He’s part of a tradition that’s been going strong at UT since 1988.
With sophomore Jack Schipanski’s roots, he becomes part of a long legacy at Tennessee. Since 1988, the men’s tennis team has had at least one Australian player on the roster. This year Schipanski fits that description.
Schipanski’s tennis journey began at a young age. His father was a tennis coach, and nearly his entire family played. He loved the sport immediately and was always eager to have people join in and play with him.
“I invited people in my family to come and hit with me, and that sort of thing,” Schipanski said. “From there, it just sort of progressed.”
Prior to playing for the Vols, he reached a ranking of 860th in the ATP World Tour — a career best. He also won the Tennis Central 18 and Under ITF Summer Championships in 2011.
It didn’t take the Adelaide native long to decide where he was going to college. Head coach Sam Winterbotham reflected on how he came to sign Schipanski.
“I traveled the world, went to Australia, watched him play a couple of years and knew that he was someone we wanted in the program,” Winterbotham said. “He actually started university in Australia, which was great.”
Schipanski went on to discuss how, in Australia, UT has a reputation for producing successful Australian tennis players.
“Tennessee has always had a long history with Australians,” Schipanski said. “In Australia, when people talk about college tennis, they always bring up Tennessee. … Everyone spoke really highly of it.”
Schipanski said his favorite pro player is fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt, noting his admirable passion for the sport. However, he also says he backs Rafael Nadal when he can. Schipanski has also competed in the Australian Open, his favorite Grand Slam event.
“I played in the Juniors Cup, and I played in the Seniors Cup three times,” Schipanski said. “I’ve been a fan of it since a young age. My family used to take a lot of trips over to Melbourne (Australia) and watch the tennis … Some of my best experiences playing came from there.”
Winterbotham said he is pleased to have Schipanski on the team, continuing the 27-year tradition.
“The Australians that we’ve had on the team have been great,” Winterbotham said. “Certainly, for the most part, very team orientated … They have great sportsmanship as a nation.
“Jack has some of that as an individual … On the court, he knows that he has to be competitive and take charge in matches … That’s probably where his future lies. The more that he takes charge of points, the better he’s gonna be.”
