There are a couple of rules to being a Florida fan.
It’s always right arm over left. You always sing We Are The Boys after the third quarter of a football game, hands and shoulders locked with your neighbors. And finally: you never, ever cheer for Georgia.
But for senior Tanapatt Nirundorn, that rule has always come with an asterisk. While he competes in orange and blue for the Florida men’s tennis team, his sister, Mai Nirundorn, played college tennis in red and black for the Georgia Bulldogs.
“It’s a little weird having a mom that supports both Florida and Georgia,” Nirundorn said. “She’s got a Georgia sticker and a Florida flag on her car.”
That family connection highlights how far this rivalry reaches. Though football headlines the Florida-Georgia feud each fall, the competition extends into every sport, in every season — and that includes the tennis courts.
The Southeastern Conference is now one of the top conferences in college men’s tennis, and Florida and Georgia have consistently been two of its premier programs, with a fierce rivalry to back it up.
That intensity comes from decades of history. Georgia established itself early as one of the premier programs in the nation, winning six NCAA Tournament championships across three decades, including back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.
Florida’s rise came later, but it happened fast. Under former coach Bryan Shelton, the Gators captured the program’s first national title in 2021. While Georgia still leads the all-time series 16-14, momentum has swung recently: Florida has taken seven of the last 10 matchups.
That competitive edge was on full display in their most recent meeting April 3. With the overall score tied 3-3, freshman Niels Villard — who lost the first set 6-0 — clawed his way back to win in three sets and clinch the match for Florida.
That balance of tradition and momentum has made Florida-Georgia one of the most anticipated matchups of the year for both players and fans alike.
“It’s extra special, because once you get to Florida, the rivalry is ingrained in you,” Nirundorn said.
The rivalry doesn’t end when players graduate. If anything, it expands to an even bigger stage, as both programs have gone on to produce professional talent.
Georgia’s John Isner rose from Athens to the pros, capturing a Masters 1000 title and reaching a career-high No. 8 in singles during his 16-year career. Meanwhile, Florida’s Ben Shelton — who helped deliver the Gators’ first NCAA title — now sits at No. 7 in the world, sharing the tour with former Bulldog Ethan Quinn, currently ranked No. 71.
The pipeline runs deeper, too: former Gator Jesse Levine reached No. 69 on tour, while Georgia’s Mikael Pernfors climbed as high as No. 10, winning the 1993 Canadian Open in Montreal.
For current Gators head coach Adam Steinberg, that lineage matters, and so does the rivalry that fuels it. Steinberg says high-level games against the Bulldogs will only further prepare players for the pressures and competition that await them at the professional level.
“That’s why you come to schools like ours,” he said. “To be part of a tradition, to play in a winning culture, and to compete against players who make you better every single day.”
As for Nirundorn, a win over Georgia means a little family bragging rights, and a whole lot more.
“My sister played for them, and I’m not going to hold that against her, but it’s still a rivalry,” he grinned. “I’m still working towards beating them.”
Contact Daniela Ortiz at dortiz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @danielaortizUF.
Daniela is a junior sports journalism student and the enterprise/hockey beat reporter for Fall 2025. When not writing an article, you can catch her drawing or playing with her roommates' cats.
