By Cal Logan | Reporter
Baylor men’s tennis freshman Devin Badenhorst is the youngest player on the roster, joining the team at the start of the spring semester, but the 6-foot-7-inch athlete from Pretoria, South Africa, has made an early impact.
The 19-year-old joined the Bears with experience in the Junior League in South Africa. Badenhorst was the highest-ranked South African juniors player in his age bracket entering his tenure in Waco, and he currently has a 5-0 record in singles action as well as a 4-1 record in doubles with his partner, sophomore Luc Koenig. One doubles match with Koenig was left unfinished.
While leaving South Africa was hard for Badenhorst, he said the way the Baylor men’s tennis program treats its athletes made it an easier transition and decision.
“I feel like I’ve had the best relationships with the coaches here,” Badenhorst said. “I feel like the staff here is the best, and they definitely look after their players the best in college tennis, I would say.”
Badenhorst said one of his most important relationships is with Koenig, who’s in his second year with the Bears.
”Me and Luc have been best friends since we were young, so we obviously had a good relationship,” Badenhorst said. “We started playing together when we were 10 years old and have been playing doubles together since we were 12.”
Badenhorst said his first few tournaments with his lifelong best friend went really well. Together, they earned two titles at the J4 Pretoria and J5 Durban during amateur tennis.
“It was just a really good relationship growing up together, and now even going to the same college together just makes it even better,” Badenhorst said.
Badenhorst said his relationships with Koenig, other players and coaches make Baylor feel like home and impact his level of confidence on the court.
“It’s exciting [having success as a young player],” Badenhorst said. “It’s very exciting being a part of this team, and so far, I’m loving it. I’m loving training with the guys, always competing out there. The team is balanced, and I just can’t wait to keep getting better. This is a great place to train and get better every day.”
Badenhorst added that one of his best qualities is what he provides as a team player.
“I’ve played a couple of Davis Cups and junior team tournaments, and I feel like I do better in team environments,” Badenhorst says. “I really look forward to playing with the team throughout the season and being there for the team and not just for yourself.”
Badenhorst said he models his game after Novak Djokovic, who holds the record for most men’s Australian Open titles with 10 and is currently ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the world.
“In my eyes, he’s the best to ever play the game,” Badenhorst said. “Look at everything he went through as a kid, where he came from and what he had to go through to be where he is today.
“I feel like people look at Roger [Federer] and Rafael [Nadal] and just think, ‘OK, they’re such great people.’ But no one actually knows what Novak does behind the scenes and everything. So I feel like it has to be Novak.”
Despite the team’s 4-2 loss to then-No. 13 Arizona on Jan. 28, Badenhorst knocked off senior and No. 63 singles player Gustaf Strom. Badenhorst won in the third set with scores of 6-4, 0-6 and 6-2.
“I played a good first set. The second set was obviously a bit shaky,” Badenhorst said. “It was definitely a new experience for me playing in Arizona. I think I played a great game, and getting to know the college atmosphere was a good experience for me.”
Badenhorst found more success as part of the Bears’ doubleheader on Saturday. Against Jacksonville State, Badenhorst teamed up with Koenig to defeat freshmen Marko Milosavljevic and Zach Murphy. The Baylor duo also had an unfinished match against junior Calvin Mueller and sophomore Lars Johann of Nebraska. Badenhorst extended his undefeated singles season against the Cornhuskers’ Johann in a 6-2, 7-6 victory.
Head coach Michael Woodson said that he was proud of the entire team after Saturday’s success and that Badenhorst and the Bears have the potential to do big things.
“These guys really love being around each other, and they don’t care who’s on the court,” Woodson said. “They just love to cheer for each other, and you can kind of see that when they’re playing. It makes it better for us too.
“We’re building momentum. They’re starting to realize they’re pretty good, but we need to keep working. Our goals extend beyond what we’re doing right now. We want to win championships, and I think this team can do it.”
The Bears will attempt to stay in the win column at home against Tulsa on Sunday and then USC on Monday.
