University of Georgia Athletics
Azkara Ready For Big Finish To Career
April 15, 2026 | Men's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Arda Azkara grew up around tennis back in Türkiye. His father worked at a tennis club, his uncle played professionally, and Azkara regularly spent time on the courts doing the things little kids do.
"I was there when I was two or three years old, on the court, just picking up balls and hitting the ball around," the Georgia graduate student said, smiling at the memory. "I would say that I didn't have a choice of sports."
One of the top junior players in Türkiye, Azkara said he began to think about playing collegiately in the United States when he was about 16. He knew that it would offer him the chance to develop his game against high-quality competition, develop physically in a strength and conditioning program, and he could get an education while doing so.
Azkara began his collegiate career at New Mexico, a place he'd never visited before he arrived with all of his bags and tennis gear. He'd been to Florida once, but that was the extent of his experience in the U.S. before moving to Albuquerque. There was a bit of culture shock at the beginning.
"It was very strange at first, but then I got used to things and started meeting different people," he said.
Azkara played No. 1 singles and doubles for most of his time with the Lobos. He went 14-10 in singles his freshman year, and then was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior. He said his game didn't change that much from his first year to his second and third, he just got a lot more comfortable.
"It's all different when you're a freshman, so as I got used to the lifestyle and everything, I improved. I was a better player, for sure," he said. "I did get a lot stronger physically. I was working out a lot and doing extra stuff there in the summers, when we had time off. I was always either working out, practicing or playing tournaments. I gained a lot of experience playing matches against different players in the States."
After graduating from New Mexico, Azkara transferred to Georgia in January 2025. He didn't suit up for the Bulldogs right away because of a knee injury, forcing him to redshirt last season.
"He needed a lot of work (after the surgery)," Georgia head coach Jamie Hunt said. "He needed to get back to getting stronger and faster, and credit to Sean Hayes, our strength and conditioning coach, who did a phenomenal job building him back up and giving him confidence in the knee and his movement.
"It took a lot of time on the court to get Arda all the way back, and he worked really hard at it. He was up for the challenge and wanted to work hard. He's continued to make tremendous progress, and he's playing No. 1 singles and doubles in the toughest conference in the country."
Azkara has played No. 1 singles for No. 12-ranked Georgia in every dual match, and he has played No. 1 doubles in all but one. Azkara is Georgia's highest-ranked singles player at No. 40, two spots ahead of Will Jansen, who plays at the No. 2 spot. Azkara and partner Santiago Giamichelle are the No. 12-ranked doubles team in the country.
Hunt said Azkara brings a lot more to the team than just a really good player at the top of the lineup.
"He's brought a certain level of leadership that we needed. He's willing to call out somebody, and he's not afraid to hurt somebody's feelings if it's what's best for the team," Hunt said. "He recognizes what needs to be said, and he'll say it, because he wants what's best for the team. I've really appreciated his leadership and being willing to step up like he has. ...
"I truly believe that the best teams are player-led teams. The coach kind of sets the course and sets the vision, and then it's the leadership that keeps the ship moving in that direction. He and our other captains have just done a tremendous job."
In singles during the fall and spring, Azkara has a record of 10-7, but he's also been an unfortunate casualty of timing. Dual matches are usually stopped once the team outcome is decided, and six of his last eight matches have been abandoned before completion.
All of Azkara's work in the weight room shows in how he plays. He's an athletic, aggressive player who is quick to come forward and attack a short ball.
"I just like playing my game. I don't mind how my opponents are playing; I just play my game. I like being aggressive, and I like shorter points and getting into the net," he said. "It's fun."
Back in September, Azkara got to experience one of the highlights of his tennis career, playing for Türkiye in a Davis Cup match against Serbia. He not only played, he earned Türkiye's only win in a 3-1 defeat, beating Branko Djuric in a third-set tiebreaker.
"That was unbelievable. It's a totally different feeling from anything I've ever done," he said. "I was feeling very proud."
The Bulldogs are in College Station, Texas, for the SEC tournament, and they will face the winner of Wednesday's match between Arkansas and Kentucky in the second round on Thursday. After that comes the NCAA tournament. Once his final collegiate season is done, Azkara is going to turn pro, starting with some tournaments in Türkiye.
"I have been playing for a long time, so I want to give it a shot for a couple of years," he said.
Of the 11 teams currently ranked ahead of Georgia, five of them are from the SEC, including No. 1 Texas. The Bulldogs have wins over No. 5 LSU, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 18 Auburn, No. 19 Florida, No. 22 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Ole Miss. Of the team's seven losses, one has come to the top-ranked Longhorns, two to No. 3 TCU, and one each to No. 6 Mississippi State and No. 8 Oklahoma.
Hunt said his team has grown a lot during the season, and he still feels like Georgia hasn't come close to reaching its ceiling.
"The goal each year is, let's try to reach our potential, and I feel like with this team, we haven't reached that yet," he said. "I really do believe that our best tennis is still ahead of us. I've been so proud of this team for how hard they've worked and for all that they've accomplished. We're in a really great spot right now, and the love that we've seen these guys pour into each other has been really fun to see."
