Crawford with the serve at his home event, the U.S. Open. (Photo Courtesy of the United States Tennis Association)
Playing on Game's Grandest Stage
Monday, January 22, 2018 | Men's Tennis
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Before arriving in Gainesville, two of the best tennis amateurs in the world took their talents to the Grand Slams.
By: Kelly Shipp
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four times a year the world's best tennis players come together to compete on the sport's grandest stages. Joining the professionals at the Grand Slams are some the best young tennis athletes in the world. The future of the sport. Two of those budding junior stars just happen to be wearing the Orange and Blue this season.
Freshmen Oliver Crawford and Duarte Vale signed their NCAA national letters of intent back in November 2016 as two of the best amateur tennis players in the world. Their talent has taken them across the pond and around the world where they have showcased that skill in front of thousands.
Although they have played in numerous tournaments, nothing quite compares to playing on the grass at Wimbledon or the red clay of Roland Garros.
Oliver Crawford, left, and Duarte Vale get a practice round in together at the 2017 U.S. Open.
"This year I won my first slam event at the French Open and it was definitely something I'll never forget," Crawford said. "There were a lot of people watching so that was pretty cool."
Vale added that it took him a few tries to get his first Grand Slam win, but when he finally earned it, it was special.
"For me, it took three tries. As I got better and became one of the better players, I got better draws," he said. "The first win was really nice, but it was a match that I was supposed to win, so I was happy that I did my job, but it was the next match from there."
Regardless of the wins or celebrity associated with playing at any of the Grand Slams, the experience that both Vale and Crawford gained is unmatched. From playing on different continents to competing in front of thousands, the duo can now apply that invaluable experience on the domestic front, as the ninth-ranked Gators open the 2018 season Monday against UCF at the Ring Tennis Complex.
The junior circuit begins at the age of 13 where the athlete starts at a Grade 5, the lowest division, and ends when the athletes are 18. Each year, tennis players compete in numerous tournaments, accumulating points and moving up and down the rankings depending on how they perform, and the level of the tournament. As the player's age and improve, they hope to eventually be good enough and have a high enough ranking to compete in Grade A tournaments, also known as the Super Series, and earn a spot in a Grand Slam event.
"It's pretty special, typically those are the guys you end up seeing on TV one day," UF coach Bryan Shelton said. "The talent level is the best in the world, obviously, to be able to play those Junior Grand Slams, so both Crawford and Vale have kind of separated themselves from the pack of all the players that are playing all around the world."
Crawford and Vale definitely separated themselves from many of the other junior competitors on the circuit as they continued to win on the international stage and earn their way into not just one Grand Slam, but multiple.
During the 2017 Grand Slam season, they competed at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open while Vale also competed in the Australian Open. They each found an abundance of success in both singles and doubles competition.
Vale competes on the clay of the French Open, also called Roland-Garros.
Vale, a Portugal native, had a memorable first slam of the season as he reached the Round of 16 in singles and the finals in doubles of the Australian Open. A few weeks later, on the clay of the French Open, he again reached the Round of 16 in singles and the Round of 16 in doubles. On the grass of Wimbledon and the hard court of the US Open, Vale was unable to advance to the later rounds of the tournaments but still gained an invaluable experience.
"It was really cool just to walk around and have a bunch of fans looking at you like you are a celebrity," Vale said. "You're treated like a tennis star and are around actual stars like Roger Feder and Rafel Nadal so that part is super cool. And then the facilities and hospitality are really good. Everything combined just makes up an incredible experience."
In his three Grand Slam tournaments, Crawford also found a plethora of success in both singles and doubles. At Roland Garros, Crawford advanced to the Round of 16 in both singles and doubles; at Wimbledon, he advanced to the Round of 32 in doubles. His best performance came on home soil at the US Open where he reached the Round of 16 in doubles and the quarterfinals in singles. Crawford celebrates a point in the iconic
all whites on the Wimbledon grass.
"The later on in the tournament you go the bigger the crowds get and the larger the courts you play on," Crawford said. "Obviously, at my home slam, the US Open, they do a really good job of putting you on the big courts in front of a bunch of fans."
