Water flew through the air as the Gators flooded into the locker room to celebrate following their 4-3 comeback win against conference rival Georgia on April 3.
The Florida men’s tennis team basked in its hard-fought victory at home as the win marked a defining moment of growth for Florida in its final regular season win of 2025. The performance was everything UF coach Adam Steinberg envisioned when he preached playing for one another, the “Gator Way.”
“The match against Georgia was really special, especially with that rivalry,” Steinberg said. “Seeing the guys celebrate in the locker room, I’ll always remember that.”
Steinberg joined Florida as head coach in June 2023 after nine seasons as the head coach of the Michigan men’s tennis team. After two seasons at the helm of Florida, Steinberg holds a 28-24 record and is optimistic about the development of his young players and their goal of making a postseason title push.
“The goal here is to be No. 1 and compete for tight championships,” he said. “I don't think we're far, so I just want them to have that eye on the prize at all times and to see that trophy out in the hallway from 2021. That's what we're striving for.”
Throughout the season, the Gators prioritized bringing in-game intensity to practices and buying into the philosophy of playing hard as a team.
Practices became a battleground of intense competition where Florida players took advantage of daily chances to better themselves in the high-octane Southeastern Conference. Fueled by the addition of consistent energy and the creation of a positive team culture, UF players began to make noticeable strides in their game.
“I think the philosophy of really playing together and becoming a team clicked on the practice court more than anything,” Steinberg said. “The practice culture was great, and guys were improving.”
Florida’s men’s tennis team came out of the gates with energy in its hot start to the season and SEC play, posting a 6-2 record in February.
The Gators struggled on the road early but caught their footing in late March. After a dominant 4-1 win at home over Arkansas on March 15, Florida played with a higher degree of confidence en route to a 3-1 road stint that ended in March.
The Gators made a splash in the SEC, defeating Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Louisiana State on the road. They lost to a Mississippi State team that ended the season ranked No. 10 in the nation.
“Winning those matches early – win over Kentucky and Auburn and those SEC matches – definitely gave the guys some confidence that, ‘Hey, we’re here, you better watch out for the Gators,’” Steinberg said. “The guys were ready to really do great things.”
However, the Gators faced struggles in road matches following their strong start, posting a 3-7 season record away from home.
“When they first came here, they were a little bit intimidated, and they weren’t comfortable in that environment,” Steinberg said. “I saw for sure this year, the comfort level definitely was there, and we were able to grab some matches on the road.”
Overcoming the team’s inexperience was arguably Florida’s biggest challenge. Six out of nine Gators played their first year of collegiate tennis in the 2023-24 season, and it quickly became clear that even solid building blocks needed time to set. The raw talent was there, but experience and chemistry were still under construction.
Steinberg finished his first year with a 13-12 (6-6 SEC) record but continued to set his sights on creating a stronger team culture that focused on playing hard, playing loud and acting selflessly. He preached “the Gator Way,” a philosophy focused on supporting teammates with energy, passion and a team-first mindset.
“That will always be the vision of this program: to play with better energy for each other, never feel like you’re alone out there, understand that life’s not about you,” he said.
Two of the Gators who made significant strides from their freshman to sophomore seasons were Adhithya Ganesan and Henry Jefferson.
Ganesan joined UF from Clarksburg, Maryland, and played primarily at the court three positions in his first year at Florida. Ganesan posted an 8-8 record in singles and 9-5 in doubles alongside then-sophomore Tannapatt Nirundorn on court two. One year later, Ganesan dominated at the court one position for Florida, recording 13 wins and facing the nation’s toughest talents.
“It’s easier to play with each other, like Stein always says, when we’re really close,” Ganesan said. “He focuses more on how we express ourselves on the court, how we carry ourselves, being more positive and staying with the team.”
Along with the bolstered team culture, Ganesan’s physical improvements and work on the court helped him stand out in 2025. Despite largely playing doubles with sophomore Jeremy Jin, Ganesan briefly ranked No. 68 in doubles alongside Nirundorn in early March.
He made a name for himself on the Gators’ leading court, skyrocketing to No. 41 in singles by the end of the season. He credits the team’s strengthened bond for giving him the confidence to improve.
“My freshman year, I was more quiet and reserved, and this year, I was able to kind of get out of my shell and just show more energy on the court and be louder and connect with the teammates,” Ganesan said.
Jefferson, a London native, played largely at the court five and six positions in singles and on court three alongside Jin in doubles in his first season at Florida. After posting a 4-4 singles record and providing semi-consistent play for Florida in 2023-24, he spent the majority of his sophomore season representing the Gators on courts three and four in singles and court one in doubles.
In his second season under Steinberg, the U.K. native didn’t miss a single match. He stepped into the role of serving bigger and playing the net closer and more aggressively.
“I have a plan A, B, C, D and a few other things… [Steinberg] really helped develop all parts of my game,” Jefferson said.
Playing on his own terms with a more relaxed, confident air, Jefferson posted 13 singles wins in 2025, including a dominant five-match win streak that ran from late February into early March.
At his peak this season, Jefferson reached a ranking of No. 90 in the nation in singles after defeating No. 33 Jonah Braswell of Texas March 2. He reached No. 12 in doubles alongside Nirundorn and clinched the match-winning point against Alabama in an intense three-set thriller Feb. 24 to lift Florida over the Crimson Tide 4-3.
The sophomore's clutch win provided him with a much-needed confidence boost and made the remainder of the season’s matches seem like a downhill battle.
“Winning that kind of showed me that, ‘Yeah, OK, you deserve to be here,” Jefferson said. “You’ve earned the level and the respect now.”
Despite the results of the season, a strong foundation is forming as Florida’s young squad continues to gain confidence and resilience under Steinberg. With a steady work ethic, the Florida men’s tennis team is geared to translate potential into tangible results in Steinberg’s third season as coach.
“Year two was definitely a step in the right direction,” Steinberg said. “I don’t think it was as big a step as we wanted, but definitely, we took the program forward.”
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.com. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is the men's tennis beat reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He enjoys spending his free time with pets, at the beach and fishing.
