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Roland Garros…Their Own Path

By Mark Winters

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Some Grand Slam participants are touted when they are still in “nappies…” as future stars. There are those who are “launched” by tennis clubs and academies.

Many become members of federation training programs and as a result receive significant financial support. Then there are those who “just happen…” on the scene because they have taken their own path.

After the Roland Garros draws had been made, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) listed all of the competitors who had spent some time in the US playing intercollegiate tennis. Those who did, took a “chance…” deciding to develop their games in a setting that also offered academic advancement – A “Double Best” if you will.

Glancing at the names below, it is clear that many after leaving campus have had Phi Beta Kappa careers on court.

Marcelo Arevalo – Tulsa

Emina Bektas – Michigan

Aliona Bolsova – Florida Atlantic University/Oklahoma State

Nuno Borges – Mississippi State

Kaitlyn Christian – USC

Danielle Collins – Florida/Virginia

Max Cressy – UCLA

Anna Danilina – Florida

Sadio Doumbia – Auburn University-Montgomery/University of Georgia

Gonzalo Escobar – Texas Tech

Robert Farah – USC

Dore Fernanda Gomez – Vanderbilt

Sander Gille – East Tennessee State University

Marcos Giron – UCLA

Lloyd Glasspool – Texas

Borna Gojo – Wake Forest

Andre Goransson – California

Alex Guarachi – Alabama

Hans Hach Verdugo – Abilene Christian University

John Isner – University of Georgia

Léolia Jeanjean – Baylor/Arkansas/Lynn

Steve Johnson – USC

Austin Krajicek – Texas A & M

Desirae Krawczyk – Arizona State

Nate Lammons – SMU

Elixane Lechemia – South Carolina

Mackenzie McDonald – UCLA

Ben McLachlan – California

Andreas Mies – Auburn

Nicholas Monroe – North Carolina

Brandon Nakashima – Virginia

Cameron Norrie – TCU

Aleksandr Nedovyesov – Oklahoma State

Giuliana Olmos – USC

John Peers – Middle Tennessee State University/Baylor

Ellen Perez – Georgia

Tim Puetz – Auburn

Rajeev Ram – Illinois

Hunter Reese – Tennessee

Arthur Rinderknech – Texas A & M

Jean-Julien Rojer – UCLA

Jenson Brooksby – Baylor

Erin Routliffe – Alabama

Joe Salisbury – Memphis

Sabrina Santamaria – USC

Astra Sharma – Vanderbilt

Mayar Sherif – Pepperdine

Ena Shibahara – UCLA

Neal Skupski – LSU

Aldila Sutjiadi – Kentucky

Michael Venus – Texas/LSU

Joran Vliegen – East Carolina

Jan Zielinski – Georgia

Title photo of Danielle Collins at Roland Garros 2022 by Matthieu Mirville

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