Half a world away from home, Florent Diep is learning on the fly how to balance tennis and school.
The sophomore, who joined the Gators in January, came into collegiate tennis under unusual circumstances. The French native played 34 matches professionally, mainly on the ITF Futures Tour, reaching a world ranking of 673. Last year, he decided to put his professional career on hold and come to Gainesville.
Immediately, he faced challenges. Coach Andy Jackson, whose roster frequently includes foreign-born players, told Diep the switch to collegiate tennis wouldn’t be easy.
“He told me it would be hard. It would be a tough schedule, and I wouldn’t have much time for me,” Diep said.
Aside from a different tennis environment, Diep faced becoming a college student in a foreign country. The language barrier that he faces is not impermeable, but his English still has a long way to go.
“It’s hard for me because I don’t speak English very well,” he said. “I have to work more than other students. “
Luckily, he has help. Two years ago, Nassim Slilam had the same challenges. Now a senior, Slilam has served as a mentor to Diep and Florida’s two other French-born players, Stephane Piro and Thomas Proisy. Diep said the four of them frequently interact and that Slilam has been especially helpful with adjusting to college life.
On the court, however, Diep has been right at home. He has taken quite well to the concept of team tennis, especially after playing professionally as an individual for two years.
“I like playing for the team. It’s completely different; college tennis is different in general,” he said. “I’m excited to play for the team and in the big tournaments like the NCAA.”
Since starting in January, Diep is 6-4 in singles play. His first match as a Gator, at then-No. 5 Baylor, was a straight-set victory. Though he has been somewhat inconsistent through his first two months, Diep has showed resilience.
After losing two consecutive matches, Diep responded with two straight-set wins against Illinois and Pepperdine.
Still, he has plenty of room for growth. With more than two years left in Gainesville, there will be plenty of time for Diep to adjust to college life, practice English and improve his game. Playing almost exclusively on clay in Europe, Diep has had to adjust to the hard courts found in college tennis.
When asked about the difference, Diep had to think for a second. As if searching for words, he gave a succinct, simple answer.
“Yeah, it’s different,” he said. “But I have to improve.”
Diep will have that opportunity today when UF plays USF at home at 3 p.m.
