Going into his senior season, men’s tennis captain Nick Horton is poised for a record-setting senior year. After the Australia native’s breakout junior season last year, Horton has emerged as the top player for the NC State.
“He brings a tremendous amount of athletic ability to the court,” Wolfpack head coach Jon Choboy said.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Horton started playing at age 10 and began to focus more on tennis a couple of years later.
“I had to kind of choose between rugby, horse riding and surfing and skating,” Horton said. “I eventually just went with tennis because that was where I was excelling the most.”
After progressing his game in Australia through his teenage years, Horton had to make a decision about where he wanted his tennis career to take him. It eventually brought him to NC State, but playing in college in the United States was a decision he made roughly six months before coming to Raleigh.
“For me it was an option between going pro and going to college,” Horton said. “I really decided halfway through my last year of high school that I had to make a decision.”
In what has become a trend for amateur Australian tennis players, Horton chose to attend college and play for a school in the U.S. instead of opting to go pro. More and more players in Horton’s situation have made the same decision, due to the average age of players on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour steadily increasing in recent years.
“Guys are realizing that they got time for college, time to get a degree,” Horton said. “There’s a ton of Aussies in college right now.”
While he had multiple options for where to attend college, Horton cited several reasons as to why NC State stood out to him. The facilities, coaching staff and even the weather were major factors in his decision.
“Location was massive,” Horton said. “I really wanted to be somewhere with heat and good weather. I didn’t want to be anywhere in the snow or anywhere up north.”
Solid freshman and sophomore campaigns from Horton, which included a combined 43 singles victories and appearances in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings, set him up for a breakout third season as a member of the Wolfpack.
Horton’s junior season saw major progress as he vaulted himself into the top half of the Wolfpack singles lineup, compiling a 22-10 singles record and a 14-16 doubles record. He also ended the year tied for 12th on NC State’s all-time singles victories list with 65 career wins and receiving an All-ACC selection for the 2016 season.
Horton’s improvement can be traced to his decision to play on tour overseas during the summer before his junior season. He spent time playing in Europe on clay for the past two summers, making a noticeable difference in his confidence level and results.
“You have to be pretty mature to travel around Europe,” Choboy said. “It’s been quite valuable to him and it’s gained him a lot of confidence.”
Horton feels that playing overseas helps him prepare for the college season.
“With all those matches coming in, you come in confident to the floor and that really kick-starts the season,” Horton said.
For Horton, the biggest part of the transition to the U.S. was the game of tennis itself, citing a substantial disparity in the tennis culture compared to Australia.
“I think the biggest difference is just college tennis in general in the states,” Horton said. “Not so much with the rules but just the atmosphere when you’re playing, a lot more intense than any tournaments I’ve ever played in Australia.”
One of those differences in atmosphere is the team-minded approach that is ingrained in nearly every collegiate sport.
“It’s a lot more team-spirited,” Horton said. “You’re playing for a family, not just yourself.”
With the fall season winding down and only one more spring season to go, Horton is looking ahead to where his tennis career may lead him after his college career is over. While he already plays on the ATP tour, he has plans to possibly play club tennis in Europe and also head back home later in the year and play the Australian tour to determine where his ranking stands.
As the lone senior on the squad this season, the Wolfpack’s success this year will depend on Horton’s play. With three seasons of college play and two summers of playing overseas, combined with his experience and leadership, don’t be surprised to see him improve upon last year’s campaign and lead NC State deep into the postseason this year.
