Assistant head coach Jeremy Bayon played a pivotal role in bringing freshman Noémie Oliveras to Florida’s tennis court. From flying to France to recruit her to sharing meals together, Bayon helped Oliveras adjust to the Gator lifestyle.
International students at UF made up roughly 11% of the 62,000-person student body as of Fall 2023, but for the Florida women's tennis team, five of its eight athletes moved across the pond, including all three freshmen. While they all face the challenge of adapting to a new lifestyle in the United States, Oliveras’ journey has been unique in its own way.
Bayon hails from the same city in France as Oliveras, Saint-Étienne, which allowed the two to create a tight bond as Oliveras hurdles the challenges of adjusting to life in Gainesville.
Before college
Oliveras was introduced to tennis at a young age. Her mom was a big fan of the sport, and by the age of five, Oliveras picked up a racquet of her own for the first time.
Oliveras spent much of her youth career participating in the French circuit, including famous tournaments like the “Open Super 12 Auray” and “Les Petits As,” which hosted some of tennis’ brightest names, like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Throughout that time, Oliveras consistently ranked in France’s top 10 for all age groups.
During these tournaments, Oliveras played a handful of American opponents who traveled during winter break to compete. Because of this exposure during her high school career, Oliveras felt prepared to go to the U.S. for collegiate tennis, making it her goal.
However, the chances of her accomplishing her goal of playing college tennis in the U.S. started to fade.
“I wanted to do that after high school, and then I realized that I wasn’t really good enough to do that,” Oliveras said.
In her last year before college, things started to pick up for Oliveras, attracting the attention of Bayon as a result.
Recruiting Oliveras to UF
The assistant head coach moved from France in 1997 when he joined the Mississippi State men’s tennis team. Since then, he has spent his fair share of time around tennis in the U.S., which includes stints as UF men's assistant coach from 2003 to 2012 and Gainesville’s JETA Tennis Academy Head Coach from 2012 to 2015.
Bayon said he first learned about Oliveras through people who trained with her. He always had an eye on Oliveras because of her consistently high ranking in the youth age groups in France.
“That’s how my interest was piqued a little bit, because usually, in my region, it’s not a very hot bed for tennis players,” Bayon said.
Seeing Oliveras’ potential, Bayon scheduled a meeting with the player to see if she was still interested in traveling to the U.S. to play tennis for Florida. Oliveras previously mentioned spending a month in the U.S. to play tennis and told Bayon she enjoyed it, he said.
Seeing the opportunity at hand, Bayon decided to pursue recruiting Oliveras and help her become a Gator.
“So I decided, instead of watching film, just to get on a plane and just go visit her,” Bayon said.
He watched Oliveras practice and met with her parents to explain what UF had to offer their daughter.
With Oliveras’ goal of playing in the U.S. becoming more of a reality, her parents had mixed emotions. Oliveras said her dad was supportive of the idea of her going to Gainesville, as he was a fan of Florida basketball, but the sentiment wasn’t quite the same for her mother.
She was scared of her daughter being alone.
“I kind of lost my biggest supporter,” Oliveras said. “So that was kind of like, ‘We have to cut the link that we have.’”
Despite her mother’s concerns, Bayon said his talk with the parents, and speaking the same language as them, allowed them to understand how beneficial going to Florida would be for Oliveras. He emphasized to them that not only would her tennis career benefit, but she would also receive a high-quality education.
Bayon’s visit to Saint-Étienne paid dividends, as Oliveras eventually received the support of both of her parents, and she signed with Florida on July 12.
Adjusting to Gainesville
Despite her excitement to compete at the collegiate level in the U.S., Oliveras faced the tough transition period of getting used to life in the U.S. UF Director of Tennis Operations Monica Garza said the transition to UF is often difficult for international players.
Many of these adjustments include learning English, knowing which classes to take and setting up things like a bank account, Garza said. She even mentioned that at times, she has taken students to class so they know where to go.
The adjustment has been easier for Oliveras compared to other international players that she has helped over the years because of Bayon’s support, Garza said.
“It definitely helps just having someone who understands what she’s coming from,” Garza said. “We’re fortunate enough to have Coach Bayon.”
One of the main adjustments players often face is the food, and for Oliveras, that was one of the toughest things outside of tennis to adjust to. American food holds many differences to French cuisine, she said.
From portion sizes to times when meals take place, it all took some time getting used to, especially since Oliveras doesn’t cook. Just like most UF students, Oliveras enjoys going to the dining halls throughout the week, she said. On the weekends, she goes to restaurants, such as her favorite spot, Playa Bowls.
Adjusting to American culture was also difficult, Oliveras said, specifically with how big everything is.
She was overwhelmed by the scale of football at UF. When she went to her first game against Miami, she mentioned how surprising it was to see so many people in the stadium and all the cars parked hours before the game for tailgates.
‘I’m like, ‘What's going on?’” Oliveras said. “It’s just so big. You have so many people, and I’m like, ‘Wow!’”
While Oliveras was making these adjustments, Bayon was able to provide support.
During the Fall semester, the two spent a lot of time together in the cafeteria or getting coffee, as they would talk about Oliveras’ adjustment. Bayon was always able to provide advice since he had made a similar adjustment of his own in the past. Because of these times together, their relationship had become more than just strictly tennis, as they connected through their language and culture.
“I feel like he just makes me feel comfortable about just being here,” Oliveras said.
Still, for Oliveras, it’s hard being away from home — especially from her friends and family. Getting photos from her family when they have special events like birthdays makes her feel like she is still with them, Oliveras said, but it’s still difficult to miss out on time with friends and family.
During winter break, Oliveras went home to spend time with her family, which she said was a great reset. Bayon mentioned how this break for Oliveras allowed her to come back as a completely new person.
As Oliveras continues to adjust to life in the U.S., Bayon continues to be a supportive force for Oliveras on and off the court as the team gets ready to start SEC play for this Spring season.
“I think she’s learning and growing every day,” Bayon said. “I think she’s gonna have a very good spring in the SEC.”
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the Spring 2025 women's tennis beat reporter and a first-year journalism sports & media major. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams.
