Wake Forest Athletics
Gold Rush Feature: Senior Breakthrough
2/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 15, 2011
This article was originally published in the Feb. 5 edition of Gold Rush.
By Jay Reddick
A quick look at Jonathan Wolff's career statistics can show you he's been a valuable part of the men's tennis team for years.
The senior has won more than two-thirds of his matches overall, including records of 28-5 as a sophomore and 20-12 as a junior, earning a national ranking of 112 at the end of last season.
Last fall's 12-4 record in tournament play fit neatly into Wolff's tennis resume, but something looked different -- he was defeating better players, showing more skill, but above all, exhibiting more confidence.
The light came on, and it continues to shine as the Deacons enter the spring dual-match season.
"I played high-caliber players in the fall, and I knew it would be a challenge, but I felt ready to compete on that level," said the Sarasota, Fla., senior. "I never thought, 'Oh, I'm not ready for this. Oh, this player's so much better than me.' I'm right there with them, if not better."
Indeed, Wolff enters the spring ranked No. 45 by the ITA in singles. He beat five ranked players this fall. Now, he'll take that skill back into team play for the No. 22 Deacons.
"He believes in what we're doing here, and it's paying off," said head coach Jeff Zinn. "In the fall, he proved it against the best players. He now believes he belongs, and once you have that, you take off."
Wolff's biggest victories of the fall came when he advanced to the second round of the ITA All-American championship in Tulsa, Okla., in October. His singles ranking at the time meant he would have to go through qualifying just to make the main draw, and that was a hurdle he had tried and failed to conquer the previous year.
"Last year, I had a back injury and didn't make it through 'qualies,'" Wolff said. "This time, I was focused on staying healthy, but I also looked at my (qualifying) draw and said, 'This is very doable. I know these players, I've played some of them before. The court suits my game well. I can do this.'"
He did, winning three qualifying matches, then taking down Michigan's No. 1 player, Jason Jung, in the first round of the main draw before losing a three-set heartbreaker to Louisville's Austen Childs, the tournament's No. 10 seed.
Wolff attributes most of his improvement to mental strides and maturity but also said his physical fitness has helped him get better. In the summer, he said he spent twice as much time getting in shape through weights and running as he did hitting balls.
He said he has worked more on speed and endurance his first three years at WFU. Now that aspect is where he wants it to be, and he can spend a little more time in the weight room.
"I'm getting a little stronger, focusing a little more on weights, but I'm still trying to find that balance to where I don't get too big or slow down. I definitely feel healthy and strong, ready to be out there as long as I can to win a match."
Wolff's ready to bring the total package into the spring. He calls himself a team player first, so this is his favorite time of year.
"It's a different pressure, having people rely on you like that," Wolff said. "But you have to trust yourself first before others can trust you, so this fall really helped."
Players Mentioned
