The Gators men’s tennis team is set to begin its season Oct. 2-4 in Auburn, Alabama for the Tiger Fall Invitational. It’s the first of three events in an all-conference fall schedule.
Head coach Bryan Shelton, who has led the program for the past eight years, knows the upcoming trio of events will look a lot different than a typical fall, which would usually consist of open tournaments such as the International Tennis Association (ITA) Southeast Regional Championships or Men’s All-American Championships. However, the new format won’t be totally foreign to him or the Gators.
“It’ll actually have a pretty cool, almost like a dual match feel,” Shelton said.
A typical dual match, usually seen in spring competitions, consists of two teams facing each other in six singles matches and three doubles matches, all happening simultaneously. This weekend at Auburn, Florida will face the Tigers, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and a limited squad from Ole Miss. The Gators are scheduled to face the home team at 10 a.m. Friday, the Crimson Tide at 3 p.m Saturday, and Vanderbilt at 10 a.m Sunday.
If spring experience proves useful, the Gators will be primed for success. The nine returning players on the roster combine for a staggering 224-95 career record in dual singles matches and a 154-97 record in dual doubles. Shelton sees this experience as an asset.
“They tend to have an idea of what’s coming, and so they can anticipate and prepare mentally for practice, for training, for matches, to understand that, you know, we have a way of doing things,” Shelton said.
One of those returning seniors is captain Duarte Vale, who has gone undefeated in SEC singles the past two seasons. Vale said he was disappointed the team was unable to complete their spring schedule due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Still, the lengthened layoff has only added to his anticipation for this unusual season with the Gators.
Vale said that, since he began playing tournaments as a junior, this break has been the longest he can remember going without competing, and it gave him a fresh perspective on tennis and life.
“When that gets taken away from us and from myself for a few months, that definitely made me even appreciate it even more,” Vale said.
Even the team’s newest addition, freshman Ben Shelton, is ready to compete, equipped with confidence in his ability to make an impact.
“I’m just ready to compete hard,” Ben said, “I’ve always kind of had that competitive edge, and I think that’s really important in college tennis, to be able to get yourself fired up and fire up your teammates and be good in pressure situations.”
The freshman’s confidence entering the season should be bolstered by the fact that he won the men’s singles at the ITA Fall Circuit Presented by Gwinnett Tennis on Sunday, a tournament in which he defeated Vale in the semifinals. Fellow Gators Andy Andrade and Will Grant also competed, reaching the semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively.
Coach Shelton knows this season will be a new challenge for both himself and his players, but he isn’t one to dwell on why things are the way they are. He simply wants everyone to make the most of what’s ahead and overcome whatever’s thrown their way.
“Our mantra is seize the day,” Shelton said, “So let’s make sure we focus in on today and getting better, and we do that enough times then we know we’re moving in the right direction.”
This article has been updated to reflect new information.
Contact Ryan Haley at rhaley@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @ryan_dhaley.
Senior Duarte Vale at the ITA Tournament in Gainesville last season. This fall, the Gators will be limited to a three-match, conference only schedule.
Ryan Haley, a UF journalism senior with a sports & media specialization from Jacksonville, Florida, is Summer 2022's Engagement Managing Editor. He grew up playing a bunch of different sports before settling on golf, following Rory McIlroy and all Philadelphia sports teams. He also loves all things fiction, reading, watching shows and movies and talking about whatever current story or character is in his head.
