University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Tyler Zink
July 21, 2020 | Men's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Tyler Zink doesn't remember the exact date of when he beat his father at tennis for the first time, but he definitely remembers the feeling as he walked off the court.
George Zink was an All-American player at SIU-Edwardsville, a program that has produced several ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame players over the years, and in 1988, he reached the finals of the NCAA Division II singles tournament. In addition, Zink's parents, George and Lauren, won multiple national championships in platform tennis, a sport that's a bit like a cross between regular tennis and racquetball.
So when Zink, from Bradenton, Fla., finally beat his father, who has been coaching the sport for many years, it was a big moment. The same goes for when Zink beat his cousin, Ben Zink, who played at N.C. State in the 2000s and is now a coach in Florida.
Zink was having a great freshman season on the Georgia men's tennis team — twice named SEC Freshman of the Week — when the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. In May, he was named the ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year.
During a Quick Chat via phone Monday, Zink talked about growing up in the sport, seeing the world through junior tennis, his love of Chipotle and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Has being at home since March kind of made you feel like you're in high school again?
Zink: Yeah, definitely. Being around my family, I traveled a lot (for tournaments) growing up, so I don't think there was ever a time period when I got to spend five months in a row seeing and my sisters every day. I've been super lucky to be with them, so that's definitely been a lot of fun.
Frierson: I know your dad was a really good player, and probably still is, so was tennis always your No. 1 sport?
Zink: My dad got me into tennis from a very young age, when I was 3 or 4 years old. From the first time I picked up a tennis racket, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I definitely have professional goals, and the last 15 or 16 years that I've played tennis have all been toward that, so I'm very super passionate about the sport.
Frierson: When it comes to playing against your dad, was it a momentous moment the first time you beat him?
Zink: Yeah, I probably beat him for the first time when I was 14, maybe, 14 or 15, so that was definitely a big day for me. My cousin, Ben Zink, also played tennis and has worked with me since I've been little, and I started beating him around the same age, too. I was 14 or 15 when I started to beat them both and I'm not going to lie to you, it felt pretty good [laughs].
Frierson: How did your dad handle it?
Zink: He knew the day was coming, I think, so honestly, I think it made him proud of the work that he's put into my tennis has paid off. It was a great day.
Frierson: Who was the first player you really looked up to?
Zink: (Roger) Federer has been the guy since I can remember, it's always been him. I think just has the perfect game style, he's so calm, and I've definitely tried to model the way I act on the court and the way I play after him. I think he just has a great all-court game and, honestly, he's just perfect. I don't think there's any other word to describe him other than perfect.
Frierson: Coming of age when you did, I can't imagine you could have three better guys at the top of the sport than Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Zink: Yeah, definitely. Rafa, Fed and Novak, I don't think we're ever going to see that again, with how many Grand Slams that have each. It's been truly amazing to watch growing up.
Frierson: The other day I was watching an Agassi-Sampras match from the 2001 U.S. Open, one of the best matches ever played. Do you ever watch old matches on YouTube?
Zink: I watch them all the time; YouTube is my biggest friend, watching those matches. I'm a huge Stefan Edberg fan — I love the way that he comes to the net and his volleys were some of the greatest of all time.
Frierson: Did you dad turn you on to Edberg or did you just stumble upon an Edberg match from the 1990s?
Zink: My dad has used him as an example for my volleys a bunch, so I definitely got the name from him. I also did some researching on my own and finding matches online from back in the day.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Zink: Chipotle — I definitely do eat Chipotle almost every day. It just never gets old and it's definitely my favorite meal. I could have it three times a day, every day. I always get a bowl with chicken and this meat called barbacoa. Not too many people actually order it, it's kind of like a pulled pork, with a little bit of spice to it. It's phenomenal.
Frierson: What do you miss most about being in Athens and experiencing college life?
Zink: Honestly, just competing. That's been something that I've missed the most. We had such a good start to our season and the matches were so much fun. I miss battling with my boys and being on the court with Manny (Diaz) and Jamie (Hunt). Hopefully, we can go back to that soon.
Frierson: Getting to travel and see the world the way you did in the juniors, is there one place that you want to go back to and just visit again?
Zink: Australia kind of has my heart. When I went there for the Australian Open, I got an Airbnb in the city with one of my close friends that I traveled with, and that city (Melbourne) was probably my favorite spot in the entire world. I felt like it was almost like a calmer New York and I really loved the vibes of the city.
If there was anywhere that I wanted to live other than America, I think it would definitely be Australia.
Frierson: How much has all of that worldly experience helped you mature? When you travel abroad I think you learn pretty quickly how to handle unexpected things that are thrown at you.
