University of Georgia Athletics
Getting To Know: Jan Zielinski
November 23, 2016 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. - GeorgiaDogs.com will sit down with each member of the Georgia men's tennis team leading up to the MLK/Georgia Tech Invitational, the first event of the spring season, which runs from Jan 14-16.
Today's spotlight is on Jan Zielinski, who is set to begin his sophomore year in Athens. Zielinski joined the Bulldogs at the beginning of the 2016 spring season and clinched three matches, playing mostly on court No. 5.
The Warsaw, Poland native went 13-3 in singles this fall and also took home the 2016 Southern Intercollegiates doubles title, playing with teammate Walker Duncan.
Zielinski is majoring in Sport Management and is adding a minor in Literature.
Below is a brief Q&A with Jan:
What's been the highlight of your Georgia tennis career so far?
"Clinching the match against Florida was pretty special, because we are actually losing to them at the beginning. We lost the doubles point, we lost five first-sets in singles, so that was a big win for us. I'm happy that I could help. The moment Austin [Smith] clinched against USC in the Sweet 16 of NCAAs last year was pretty exciting, too."
Why did you choose your major?
"I want my future to be connected to sports. I am not the type of a guy to sit behind a desk in a big corporate office. I always want to be around the courts or any other sport, so I think sport management will help me with that."
What do you like most about playing for head coach Manuel Diaz?
"He's a great coach. He's one of the best coaches in the country. We have a great relationship with him. He tries to be one of us; he doesn't try to be a coach who is really strict and have power over everybody. He's trying to understand us and be one of us. He is always joking with us and supporting us. He is like one of the guys on the team."
Do you have a motto you live by or a role model you look up to?
"I've always been following my dad's advice. He was always my main role model. He was always helping me, supporting me, and giving lots of advice when I was younger. He would support me when something was going wrong or not the way I want it to. He's my biggest motivation in my life."
Who on the team is the funniest guy to be around?
"Everyone is pretty funny I guess, but I think Walker [Duncan] is one of the guys that makes everyone laugh. He is always pretty crazy, and everyone likes him and wants to be around him all the time. He is also positive and he is the kind of guy that you want to be friends with for your whole life."
What class has been your favorite at Georgia?
"I liked literature last semester. I took literature with Alex Phillips and I think that class was fun. That is actually something I'm interested in, so I kind of liked that class."
