Tennis runs in Brooke Black’s blood. With a generational legacy in the sport, the Gator is stepping into her own place in her family history.
Black’s parents first introduced her to the training formula of professional tennis. Her dad, Wayne Black, and mom, Irina Selyutina, are former Grand Slam champions who competed for the world’s No. 1 spot several times.
“They’ve been my coaches my whole life,” Brooke said. “Obviously, we have clashes, like parents do. But I trust them the most, with my technique, with everything.”
Trained in a household where winning was the standard, the London native grew up carrying a lot of pressure from herself.
“Sometimes it's a bit of pressure, because I always compare myself to them,” she said. “They’ve never put that pressure on me. ... I always do it to myself.”
But Brooke doesn't let the pressure affect her performance. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week after a strong showing early in the season. She carries six wins and only two losses in singles. On the doubles side, alongside partner Valery Gynina, the duo has delivered dominant wins over nearly every single opponent.
Just five months in, Brooke feels at home in Florida, saying it “just felt right.” But this wasn’t the path she originally imagined for herself.
“I didn't actually know I wanted to go to university until about August of last year,” she said. “My dad came in one day and he was like, ‘You're going to university.’ And I was like, ‘What?’”
Her father, Wayne, on the other hand, was confident in his daughter’s decision. The Zimbabwe native said the team at Florida helped seal the deal, and his confidence grew after a phone call with associate head coach Axel Damiens.
“Let’s not even bother going to look at other schools,” Wayne recalls saying. “You’re going to Florida.”
After much back and forth, Brooke agreed to visit The Swamp and discovered her father was right — Florida was the place for her.
The freshman instantly clicked with her teammates, whom she calls the best support group she could’ve asked for. Having them by her side also changed Brooke’s relationship with the sport itself.
Now, she said, she truly loves stepping on the court and playing for not just herself, but her whole team. Playing as part of a group marks a drastic change for Brooke. She recalls often feeling lonely growing up in an individual sport.
The support of one particular teammate has been especially meaningful: her doubles partner, Russia native Gynina. Brooke grew up speaking Russian, a result of her mom’s Kazakhstani heritage, so the pair signals to each other in the language between points. The shared language fosters a deeper connection on the court.
“I’ve improved so much just playing with her,” Brooke said. “I can never just go for it, and Vals is the complete opposite. When I’m feeling sketchy, she’s like, ‘Brooke, just go.’”
Their unique communication and chemistry have propelled them as a pair. With a 5-3 record together, Brooke and Gynina are the strongest doubles team of the Gator women’s team.
“I don’t think coming in, she would have said she was a doubles player,” said head coach Per Nilsson. After working closely to train Brooke for conference play, Nilsson said her potential is huge.
The freshman isn't new to success. She notched top-20 wins while playing in the junior stages at the Australian Open a year ago.
Brooke said she wasn’t expecting to even qualify for the tournament, so getting through to the second round was a massive achievement.
Her parents say the tournament marked a turning point in her career, while Brooke says this is her proudest moment yet. But she's hungry for more.
With conference play rolling out, the Gator carries momentum with a five-game winning streak in singles. Brooke admits she's still learning and becoming more disciplined with every match.
“Don’t compare yourself to others,” she said. “Everyone goes at their own pace.”
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a Sports Journalism freshman at UF and the university’s Women’s Tennis beat reporter. Her favorite sports are soccer and tennis, and she aspires to be a sports broadcaster in the future.
