When the University of Georgia’s Ethan Quinn won the NCAA singles title as a freshman last May, it accelerated his long-time plan to go pro. He made the leap just one month later.
As Quinn approaches the first anniversary of his NCAA title, he is having success on the court but is still adjusting to the lifestyle of a professional player.
“It gets really challenging out there,” Quinn said. “I wasn't expecting it to be that difficult.”
As the NCAA national champion, Quinn earned a wild-card entry into the 2023 US Open.
“The US Open is probably the greatest memory I’ve had,” Quinn said. “You dream about it as a 6-year-old getting to play on the big stage at the US Open. To be able to do that when you're just 19 years old was pretty amazing.”
Quinn’s friends and family, including his grandparents, made the trip from California to New York for his professional debut.
“That was a pretty amazing experience,” said Quinn, a native of Fresno, California. “Getting to have everyone who supported me growing up to be there.”
In the US Open, Quinn lost in singles and men’s doubles debuts but won a mixed-doubles match.
He is now ranked among the top 250 men in the ATP rankings, having played more than 25 tournaments.
He’s had many exhilarating moments on tour. But leaving Georgia and his teammates, roommates and close friends was an adjustment for Quinn.
“I’ve had plenty of challenges on the pro tour, trying to figure out how to have fun out there, like I did in college,” Quinn said.
Along with making new connections and building relationships, Quinn pointed out that the professional circuit is demanding and requires relentless dedication.
“On the professional tour the guys aren't going to give you it, so you have to really earn it,” Quinn said. “That just takes a lot out of you physically, and then to be able to do that five days in a row at a tournament — that's even tougher.”
Another challenge for Quinn is having to play matches against good friends, such as Tommy Paul, who’s become a mentor to Quinn.
“I didn't want to piss him off at all,” Quinn said about playing Paul in his second ATP event. “So it was a really strange experience, trying to compete against someone who's been mentoring me and helping me out and supporting me.”
Brad Stine, Quinn’s current coach, has been coaching him from the time he was 6 years old.
“Ethan definitely has a level of commitment and concentration, focus and intensity,” Stine said. “You have to deal with losing more, just because the level gets better and the players are better.”
In addition to navigating the highs and lows of professional tennis, balancing a career and personal life can be challenging.
“You know, it's your job,” Quinn said. “So it's obvious you want to have fun, but at the same time, it's like you're not, if you're not performing the way that you want to be. It gets exhausting.”
Proud to be a Bulldog, Quinn gives the Georgia program credit for preparing him.
“UGA gave me a really solid base with a professional structure,” Quinn said. “They really made sure I was doing everything I could possibly do to be the best.”
Quinn’s journey to the NCAA title was not easy. He fought off four match points to win the championship match.
“Honestly,” Quinn said. “I was just in disbelief.”
While Quinn may have been surprised by his success, his friend and former teammate Trent Bryde did not doubt Quinn’s abilities.
“He basically accomplished all that you could accomplish in college tennis and did it in one year,” Bryde said. “So it was a bit of a no-brainer for him to go pro.”
Not only were Quinn’s teammates supportive, but his coaches were as well.
“They recognized that the pro tour was calling my name, and that it was time for me to actually leave school,” Quinn said. “They weren't going to hold me back. They encouraged me.”
Quinn and his coach have set high goals for the former Bulldog.
“We hope within the next 12 months, that he'll be close to making top 100 in the world, which is really kind of like the benchmark for where you want to be as a tennis player,” Stine said.
Said Bryde: “I hope he achieves all his goals that he set out for himself. And I know he's capable. I hope he becomes one of the greatest of all time.” Mady Mertens is a student in the Sports Media Certificate program at the University of Georgia’sCarmical Sports Media Institute.
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