The University of Tennessee men’s tennis team has had players from all over the world compete on their team throughout the years. However, there has never been a player from Israel play for the Volunteers.
That is, until Igor Smelyanski joined the team in the fall of 2014. The freshman brings diversity to the Vols’ roster.
“One of the things, as a coach, we’re not afraid to do is embrace all different cultures and all different personalities,” head coach Sam Winterbotham said. “He’s a character. He’s got a great smile, great energy. The guy can’t stop moving … We love having him in the program. He’s a lot of fun.”
Smelyanski was born in the Ukraine, but, at the age of 3, he moved to Be’er Ya’akov, Israel. He lived there for most of his life. He played basketball until the age of 8, but a broken arm soon sidelined him. He then moved on to a new sport: tennis.
His tennis career took off as he was regarded as one of the top tennis players in all of Israel. He won multiple championships in Israel with his physical play on the court. At one point, Smelyanski reached a ranking of No. 721 in the world ATP rankings, becoming one of three Volunteers in the top 900.
“Igor loves tennis,” Winterbotham said. “On a daily basis, he comes out to work … He works hard every time we get him out there.”
Smelyanski’s tournament play and national recognition caught the eye of Sam Winterbotham and the University of Tennessee.
“I remember seeing him for the first time in Austria,” Winterbotham recalls. “I watched him for a number of years, and I just tracked him from there.”
Coming from a different state to compete in athletics is always a difficult feat for college athletes, but there is extra pressure coming from a different country. However, Smelyanski welcomes the challenge with his own personal lifestyle of grit and determination. He does admit, though, that he couldn’t have gotten this far without his teammates and coaches.
“Honestly, the culture of Israel and the United States is kind of similar,” Smelyanski stated. “It’s kind of Americanized in Israel, so it’s not very different, but the study program is kind of different for me. In the beginning, I was struggling with everything because I didn’t know the people very much here and everything’s new.
“All the teammates here, and the coaches and friends here I’ve met, they’ve helped me out here to understand things better and just settle in with them. It’s helped me a lot.”
Smelyanski started playing tennis in the fall of this season, and he has enjoyed success while competing. Smelyanski is 10-6 in singles competitions, and 9-5 in doubles competitions with his partner, fellow freshman Luis Valero.
“There isn’t an area (of his play) I would say is weak,” said Winterbotham. “It’s just one of those things where, mentally, he has to focus every point. He has to let his natural ability shine, and the sky’s the limit for him.”
The freshman has high hopes for himself and for the entire team this year.
“Hopefully we can win a championship,” Smelyanski said. “I believe we can. We’re a good team, we’re a strong team, there’s good coaches, and it’s a good program. I support this team, and I really think we can. I’m going to do everything I can for my team and help them every way I can. I think that this is the most important goal.”
