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TAMPA, Fla. – Alvin Tudorica’s time has arrived. The senior came to the University of South Florida as a top tennis recruit from Toronto four years ago, but his game needed time to grow. 

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His passion for the sport pushed him through frustrating times.

“Everyone goes through bad times,” Tudorica said. “So, I just felt that I needed to stay there and stay with it. It may be tough, but you have to enjoy it and stay there. It’s part of the passion, I guess.”

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His coach, Ashley Fisher, recruited Tudorica, because he could see untapped talent, but after seeing his relentless work ethic on the court, he knew he had something special.

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“I remember vividly when he was a freshman he had only been here for a few weeks,” Fisher said. “I do this sometimes where I ask if anyone wants to do a tiebreak with everybody watching. Just stop everything in the middle of practice. Al immediately put up his hand. I remember thinking like ‘this kid has something special.’”

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Tudorica’s game is on the rise, currently ranked among the best collegiate players in the country. In singles, he’s 27th. In doubles with teammate Erik Grevelius, they’ve earned a top 10 ranking.

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“I think that comes from hanging out a lot outside of practice,” Grevelius said. “We do an extra hour in the afternoon. So I know what he’s going to do every time he’s going to do it, and he knows what I feel comfortable doing as well. So I think that’s the key to our success so far.”

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This past fall, Tudorica’s game reached another level. He won five straight matches at the ITA Regionals. He’s earning him a spot in the National Fall Championships where he reached the quarterfinals. 

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“Of course very proud,” Tudorica said. “There’s still room to be even better, even with the great fall that I had.”

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Both seniors have professional aspirations after graduating, but their focus now is not only earning a spot in the NCAA tournament, but winning it. It would be a crowning moment on their college careers.

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