When Alexandre Lacroix takes the court at Linder Stadium this weekend, it will be the beginning of the end for the senior star.
While it won’t be Lacroix’s last time playing in Gainesville, UF’s emotional leader will be honored Sunday before the Gators’ match against Vanderbilt during the Florida’s Senior Day festivities.
“Alex is one of the all-time greats at Florida, having won more doubles matches than anybody else,” UF coach Andy Jackson said. “He’s in the top 10 in basically every other category, and in my opinion, he has a chance to win the NCAA in both singles and in doubles.”
Aside from Lacroix’s 95 doubles victories and 100 singles wins, Lacroix has been the centerpiece of a Gators squad that has faced a more than trying schedule this season.
“He’s the leader of our team,” Jackson said. “We like to feel like we have a chance in both the SEC as a team and the NCAA as a team, and it’s because of him.”
Even though Lacroix’s official sendoff will be Sunday, he and the rest of No. 15 Florida won’t be too caught up in the ceremony.
The team will return to Gainesville in the postseason to hold the Southeastern Conference Tournament, and winning the conference is still a major goal for the Gators, who are only the fourth-ranked team in the SEC.
In one of Florida’s most important matchups of the season, the Gators (12-5, 5-1 SEC) will host No. 14 Kentucky (18-6, 3-3 SEC) today at 3 p.m.
Although Florida has an easier draw with Vanderbilt (10-7, 1-5) on Sunday, it’s almost essential for UF to beat Kentucky in order to carry some momentum into next week’s matches against two top-10 opponents.
Lacroix will certainly play a key role in today’s match against the Wildcats, but he will reflect on his career, still knowing he isn’t done quite yet.
“He’s well aware, I’m well aware, and our team is well aware that we have a long way to go,” Jackson said. “We feel like there’s four or five teams that could win [the SEC], and we feel like we’re one of them.”