As the athletes visit different tournaments and Slams, new challenges present themselves in the form of different playing surfaces. Shelton acknowledged that the different surfaces improved their all-around game and helped both Crawford and Vale develop into some of the best young players in the world and become total tennis players both on and off the court.
"I think anytime that you're tested in different ways it just improves your endurance and it improves your ability to develop different skill sets," Shelton said. "In tennis, it's a sport where it's not just one shot. There are so many different facets of the game and so many shots that you can develop. I think certain environments, certain surfaces, bring out different things in your game. So having the opportunity to play on the red clay and understanding how to be patient on a slower surface, how to improve your footwork because of footwork in paramount on that surface, being able to play on multiple surfaces helps you develop your all-around game. For us, what we try to do with our guys is to continually develop them into total tennis players both on the court and in the classroom."
The development of both Vale and Crawford was put on display for the whole collegiate tennis community in the fall. It started when the duo earned a doubles ranking of No. 54 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, even though they had never played together in doubles.
"I think with them being on the newcomer list it definitely reflects from the ITA and from the other coaches that these guys are two of the best," assistant coach Tanner Stump said. "By putting them together in the preseason doubles rankings it's a testament to the way they are viewed as players and the ability they have to succeed in college."
Vale showcased his elite talent in his first collegiate tournament back in September when he won both the singles and doubles championship at the Gator Ranked +1 Tournament. The success was just the beginning for Vale as just a few weeks later he teamed up with McClain Kessler at the ITA All-American Championship and upset the No. 1-ranked team in the tournament. Vale's and Kessler's success also earned them a spot in the Fall National Championships where they advanced to the quarterfinals. Vale ended the fall season with an 8-2 record in singles and a 9-1 record in doubles. Even though Vale has found success on the court early in his career, he knows there is still room for improvement.
Duarte Vale at the Australian Open.
"I don't think we have been that successful," Vale said. "We're trying to put in a lot of work in [during the fall] to have success in the spring and produce a lot of wins for Florida." He continued with how much he loves competition. "I really enjoy competition. I love tennis and love that it's tough both physically and mentally. I hate losing so much that it gives me the fire and passion to go out there and do my best."
Crawford had his freshman season delayed for a few weeks as he recovered from an injury, but once he hit the hard court, he showed why he was viewed as the nation's No. 1 recruit back in August. He made his debut at the ITA Southeast Regional Championship where he teamed up with Chase Perez-Blanco and finished as the doubles runner-up while earning a bid into the ITA Fall National Championship where the duo won their final four matches and won the championship in the consolation bracket. Crawford ended the fall season with a 2-1 record in singles and an 8-2 record in doubles.
"We both hate losing and are competitive and I think tennis does a great job of bringing out the best in us," Crawford said. "We play tennis not only because we are good at it but because we really enjoy it."
Being successful both on the court and in the classroom have been a staple for the program under Shelton since he arrived in Gainesville back in 2012 and both Crawford and Vale have shown they have what it takes to balance the rigors of school work as well as competing at a high level during competition.
Although the two freshmen have found success on the court their entire lives and had the opportunity to turn pro right after high school, they understand the value of a college education, especially one from the University of Florida. Shelton admires that.
"It says a lot about them, but I think it also says a lot about their parents and how they've raised the two and to understand that education is important," Shelton said. "Since the game has become so physical, at 18, it's very hard to compete at the highest level and they still have to develop a lot physically, mentally and emotionally. So, what better way to develop than to come to a university like the University of Florida?"
Both coaches Shelton and Stump know the importance of family and Vale and Crawford both acknowledged that playing in the Grand Slams, and even playing at Florida, would not have been possible without their families.
"It's all the things they do for us from being there for you after a loss and traveling with you and offering advice," Vale said. "They are so supportive and it's such a huge deal, and I mean everything we have done is because of them."
"It's everything from the travel and taking time to take us to practice and to tournaments on top of things they have to go through on a day-to-day basis," Crawford said. "Without them, there would be none of this."
