By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor, Aidan Pham | Broadcast Sports Reporter
Baylor men’s tennis has been known to feature funny, energetic and emotional players who light up the court with excitement. Seniors Oskar Brostrom Poulsen and Marko Miladinović are no different.
LTVN’s Aidan Pham sits down with the duo.
During the summer, the Bears flashed talent all over the world. Former and current Baylor players racked up 2,715 ATP Summer Points, the most of any Big 12 program, as well as an Olympic Gold Medal and Pro Circuit successes. While some green and gold alums excelled internationally, Brostrom Poulsen and Miladinović opted to stay in Waco and train.
“We both wanted to get the best opportunity to have a great senior year, and we decided to come back early, work really hard for two months together,” Brostrom Poulsen said. “And then we ended up qualifying for summer nationals and winning the doubles there.”
The dedication led to the pair conquering the doubles ITA Summer Championships, 6-4, 6-2, which netted them invitations to one of the biggest qualifier tournaments for the NCAA Fall Individual Championships, which Baylor will host in November.
In an international sport like tennis, family time is already limited. Brostrom Poulsen, a native of Helsingor, Denmark; and Miladinović, from Belgrade, Serbia, only get to visit home twice a year while studying and practicing at Baylor. Choosing to stay in Waco during the summer meant that they would only spend one month of the year with their families.
“We spent the whole summer together. We’ve been working really hard with them, and I’ve been really impressed with their dedication,” head coach Michael Woodson said. “To come back and spend the summer with us was not easy to do. [It was] long days, tough sessions, and a lot of work put in. Not to mention taking summer classes as well.
“So those guys, you could really see them improving, and you want them to have that opportunity to see the hard work pay off.”
Day and night, Woodson helped the duo focus on “intensity, mindset and mentality.” With smiles on their faces and jokes cracked at least twice throughout each drill, the players worked not only to improve themselves, but to help their team.
“We’re all great tennis players here, but when we looked back at the season, what we saw was the best players using their intensity,” Brostrom Poulsen said. “We wanted to push the limit of our intensity, which was so tough in the beginning, but we could really see a quick change of how our level actually got better so much faster by having that high intensity all the time.”
Through the entire summer, each player focused on their individual play before pivoting to doubles practice. With the players participating in both singles and doubles during the ITA Summer Championships, they only stood next to each other once before they faced a serve from another team.
“That’s actually really funny; we had never played doubles together, ever. We hadn’t even practiced more than once, just one time, nothing special,” Brostrom Poulsen said. “It’s funny because we’re very different players, but we really complement each other well. I think that’s why it ended up working on such short notice. I guess both of us being open to just go out there and leave it all out there, it helped a lot, too.”
The unlikely pairing ran through the competition behind the intensity and energy. Miladinović joked about Brostorm Poulsen being “the boss” on the court and never surrendering a point. To both their teammates and coaches, the ITA win was the expectation rather than an exception, making the trophy even sweeter.
“These guys come here to compete for championships and be the best,” Woodson said. “You’d have to go back to the early 2000s, maybe 2000, to find the last time a player that was at Baylor didn’t win a Big 12 Championship, and that’s the standard for us. They come here to play the best schedule in the country, to
win championships.
“Nothing’s changed there. We’re going to take it up a notch here this fall and get ready for a championship run in the spring.”
After the summer success, it was back to work for the entire crew and teammates quickly made their way back to Waco. And while there wasn’t the chance to go back to Serbia, home was already where Miladinović was just like when he chose to go to college at Baylor three years ago.
“I didn’t have to think, immediately, I was like, ‘This is a place for me,’” Miladinovic said. “I loved it, and of course I still love it, but I never thought it was going to become this close to me. Now, when I’m looking back and toward this season, it really is a second family. It’s a second home, and I wish I can stay here for another four years.”
Behind an infectious smile and comforting goofy laugh, Miladinović could recall everyone who had made his Baylor time special. Whether it was the gardener in front of the Herd or a fellow athlete, everyone wearing green and gold has a place in Miladinović’s esteem.
“Yesterday, for example, when I was eating in the dining hall, this football guy came to me. He’s a really nice person. He was like, ‘Hey man, when does your season start? I want to come and watch,’” Miladinovic said. “It’s that community that makes Baylor really special. We’re so thankful for the fans and so thankful for the opportunity to play the biggest events in our sport at home.”
Baylor men’s tennis will host five fall tournaments, opening the season with the Waco Fall Kickoff Classic from Sept. 13-15 at the Waco Regional Tennis Center.
“Tennis is an individual sport, but, for me personally, there is nothing I want more than us lifting the trophy [at the] Big 12 [Championship] and NCAAs,” Miladinović said. “We’re gonna work really hard. Of course, it’s not gonna be easy, but we’re gonna give everything we’ve got.”
