University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Mai Nirundorn
March 26, 2024 | Women's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Mai Nirundorn has been around tennis her entire life. The Georgia sophomore's mother, Jean Kansuthi, was a standout player at Eastern Michigan in the late 1990s and a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. And Nirundorn's brother, Tanapatt, plays on the Florida men's team.
Nirundorn and her brother were born in Louisville, Ky., where their mother was coaching, before moving to Thailand. They then went back and forth between the U.S. and Thailand several times before settling in Hilton Head, S.C.
Since she got to Georgia, Nirundorn has settled in quite well on and off the court, including making the ITA All-Academic Team last year. Nirundorn, who is 8-3 at No. 6 singles this season, and the Bulldogs, winners of 10 straight matches, are ranked No. 4 in the latest ITA poll. They play at Alabama on Friday.
During a recent Quick Chat, Nirundorn talked about her start in tennis, being part of a team, the transition from Jeff Wallace to longtime assistant Drake Bernstein as head coach, playing on grass, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: Did you play a lot of different sports when you were young, or was tennis always your main thing?
Nirundorn: It was just always tennis. My mom was a professional tennis player and also a coach, so I grew up watching her teach tennis and fell in love with the sport from there.
Frierson: When did you realize that you had a real talent for the game and a future beyond just being a really good junior player?
Nirundorn: I grew up watching my mom play, and I would beg her to play tennis. I would have so much fun doing it, and it was a time that I could spend with her and have fun.
When I started playing tournaments, I was doing well for my age. I was playing in the above age group sometimes, and I would win.
Frierson: Did you and your mom ever play? Did you ever beat her?
Nirundorn: [Laughs] We don't play points, we just do some drills sometimes. My stepdad is also a coach, so we're a big tennis family.
Frierson: Do you talk tennis nonstop at home?
Nirundorn: At home, we don't really talk about tennis. Once tennis is done on the court, we just talk about other things.
Frierson: From what I've read and heard, you've gone back and forth from the U.S. to Thailand a good bit. Can you take me through that?
Nirundorn: I was born in Louisville, Ky., and I lived there for two or three years. And then I moved back to Thailand and lived there for about three years, and then we moved back to America when I was about six. And then I moved back to Thailand when I was 13, and then I came back when I started college. And that's when my family moved to Hilton Head.
Frierson: Junior tennis is largely an individual thing, so what has the transition to being part of a team been like?
Nirundorn: I find it a lot more fun playing as a team. You have your friends there with you, supporting you, and it's even better when we play at home because the Georgia fans are the best. When I'm playing in an individual tournament, I miss my teammates being there for me; it's just more fun as a team.
Frierson: What do you like to do to get away from tennis and school? How do you relax?
Nirundorn: I like to shop. I'm a big online shopper. Athens is a pretty small town, there's not really much shopping around here, so I've done a lot of online shopping.
I don't know what else I like to do — I like to take a lot of naps [laughs].
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Nirundorn: I would have to say Mell (Reasco). She's always joking around and making us laugh.
Frierson: What has the transition from Jeff to Drake been like?
Nirundorn: We miss Jeff, but it's been a pretty easy transition. Drake has been here since I got here, and Chaps (associate head coach Jarryd Chaplin) has just been great, so the transition was not tough at all. We love all of our coaches.
Frierson: Of all of the places around the world where you've played, is there one that stands out the most?
Nirundorn: My favorite place to play was Wimbledon, just because I grew up watching tennis and Wimbledon was seen as the most prestigious tournament in the world. I definitely want to go back to watch some day, but being there (in the juniors) was an unbelievable experience.
Frierson: Can you describe what it's like to play on grass? I've played tennis my whole life, but have never seen or played on a grass court.
Nirundorn: It's a lot faster than hard courts, and there are a bunch of weird bounces, especially when there have been a lot of matches played on the court. There are a bunch of weird dips and stuff on the court. And it is very slippery, especially after it rains.
You definitely need to find grass court shoes. I tried playing with the regular shoes we play with here, and you just keep slipping.
Frierson: In a perfect world, what are you doing in 10 years?
Nirundorn: Oh, that's a tough question [laughs]. I really don't know. Right now, I'm just focused on getting my degree in Business, and hopefully I'll find a job in the business area. I don't know specifically what I want to do yet.
