University of Georgia Athletics
Jansen Off To Good Start In Spring
February 20, 2026 | Men's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
As a young boy growing up in London, Will Jansen used to see his dad and his older brother head off to play tennis together. He wanted in on the fun they were having.
"They used to play all the time, and I'd get really jealous. I was too young to start playing at that time, and I'd throw tantrums back home every time they left to go play tennis," said the Georgia men's tennis senior, who is No. 30 in the latest ITA singles rankings.
Eventually, when he was around 5 years old, Jansen started playing, and he's been all-in on the sport ever since. He said he initially began playing on grass courts at a local club, before eventually playing more often on outdoor and indoor hardcourts.
"It always rains in London, so I played indoors a lot," he said. "I've just kept playing and enjoying the game."
After a great junior career in England that included playing in the qualifying for the 2021 Wimbledon men's tournament and in the 2022 Wimbledon Junior event, Jansen came to the United States to play collegiately. Jansen spent two years playing at North Carolina and last season at Ohio State before joining the Bulldogs in August.
Jansen was a doubles All-American with the Buckeyes last season, and he earned All-American honors in singles in the fall by reaching the round of 16 of the NCAA singles tournament in November. The latter result was a great achievement on its own — he beat the No. 4 seed, Aidan Kim of Ohio State, in the second round — but it's even more impressive given that Jansen missed a lot of the fall with an abdominal injury.
"I tore my ab, so I wasn't really on the court too much for eight weeks; I couldn't serve. I had a tough start to the fall but a good ending, obviously," he said. "Now, I feel like some parts of my game have definitely improved since I got here — my returns, my serves have gotten better, and overall, physically and mentally, I've improved."
Georgia is off to a 5-1 start heading into SEC play Saturday against No. 5 LSU at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Bulldogs knocked off then-No. 20 Duke, 4-0, in their home opener on Jan. 26, and their only loss of the season came in the ITA Kickoff at then-No. 5 TCU, which is No. 7 in the latest ITA rankings.
After going 7-4 in tournament play in the fall, Jansen is 4-1 in singles in dual-match play, going 3-1 at the No. 2 spot and 1-0 at No. 3. He's also done well in doubles with a variety of Bulldog teammates, going 6-3 between tournament play and dual matches. He's 3-1 with Gabriele Vulpitta in doubles in dual-match play, going 2-1 at the No. 1 spot and 1-0 at No. 2.
"I like sharing the court with someone," he said of playing doubles. "I think it's just different. Tennis, even though you're in college tennis, is still so individualized; you're alone on your court in singles. Having that doubles aspect, it's pretty cool."
Asked what he wants to improve on moving forward, Jansen said that "everything's got to improve." He wants to be more aggressive on big points, "taking my chances and knowing exactly what I'm doing when it comes to those deuce points and stuff like that," he said.
"In college, a lot of matches are defined by one or two points here and there," he added. "I'm trying to stay positive with my shots and be aggressive coming forward (to the net). I think that's when I'm kind of dangerous."
After hosting LSU on Saturday at 1 p.m., the Bulldogs host No. 15 Florida at 1 p.m. Monday.
Staff Writer
As a young boy growing up in London, Will Jansen used to see his dad and his older brother head off to play tennis together. He wanted in on the fun they were having.
"They used to play all the time, and I'd get really jealous. I was too young to start playing at that time, and I'd throw tantrums back home every time they left to go play tennis," said the Georgia men's tennis senior, who is No. 30 in the latest ITA singles rankings.
Eventually, when he was around 5 years old, Jansen started playing, and he's been all-in on the sport ever since. He said he initially began playing on grass courts at a local club, before eventually playing more often on outdoor and indoor hardcourts.
"It always rains in London, so I played indoors a lot," he said. "I've just kept playing and enjoying the game."
After a great junior career in England that included playing in the qualifying for the 2021 Wimbledon men's tournament and in the 2022 Wimbledon Junior event, Jansen came to the United States to play collegiately. Jansen spent two years playing at North Carolina and last season at Ohio State before joining the Bulldogs in August.
Jansen was a doubles All-American with the Buckeyes last season, and he earned All-American honors in singles in the fall by reaching the round of 16 of the NCAA singles tournament in November. The latter result was a great achievement on its own — he beat the No. 4 seed, Aidan Kim of Ohio State, in the second round — but it's even more impressive given that Jansen missed a lot of the fall with an abdominal injury.
"I tore my ab, so I wasn't really on the court too much for eight weeks; I couldn't serve. I had a tough start to the fall but a good ending, obviously," he said. "Now, I feel like some parts of my game have definitely improved since I got here — my returns, my serves have gotten better, and overall, physically and mentally, I've improved."
Georgia is off to a 5-1 start heading into SEC play Saturday against No. 5 LSU at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Bulldogs knocked off then-No. 20 Duke, 4-0, in their home opener on Jan. 26, and their only loss of the season came in the ITA Kickoff at then-No. 5 TCU, which is No. 7 in the latest ITA rankings.
After going 7-4 in tournament play in the fall, Jansen is 4-1 in singles in dual-match play, going 3-1 at the No. 2 spot and 1-0 at No. 3. He's also done well in doubles with a variety of Bulldog teammates, going 6-3 between tournament play and dual matches. He's 3-1 with Gabriele Vulpitta in doubles in dual-match play, going 2-1 at the No. 1 spot and 1-0 at No. 2.
"I like sharing the court with someone," he said of playing doubles. "I think it's just different. Tennis, even though you're in college tennis, is still so individualized; you're alone on your court in singles. Having that doubles aspect, it's pretty cool."
Asked what he wants to improve on moving forward, Jansen said that "everything's got to improve." He wants to be more aggressive on big points, "taking my chances and knowing exactly what I'm doing when it comes to those deuce points and stuff like that," he said.
"In college, a lot of matches are defined by one or two points here and there," he added. "I'm trying to stay positive with my shots and be aggressive coming forward (to the net). I think that's when I'm kind of dangerous."
After hosting LSU on Saturday at 1 p.m., the Bulldogs host No. 15 Florida at 1 p.m. Monday.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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