As the 2020 spring season began to shut down due to COVID-19, Olivier Stuart had a big decision to make. 

A star senior at Mercer University, Stuart had just broken into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s top 50 singles players in the country, ranking as high as No. 46 before the season was cut short. This was the highest ranking a player from Mercer had ever achieved. 

It was clear to Stuart that he had potential for a career surpassing just four years of collegiate tennis, so he graduated from Mercer in 2020 and left to play in the professional tennis circuit.

With COVID-19 still affecting his ability to travel in Europe, Stuart, who hails from France, soon was left frustrated and without many ways to compete at the highest level of tennis.

Stuart’s next decision was a big one, as he then decided to take his talents to Illinois to use his last year of eligibility while pursuing a master’s degree in finance.

“I graduated in 2020, and I tried to play one year in the tennis professional circuit,” Stuart said. “(COVID-19) hit, and I obviously couldn’t travel back in Europe, so I went for something a bit more secure. I decided to get my master’s at Illinois, as it turned out to be a great opportunity for me to use my last year of eligibility and complete my master’s at the same time.”

Stuart knew the kind of program that he wanted to join after his four years at Mercer, and Illinois fit the bill. 

On top of wanting to join a successful program, Stuart knew he was preparing for a potential career in tennis after his season with the Illini. He was looking for a coach who would help prepare him for his future in tennis, and he found it in head coach Brad Dancer. 

Once Stuart found out all of these things about Illinois tennis, he described his decision to join the program as “a no-brainer.”

Going into the season, Stuart was ranked No. 97 and has more than lived up to that ranking. Since joining the Illini, Stuart has put up strong performances and is undefeated so far in singles.

Stuart has been playing the majority of his matches for the Illini on Court 1 for singles, where he has gone 2-0 so far while beating some tough opposition. Stuart’s 6-2, 6-1, win over Oklahoma’s No. 31 Mason Beiler was his best win yet, although his ranked win on Court 2 over NC State’s No. 36 Martins Rocens (6-3, 6-4) was also impressive. 

Aside from just wanting to continue this trend of individual success against the Illini’s toughest opponents, Stuart also aims to be a big part of the team’s culture. Stuart’s experience and work ethic are things that he hopes to share with this season’s roster.

“I try to bring experience, since there are a lot of freshmen,” Stuart said. “That is kind of what I’m trying to bring to the table: a lot of experience, the will to fight for every point and competing hard. I feel like that’s what we need the most, especially in college: competing so hard that you are completely exhausted from bringing so much energy into the game and into the competition.”

As the team sits below .500 thus far in spring competition and with tough matches still on the horizon for this Illinois roster, Stuart hopes he can still motivate the rest of the team to not only achieve what the team did last year, but surpass it.

“I want to go to the NCAAs and win the whole thing,” Stuart said. “If our goals are in line with our work ethic, I don’t see why we can’t achieve them.”

@DrewFriberg9

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