I grew up around sports my whole life, so staying in sports would be good also, but at the same time, trying something different could be good. I definitely want to stay in the U.S., though.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Mai Nirundorn has been around tennis her entire life. The Georgia sophomore's mother, Jean Kansuthi, was a standout player at Eastern Michigan in the late 1990s and a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. And Nirundorn's brother, Tanapatt, plays on the Florida men's team.
Nirundorn and her brother were born in Louisville, Ky., where their mother was coaching, before moving to Thailand. They then went back and forth between the U.S. and Thailand several times before settling in Hilton Head, S.C.
Since she got to Georgia, Nirundorn has settled in quite well on and off the court, including making the ITA All-Academic Team last year. Nirundorn, who is 8-3 at No. 6 singles this season, and the Bulldogs, winners of 10 straight matches, are ranked No. 4 in the latest ITA poll. They play at Alabama on Friday.
During a recent Quick Chat, Nirundorn talked about her start in tennis, being part of a team, the transition from Jeff Wallace to longtime assistant Drake Bernstein as head coach, playing on grass, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: Did you play a lot of different sports when you were young, or was tennis always your main thing?
Nirundorn: It was just always tennis. My mom was a professional tennis player and also a coach, so I grew up watching her teach tennis and fell in love with the sport from there.
Frierson: When did you realize that you had a real talent for the game and a future beyond just being a really good junior player?
Nirundorn: I grew up watching my mom play, and I would beg her to play tennis. I would have so much fun doing it, and it was a time that I could spend with her and have fun.
When I started playing tournaments, I was doing well for my age. I was playing in the above age group sometimes, and I would win.
Frierson: Did you and your mom ever play? Did you ever beat her?
Nirundorn: [Laughs] We don't play points, we just do some drills sometimes. My stepdad is also a coach, so we're a big tennis family.
Frierson: Do you talk tennis nonstop at home?
Nirundorn: At home, we don't really talk about tennis. Once tennis is done on the court, we just talk about other things.
Frierson: From what I've read and heard, you've gone back and forth from the U.S. to Thailand a good bit. Can you take me through that?
Nirundorn: I was born in Louisville, Ky., and I lived there for two or three years. And then I moved back to Thailand and lived there for about three years, and then we moved back to America when I was about six. And then I moved back to Thailand when I was 13, and then I came back when I started college. And that's when my family moved to Hilton Head.
Frierson: Junior tennis is largely an individual thing, so what has the transition to being part of a team been like?
Nirundorn: I find it a lot more fun playing as a team. You have your friends there with you, supporting you, and it's even better when we play at home because the Georgia fans are the best. When I'm playing in an individual tournament, I miss my teammates being there for me; it's just more fun as a team.
Frierson: What do you like to do to get away from tennis and school? How do you relax?
Nirundorn: I like to shop. I'm a big online shopper. Athens is a pretty small town, there's not really much shopping around here, so I've done a lot of online shopping.
I don't know what else I like to do — I like to take a lot of naps [laughs].
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Nirundorn: I would have to say Mell (Reasco). She's always joking around and making us laugh.
Frierson: What has the transition from Jeff to Drake been like?
Nirundorn: We miss Jeff, but it's been a pretty easy transition. Drake has been here since I got here, and Chaps (associate head coach Jarryd Chaplin) has just been great, so the transition was not tough at all. We love all of our coaches.
Frierson: Of all of the places around the world where you've played, is there one that stands out the most?
Nirundorn: My favorite place to play was Wimbledon, just because I grew up watching tennis and Wimbledon was seen as the most prestigious tournament in the world. I definitely want to go back to watch some day, but being there (in the juniors) was an unbelievable experience.
Frierson: Can you describe what it's like to play on grass? I've played tennis my whole life, but have never seen or played on a grass court.
Nirundorn: It's a lot faster than hard courts, and there are a bunch of weird bounces, especially when there have been a lot of matches played on the court. There are a bunch of weird dips and stuff on the court. And it is very slippery, especially after it rains.
You definitely need to find grass court shoes. I tried playing with the regular shoes we play with here, and you just keep slipping.
Frierson: In a perfect world, what are you doing in 10 years?
Nirundorn: Oh, that's a tough question [laughs]. I really don't know. Right now, I'm just focused on getting my degree in Business, and hopefully I'll find a job in the business area. I don't know specifically what I want to do yet.
I grew up around sports my whole life, so staying in sports would be good also, but at the same time, trying something different could be good. I definitely want to stay in the U.S., though.
(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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