Senior Andy Andrade reflected on improving his game during the COVID-19 layoff that ended the 2020 season. He returned with a refreshed mind and body on the way to a standout senior season. (Photo: Emma Bissell/UAA Communications)
Built for Endurance: Andrade Changed Habits to Change Game
Monday, May 17, 2021 | Men's Tennis, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – They were big moments for Andy Andrade, his pair of match-clinching wins for the No. 1-seed Gators men's tennis team in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Andrade's No. 3 singles wins at home against South Alabama and USF helped the Gators advance to the Round of 16, where on Monday night they swept Illinois at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Those signature wins were born of countless less-notable moments, like that time a couple of years ago when Andrade decided to have a Mountain Dew for a late-night drink at the team hotel. As Andrade gulped the bottle of soda on the way back to his room the night before the Gators were to play Florida State, head coach Bryan Shelton happened to be walking down the hallway toward him.
Shelton suggested a healthier alternative next time. It was a small exchange that made a lasting impression, and a memory those closest to Andrade still use when needed to remind the senior how the tiny details matter in the biggest moments.
"I think that was an eye-opening moment for him,'' Gators associate head coach Tanner Stump said. "We still joke with him about that. It's nice to see him kick some of those habits. I think this is the first time where at this point in the season we've looked at Andy and thought, 'he can go all day. There is nothing out here bothering him.' It's a nice feeling for him knowing he can take the court and know he can go as deep as he needs to go."
Andrade has emerged as a key force for the Gators as they try to win the program's first national title. UF made the Final Four two seasons ago before losing to eventual national champion Texas at the USTA National Campus. The postseason was canceled in 2020 due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Andy Andrade earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2021. (Photo: Tiffany Franco/UAA Communications)
It was during the COVID-19 shutdown last spring that the 22-year-old Andrade turned serious about turning over a new leaf. He went home to Bradenton, where he starred at the IMG Academy before joining the Gators in the fall of 2017, and reflected on where he was as a player.
Andrade grew up around the game and had rarely slowed down.
"I was born and three years after I had a racket in my hand,'' he said.
Aurelio Andrade, Andy's father, served as head coach at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy from 2008-16 and has served as tennis director at the Bollettieri Academy in Italy. Aurelio Andrade played and coached in his native Ecuador prior to moving to South Florida for a coaching job. Andy was born in Ecuador and moved to the U.S. with his family, he said, when he was about 10. Andy's older brother, Pedro, is a former college player who now coaches in New York.
By the time Shelton and Stump recruited Andrade to come to Florida, his talent was obvious.
"He is kind of a nightmare matchup because he presents things that people don't normally see,'' Stump said. "When Andy is blending his whole game together, you don't really know what to expect."
Andrade can use the entire court. He is often at this best at the net and can easily transition from a defensive mentality to being the attacker. During his time at home in 2020, Andrade turned his focus inward to gain a mental edge when he rejoined the Gators.
"I changed a lot of things. I changed my diet. I changed the way I practiced. I was also doing a lot of things in the gym,'' he said. "I think that helped me a lot in my fall. I came here and I was in the best shape of my life. That just built my confidence on the court. I knew I could last against whoever was in front of me."
Andrade admits that, yes, his weakness off the court used to be soft drinks and sugar. He modified his diet to help increase his energy and strength for moments like these: NCAA Tournament matches in the Florida heat in May.
Andrade considers this season to be his most complete from start to finish. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference for the first time in his career and is 25-7 overall in singles play, 15-7 at No. 3 singles following his win Monday night over Illinois' Alex Brown 6-2, 6-3, to help the Gators advance to the NCAA quarterfinals Thursday against Texas A&M. Following Florida's loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament championship, Andrade did more soul searching. He returned to campus intent on making a statement in the postseason. Andy Andrade improved to 25-7 in singles this season following his victory Monday night against Alex Brown of Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. (Photo: Tiffany Franco/UAA Communications)
Andrade then went out and made one with the way he played in the first two rounds, his victory May 9 over USF's Ivan Yatsuk 6-2, 6-4, sending the Gators to the Sweet 16.
"The way he finished match point today to clinch the match, that says it all,'' Shelton said afterward. "Just a couple of weeks ago he missed that same shot, match point down against Tennessee. Today, he executes it multiple times. It just shows the amount of work he's put in over the last two weeks and his commitment to this team and his game and to getting better."
Andrade's long-time goal of playing professionally is nearly here. When the college postseason is over, Andrade plans for the next chapter of his career.
But first, he has unfinished business with the Gators. There are more memorable moments to chase.
"We were so close [in 2019],'' he said. "We had a big chance to win it all. This spring for me has been kind of ups and downs. I think I got some momentum back. I feel so confident.
"Just going out there by myself [during the layoff] and putting in the work makes you look at things. It gives you the trust that you know you put in the work and now it's time to let it show on the court."
