Arizona senior Jay Friend has rewritten the record books for Wildcat tennis, becoming the first player in program history to win the ITA All-American Championship.
For three years in a row, Friend returned to the same ITA All-American tournament, never quite breaking through. Until this fall, when everything clicked.
"I'd played that tournament and always played well but never reached the quarters. This time, it just felt like it was my time," Friend said.
The victory made him the first Wildcat to ever win the prestigious tournament, adding his name to a distinguished list of past champions.
"The past winners have been Ben Sheldon, Isner, Ethan Quinn…so yeah to put my name up there with those guys who are doing so well on tour…it gives me a lot of confidence in myself," Friend said.
That confidence carried him across state lines to Fairfield, California, where he captured back-to-back titles. First came the ITA All-American championship, then his first ATP Challenger victory.
"Going into these tournaments I never really had the confidence that I could win it because those were the guys that had won it. But now that my name is up there too, it gives me confidence," Friend said.
Each win reinforced what he's learned at Arizona: hard work, mental toughness and a team behind him every step of the way.
"I wanna leave this place with no regrets and leave this place with the best memories I could ever have with this group of guys...and I am going to make sure that happens," Friend said.
Friend is the fifth-ranked collegiate player in the nation and will return to the courts at the end of this month to compete at the NCAA Championships.