Zink: I think I had to adapt from an early age and it matured me from a young age. Going into my first year of college, I was very thankful that I did experience traveling and I think it did really help me prepare for my first year.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Tyler Zink doesn't remember the exact date of when he beat his father at tennis for the first time, but he definitely remembers the feeling as he walked off the court.
George Zink was an All-American player at SIU-Edwardsville, a program that has produced several ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame players over the years, and in 1988, he reached the finals of the NCAA Division II singles tournament. In addition, Zink's parents, George and Lauren, won multiple national championships in platform tennis, a sport that's a bit like a cross between regular tennis and racquetball.
So when Zink, from Bradenton, Fla., finally beat his father, who has been coaching the sport for many years, it was a big moment. The same goes for when Zink beat his cousin, Ben Zink, who played at N.C. State in the 2000s and is now a coach in Florida.
Zink was having a great freshman season on the Georgia men's tennis team — twice named SEC Freshman of the Week — when the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. In May, he was named the ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year.
During a Quick Chat via phone Monday, Zink talked about growing up in the sport, seeing the world through junior tennis, his love of Chipotle and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Has being at home since March kind of made you feel like you're in high school again?
Zink: Yeah, definitely. Being around my family, I traveled a lot (for tournaments) growing up, so I don't think there was ever a time period when I got to spend five months in a row seeing and my sisters every day. I've been super lucky to be with them, so that's definitely been a lot of fun.
Frierson: I know your dad was a really good player, and probably still is, so was tennis always your No. 1 sport?
Zink: My dad got me into tennis from a very young age, when I was 3 or 4 years old. From the first time I picked up a tennis racket, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I definitely have professional goals, and the last 15 or 16 years that I've played tennis have all been toward that, so I'm very super passionate about the sport.
Frierson: When it comes to playing against your dad, was it a momentous moment the first time you beat him?
Zink: Yeah, I probably beat him for the first time when I was 14, maybe, 14 or 15, so that was definitely a big day for me. My cousin, Ben Zink, also played tennis and has worked with me since I've been little, and I started beating him around the same age, too. I was 14 or 15 when I started to beat them both and I'm not going to lie to you, it felt pretty good [laughs].
Frierson: How did your dad handle it?
Zink: He knew the day was coming, I think, so honestly, I think it made him proud of the work that he's put into my tennis has paid off. It was a great day.
Frierson: Who was the first player you really looked up to?
Zink: (Roger) Federer has been the guy since I can remember, it's always been him. I think just has the perfect game style, he's so calm, and I've definitely tried to model the way I act on the court and the way I play after him. I think he just has a great all-court game and, honestly, he's just perfect. I don't think there's any other word to describe him other than perfect.
Frierson: Coming of age when you did, I can't imagine you could have three better guys at the top of the sport than Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Zink: Yeah, definitely. Rafa, Fed and Novak, I don't think we're ever going to see that again, with how many Grand Slams that have each. It's been truly amazing to watch growing up.
Frierson: The other day I was watching an Agassi-Sampras match from the 2001 U.S. Open, one of the best matches ever played. Do you ever watch old matches on YouTube?
Zink: I watch them all the time; YouTube is my biggest friend, watching those matches. I'm a huge Stefan Edberg fan — I love the way that he comes to the net and his volleys were some of the greatest of all time.
Frierson: Did you dad turn you on to Edberg or did you just stumble upon an Edberg match from the 1990s?
Zink: My dad has used him as an example for my volleys a bunch, so I definitely got the name from him. I also did some researching on my own and finding matches online from back in the day.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Zink: Chipotle — I definitely do eat Chipotle almost every day. It just never gets old and it's definitely my favorite meal. I could have it three times a day, every day. I always get a bowl with chicken and this meat called barbacoa. Not too many people actually order it, it's kind of like a pulled pork, with a little bit of spice to it. It's phenomenal.
Frierson: What do you miss most about being in Athens and experiencing college life?
Zink: Honestly, just competing. That's been something that I've missed the most. We had such a good start to our season and the matches were so much fun. I miss battling with my boys and being on the court with Manny (Diaz) and Jamie (Hunt). Hopefully, we can go back to that soon.
Frierson: Getting to travel and see the world the way you did in the juniors, is there one place that you want to go back to and just visit again?
Zink: Australia kind of has my heart. When I went there for the Australian Open, I got an Airbnb in the city with one of my close friends that I traveled with, and that city (Melbourne) was probably my favorite spot in the entire world. I felt like it was almost like a calmer New York and I really loved the vibes of the city.
If there was anywhere that I wanted to live other than America, I think it would definitely be Australia.
Frierson: How much has all of that worldly experience helped you mature? When you travel abroad I think you learn pretty quickly how to handle unexpected things that are thrown at you.
Zink: I think I had to adapt from an early age and it matured me from a young age. Going into my first year of college, I was very thankful that I did experience traveling and I think it did really help me prepare for my first year.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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