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Players Mentioned
Senior Spotlight: Stefan Milicevic
9/15/2019 12:04:00 PM | Men's Tennis
After holding a singles record of 20-11 and a doubles record of 11-9 in his third season with the Maroon & Gold, senior Stefan Milicevic could vault himself into the upper echelon of Gopher men's tennis players in his final season on the team. He sits just 23 wins away from cracking the 90 career singles win mark and 30 wins shy of being tenth on the Gophers' all-time career singles wins list. Despite all of the stats, Stefan's biggest goal for the coming year is to enjoy his final season with the Gophers, and to leave a lasting impression on the Gopher men's tennis program. Find out what Stefan has to say about this year, last year, and much more in another edition of senior spotlight!
What have you been up to over the summer?
Stefan Milicevic: I've been working in Palo Alto, California as a tennis coach and as a supply chain analyst, so I mean I've been staying around the tennis courts throughout the whole summer. Then I went back home to Belgrade for a few weeks, and now I'm back here.
What was your favorite moment/memory from the 2018-19 season?
SM: The season was pretty long, and we had some ups and downs, but I mean just genuinely spending time with the guys during practices and during season matches. I feel like I can't emphasize any specific moment from the season, but it was a great experience overall.
What are you most looking forward to for the coming season?
SM: We have a new team, a young team where a lot of seniors graduated and a lot of new guys came in, so I'm just excited to see how they'll adapt and how they'll fit in and compete. We have huge potential this year and we want to see how we can utilize it.
What do you look to accomplish heading into your fourth and final season with the Gophers?
SM: I just want to enjoy what could potentially be my last season of tennis. It may not be, but I still want to enjoy it and put everything I've got out there. I want to be the leader on the team since I'm a senior, I need to lead the new guys into this environment and help them fit in.
What do you plan to do once you graduate from the 'U' in the spring?
SM: I'm planning on pursuing my masters, either here in the United States or in England depending on the programs, we'll have to wait and see. I'd also like to stick around tennis. I'm probably not going to go pro, but I'd like to incorporate my field of study, supply chain, with tennis and just to stay in tennis in general. I mean, tennis defines me. I've been playing it for the past 19 years of my life.
What message do you have for the three freshmen joining the team this year about playing college tennis at the University of Minnesota
SM: Utilize everything you have here. You have the perfect environment to grow and to learn, especially with Geoff and Urban being the coaches. My final message would just be to ask for advice, look to improve everyday, and get the most out of it, because by the end of the fourth year you're going to regret that you don't have another four years to go.