With a strong four years of collegiate play under her belt, Sarah Hamner had intentions of going professional straight out of college.
But that dream was cut short when she tore her Achilles this April. Hamner was forced to undergo surgery and reconsider her future in tennis.
“The recovery is like a year, and I had no idea what I was gonna do with my life,” Hamner said. “Everything was like 180.”
In late August, she was hired as the assistant coach for the Florida women’s tennis team.
Hamner always had strong ties to Florida.
She moved to the Sunshine State from Colorado at 13 to pursue her tennis career, and after training in Boca Raton and Orlando for a few years, Hamner committed to the University of South Carolina.
There, she competed at the No. 1 and 2 singles spots for the Gamecocks from 2021-25.
Hamner built a competitive reputation for herself while a Gamecock, becoming a four-time All-American and six-time NCAA tournament qualifier with countless academic accolades.
She also became the first Gamecock to rank No. 1 in the nation in singles during her freshman year.
By the end of her collegiate career, she had tallied 106 career singles wins and 72 doubles titles with a 25-14 conference record.
But that’s when injury struck. The aforementioned Achilles tear compelled Hamner to slow down and reassess her situation, putting her professional aspirations on hold.
Out of the blue, associate head coach Axel Damiens proposed she become the assistant coach for Florida’s women's tennis team. Damiens and Hamner have a shared history as Gamecocks, where he served as the associate head coach for the 2024-25 season.
Knowing she would be in good hands, Hamner accepted the offer and grew excited to work alongside Damiens and head coach Per Nilsson.
“My goal is to learn a lot from Per and then take it with me,” Hamner said. “If I do continue down the coaching route, I think I can learn a lot from him.”
Bringing her competitive nature with her to the Gators, she hopes to help them achieve their goals and find success as a team later in the season.
As the team transitions into Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Americans this weekend, Hamner is excited to be another friendly face on court to help the girls grow their confidence and be authentic to themselves.
“I’m just gonna be malleable,” Hamner said. “I want to be what they need.”
Contact Alisa Gershman at agershman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @angershman.
Alisa Gershman is a freshman biotechnology major working as the women's tennis reporter this semester. In her spare time she enjoys playing tennis, baking, and hanging out with friends. Go Birds!
