When playing under the lights at Wimbledon, everything else seems only that much smaller. The spectacle, the history and the competitive nature require athletes to fine-tune their craft while remaining focused and even-keeled.
Most collegiate tennis teams don’t get the opportunity to feature former junior grand slam participants. Florida welcomes two this fall in a talented freshman recruiting class for the Gators this season.
Florida women’s tennis head coach Roland Thornqvist added three freshmen to UF’s 2024 recruiting class, all of whom came from overseas. Talia Neilson-Gatenby is a Loughborough, England native, and Nikola Daubnerova grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Both have experience in Grand Slam competitions, having won at least one match each. Neilson-Gatenby graced the stage of Wimbledon in 2022, while Daubnerova made the Roland Garros quarterfinals in the same year. Daubnerova and Neilson-Gatenby are joined by Noémie Oliveras of St. Étienne, France, who also has professional experience, having competed at ITF World Tennis Tour events.
“We’re really happy and grateful they’re here,” Thornqvist said. “And I know that all three of them are going to play key roles in this year.”
The newcomers arrived at the right time, as the Gators are amid one of their more notable slumps in Thornqvist’s tenure regarding their production on the court.
UF’s storied program boasts seven national championships, including three since 2011. However, Florida has endured struggles in recent years. Since the 2017 national title, the Gators haven’t been able to make it past the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Florida is now faced with the tall task of getting back to its elite status, and Thornqvist’s trio of international freshmen could play a critical role in that pursuit.
The four-time national champion Thornqvist believes his freshmen will have the experience needed to compete at a high level in SEC play.
“They’re not going to be scared… of competing now,” Thornqvist said. “They’ve been playing at the highest level of junior tennis in the world."
With a background playing on the dais of tennis tournaments, Neilson-Gatenby believes that while competing at Florida, the moment will never be too great for her.
The England native comes to Florida ranked 1,057 in singles internationally.
“I think being able to play on the biggest courts, such as Wimbledon, has prepared me to be able to play for the school, dealing with the pressure as well,” Neilson-Gatenby said.
While Florida’s 2024 recruiting class may bring a plethora of experiences that collegiate freshmen rarely display, there will still be adjustments that need to be made. Having moved away from their families, the group experiences many of the same struggles that other college students face.
The freshmen emphasized it will take time to adjust to the flow of playing at Florida. Each has come from a past of competing in weekly tournaments while taking courses online. Now, the trio often spends days wandering UF’s campus from class to class.
While the freshmen will need to adapt to UF’s day-to-day process, their adjustment on the court will be even more critical.
American tennis players are often part of a team throughout their high school experience. This is rarely the case for international recruits. With each of Florida’s incoming freshmen featuring a previous professional career, they’ve never competed in a school environment. They’ve never been part of a team.
“I was just playing for myself,” Neilson-Gatenby said, noting the singularity of professional tennis.
Thornqvist, along with UF’s coaching staff, will look to guide the freshmen into the groove of playing for a team, but in many cases, it just takes time.
Adjustment to a team atmosphere also comes with benefits. Neilson-Gatenby talked about her experience as a player, noting the differences between competing alone and being a part of a team. Singles play can require players to be their own motivators, while the atmosphere of a group can be helpful in keeping players focused.
“Tennis is probably one of the loneliest sports there is,” Neilson-Gatenby said. “Here… you get picked straight back up by your teammates and the coaches.”
If Florida wants to win its eighth national championship, the international trio will need to learn the ways of collegiate tennis quickly. Led by a roster filled with talented freshmen, the Gators are prepared to make another run for a national championship.
In such note-worthy competitions slated for the Gators in 2024, it’ll be critical for the freshmen to remain composed and adaptable in what could be a challenging transition.
“The girls are super helpful… so it just makes it easier,” freshman Noémie Oliveras said. “It will take time to adjust… but I think that we are a good team, super good together.”
Drawing back to the moments of Wimbledon and Roland Garros, the young Gators will be prepared to step into the spotlight. They’ve seen the biggest stages of international tennis, and have proven their ability to rise to the occasion.
Contact Noah White at nwhite@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @noahwhite1782
Noah White is a sophomore majoring in journalism and public relations and The Alligator's Women's Tennis Reporter. In his free time, Noah writes some more and plays soccer and volleyball. He also knows more about Liberty League women's soccer than you do.
