The Texas men’s and women’s tennis teams start the NCAA Division I Championship in different spots, with the men as the No. 3 seed and the women No. 14. However, they share one key similarity.
Both harbor players ― France’s Timo Legout on the men’s side and Slovakia’s Eszter Meri for the women ― who left their home countries to don the burnt orange. And while the cultural transition took some time, they’ve become indispensable to the Longhorns, helping the men to a No. 3 seed and the women to No. 14.
In the past, talented teenagers had no choice but to make the jump to the unforgiving adult tour once their junior careers ended. Now, more and more of them are taking time to grow in the college ranks, to the benefit of Texas.
“Recruits are starting to see some of the success players who did go to college have on their pro circuit within a year or two after they leave,” Texas men’s coach Bruce Berque said.
Texas men’s tennis seeks NCAA Championship redemption
The Texas men made to the finals in 2024 before losing to TCU. They were stacked with veteran top players like Eliot Spizzirri and Micah Braswell, who developed a culture Berque was immensely proud of. In fact, his biggest worry was whether his new team would pick up the mantle left behind by the departing seniors.
However, talent was never a question. Legout sat out the 2023-24 season due to NCAA restrictions, and the coach anticipated the arrival of the Frenchman would reignite the roster. Legout has done just that, finishing the regular season with a 34-3 record and being ranked the No. 1 singles player in college as of May 1, according to the ITA official rankings.
Despite his college dominance, Legout struggled on the tour. From the time he turned pro in 2021 to 2023, he earned $46,942 in prize money, an unsustainable salary for any adult. This coupled with injuries, a brutal schedule and constant losses took a toll on Legout, who plateaued around the top 400-500 of the rankings.
“If I don’t win a good amount of matches, I’m gonna lose some money, and then I’m going to struggle and you don’t know how long it’s going to take to get up to the goal of playing Grand Slams,” he said.
Having seen players like Ben Shelton play at Florida and go on to break through the top 20 in the world, Legout made the decision to enroll in college. He visited a few schools before he instantly fell in love with Texas.
On the 40 Acres, Legout has been freed from the individualistic nature of tennis. The Longhorns are well-resourced and he can focus on improving his game and playing for his team, which has paid dividends on the court. Off it, Berque has seen Legout’s calm demeanor have a positive impact on the team.
“My only regret is that I didn’t come here earlier,” Legout said.
Players like Jonah Braswell, Lucas Brown and Pierre-Yves Bailly, have also played key roles in the Longhorns’ journey up to this point. They begin the tournament 1 p.m. Saturday at the Austin Tennis Center against Montana.
Texas women’s tennis searches for consistency
It’s been a bumpy season for the Texas women, who’ve dealt with injuries and a talented, inexperienced team trying to find a stable level of play. They’ve swung turbulently from lows ― a loss to No. 61 Florida in March ― to highs ― a win over No. 1 Georgia in April. UT opens the championships Friday 1 p.m. against Grand Canyon as favorites, but making a deep run will require some growth from the roster.
“It’s freshmen who are very experienced but have not done college tennis,” Texas women’s coach Howard Joffe said. “So we’ll have at least four or five of the six starters tomorrow never having played in an NCAA tournament.”
While Legout had the benefit of a redshirt year to adjust to his new life, Meri has been figuring things out on the fly. She sits at 73rd in the singles ranking, the third-best for a Longhorn after Carmen Andreea-Herea and Sabina Zeynalova.
Her story reads similarly to her male compatriot. Meri felt like she had been running in circles around Europe, lacking finances, attending tournaments and not making much of an impact. The Slovakian was in search of a fresh start, which is why she broke the monotony and moved over 5,000 miles away to Texas.
It wasn’t easy for Meri, who’s an introvert by her own admission. She’s never been a part of a team like the Longhorns, and she says she still struggles with public speaking, especially in English. But she would do it again if given the choice again.
“It was the best decision for me,” Meri said. “I feel its very good preparation to go pro, and to do great things in the NCAA and the SEC.”
Joffe has seen the rise of college tennis players within the WTA firsthand. Peyton Stearns won the singles national championship and is now a top 100 player. Lulu Sun, the author of an incredible Texas comeback win in 2021, recently made the 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Developing on the pro tour, when wins and losses costs athletes their livelihoods, is punishing. College allows them an opportunity to breathe.
“Coming to college, the universities at the better end are well resourced. The coaching is there, the support around developing your body and your game is there, and it’s become a very viable option,” Joffe said.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: NCAA Tournament: Texas tennis buoyed by international talents
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