most ridiculous outfits I have ever seen: zip-up boots, high Bermuda socks, plaid shorts and a vest with no shirt underneath.
What do you plan to do this summer? I want to travel. Me and a couple of friends are planning on possibly going to Europe, and one of my roommate lives in California, so I want to go to California and hang out a bit before I start working.
Describe yourself in one word? I’d say loyal. I feel like I will always stick up for any of my friends and anyone in my family.
Where do you see yourself in the next ten years? To be honest, I am not really sure. I want to be involved in business somehow, living nowhere in particular. I can see myself in Boston, in D.C. or the West Coast. New York, too. Wherever I am, I hope to be surrounded by fun, good people and lots of friends.
Booey’s or Wisey’s? Booey’s, because you can sit down and get a pitcher if you feel like it.