Staff Writer
Arda Azkara grew up around tennis back in Türkiye. His father worked at a tennis club, his uncle played professionally, and Azkara regularly spent time on the courts doing the things little kids do.
"I was there when I was two or three years old, on the court, just picking up balls and hitting the ball around," the Georgia graduate student said, smiling at the memory. "I would say that I didn't have a choice of sports."
One of the top junior players in Türkiye, Azkara said he began to think about playing collegiately in the United States when he was about 16. He knew that it would offer him the chance to develop his game against high-quality competition, develop physically in a strength and conditioning program, and he could get an education while doing so.
Azkara began his collegiate career at New Mexico, a place he'd never visited before he arrived with all of his bags and tennis gear. He'd been to Florida once, but that was the extent of his experience in the U.S. before moving to Albuquerque. There was a bit of culture shock at the beginning.
"It was very strange at first, but then I got used to things and started meeting different people," he said.
Azkara played No. 1 singles and doubles for most of his time with the Lobos. He went 14-10 in singles his freshman year, and then was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior. He said his game didn't change that much from his first year to his second and third, he just got a lot more comfortable.
"It's all different when you're a freshman, so as I got used to the lifestyle and everything, I improved. I was a better player, for sure," he said. "I did get a lot stronger physically. I was working out a lot and doing extra stuff there in the summers, when we had time off. I was always either working out, practicing or playing tournaments. I gained a lot of experience playing matches against different players in the States."
After graduating from New Mexico, Azkara transferred to Georgia in January 2025. He didn't suit up for the Bulldogs right away because of a knee injury, forcing him to redshirt last season.
"He needed a lot of work (after the surgery)," Georgia head coach Jamie Hunt said. "He needed to get back to getting stronger and faster, and credit to Sean Hayes, our strength and conditioning coach, who did a phenomenal job building him back up and giving him confidence in the knee and his movement.
"It took a lot of time on the court to get Arda all the way back, and he worked really hard at it. He was up for the challenge and wanted to work hard. He's continued to make tremendous progress, and he's playing No. 1 singles and doubles in the toughest conference in the country."
Azkara has played No. 1 singles for No. 12-ranked Georgia in every dual match, and he has played No. 1 doubles in all but one. Azkara is Georgia's highest-ranked singles player at No. 40, two spots ahead of Will Jansen, who plays at the No. 2 spot. Azkara and partner Santiago Giamichelle are the No. 12-ranked doubles team in the country.
Hunt said Azkara brings a lot more to the team than just a really good player at the top of the lineup.
"He's brought a certain level of leadership that we needed. He's willing to call out somebody, and he's not afraid to hurt somebody's feelings if it's what's best for the team," Hunt said. "He recognizes what needs to be said, and he'll say it, because he wants what's best for the team. I've really appreciated his leadership and being willing to step up like he has. ...
"I truly believe that the best teams are player-led teams. The coach kind of sets the course and sets the vision, and then it's the leadership that keeps the ship moving in that direction. He and our other captains have just done a tremendous job."
In singles during the fall and spring, Azkara has a record of 10-7, but he's also been an unfortunate casualty of timing. Dual matches are usually stopped once the team outcome is decided, and six of his last eight matches have been abandoned before completion.
All of Azkara's work in the weight room shows in how he plays. He's an athletic, aggressive player who is quick to come forward and attack a short ball.
"I just like playing my game. I don't mind how my opponents are playing; I just play my game. I like being aggressive, and I like shorter points and getting into the net," he said. "It's fun."
Back in September, Azkara got to experience one of the highlights of his tennis career, playing for Türkiye in a Davis Cup match against Serbia. He not only played, he earned Türkiye's only win in a 3-1 defeat, beating Branko Djuric in a third-set tiebreaker.
"That was unbelievable. It's a totally different feeling from anything I've ever done," he said. "I was feeling very proud."
The Bulldogs are in College Station, Texas, for the SEC tournament, and they will face the winner of Wednesday's match between Arkansas and Kentucky in the second round on Thursday. After that comes the NCAA tournament. Once his final collegiate season is done, Azkara is going to turn pro, starting with some tournaments in Türkiye.
"I have been playing for a long time, so I want to give it a shot for a couple of years," he said.
Of the 11 teams currently ranked ahead of Georgia, five of them are from the SEC, including No. 1 Texas. The Bulldogs have wins over No. 5 LSU, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 18 Auburn, No. 19 Florida, No. 22 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Ole Miss. Of the team's seven losses, one has come to the top-ranked Longhorns, two to No. 3 TCU, and one each to No. 6 Mississippi State and No. 8 Oklahoma.
Hunt said his team has grown a lot during the season, and he still feels like Georgia hasn't come close to reaching its ceiling.
"The goal each year is, let's try to reach our potential, and I feel like with this team, we haven't reached that yet," he said. "I really do believe that our best tennis is still ahead of us. I've been so proud of this team for how hard they've worked and for all that they've accomplished. We're in a really great spot right now, and the love that we've seen these guys pour into each other has been really fun to see."
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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