Photo by: Gregg Ellman
TCU Men's Tennis Signs Three to 2023-24 Roster
11/16/2022 11:04:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Duncan Chan, Julian Alonso and Kaj Quirijns are set to join the program in 2023
FORT WORTH – The latest additions to an ever-evolving list of TCU men's tennis standouts are official, as head coach David Roditi announced the signings of three players to the program's 2023-24 roster on Wednesday.
The Horned Frogs landed Duncan Chan, Julian Alonso and Kaj Quirijns during the early signing period. Chan is a native of Markham, Ontario. Alonso hails from Barcelona, Spain. Quirijns' hometown is Unteraegeri, Switzerland. Both Alonso and Quirijns possess Citizenship of the United States.
"These three players, two of whom are US citizens, have the mindset that fits our culture perfectly," Roditi said. "They are hardworking, all-around student-athletes who love tennis and want to do whatever it takes to play at the highest professional level. We are excited and proud to welcome them to our program."
Duncan Chan
Chan has already scratched the surface of the grandest stage in professional tennis.
He competed in the qualifying draw of the US Open in August. The Grand Slam appearance was the apex of a stellar 2022 season. Chan also advanced to the round of 16 in the J1 Salinas and J1 Repentigny and appeared in the third round of the qualifying draw of the JA Milan.
"We welcome Duncan into our Horned Frog family," Roditi said. "Duncan brings a different set of skills to our program. He's a net player who is always looking to come forward. He's already winning high-level doubles titles and his athletic skills will help him be a big part of the future of our program."
He is currently slotted No. 145 in the ITF Juniors Rankings and boasts a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) of 12.19. Chan's proficiency in doubles has enabled him to move to No. 1,067 in the ATP doubles rankings.
Chan is on the short list of the top amateur tennis talents in Canada. He is ranked second in the U18 Canadian doubles rankings. Chan has won both the J3 Calgary Singles and Doubles Championships. He also claimed the crown in the 2021 J5 Victoria Singles Championships along with earlier triumphs in the J1 College Park Doubles Championships and the M25 Saint-Augustin Doubles Championships.
Notable victories of Chan's include a defeat of Arthur Gea, who boasts the No. 40 ITF Juniors ranking, at the J1 Repentigny and wins over William Jucha (12.87 UTR) and Joan Torres Espinosa (12.77 UTR).
Chan competed extensively in baseball and also played volleyball before making the full-time transition to tennis at age-13.
Julian Alonso
Alonso's first name and surname surely will ring a bell for folks familiar with the professional tennis landscape.
He is the son of former ATP star Julian Alonso, who cracked the top-30 of the ATP singles rankings and ascended as high as No. 53 in the ATP doubles tables throughout an eight-year professional run. The younger Alonso has been trained by his father since he was five years old.
"We are excited to welcome Julian to our TCU family," Roditi said. "Julian is an athletic, hard-striking baseliner. We know he will continue to develop and be an asset to our lineup."
Alonso owns the No. 363 ITF Juniors Ranking and holds a UTR of 11.71.
He has twice competed in the main draw of the Santa Margarita di Pula Main Draw. Alonso's list of individual championships is highlighted by a singles and doubles sweep at J4 Managua, a doubles title at J4 Cairo and a Battle of Boca Championship.
Alonso holds victories over Armando Sotelo and Matthew Foster-Estwick, who are No. 119 and No. 249, respectively, in the ITF Juniors Rankings.
Alonso's credentials earned him a spot with Reial Club Tenis Barcelona – the premier club tennis program in Spain – which has produced a litany of professional players, including 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and reigning US Open Champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He intends to major in mechanical engineering at TCU.
Kai Quirijns
Quirijns, who trains out of Slovenia, brings J4 Latvia and Santo Domingo victories with him to TCU alongside experience in the Australian Open Junior Championships and qualifying draw of the JA Merida.
His ITF Juniors Ranking stands at No. 370 while his UTR is 11.54
"We are excited to welcome Kaj to our Horned Frog family," Roditi said. "Kaj is a fast, left-handed all-court player with many skills. He will also be a great addition to our program academically. His international tour experience will help him transition into collegiate tennis."
Quirijns upended Edas Butvilas, who is currently ranked in the ITF Juniors top-10, in 2020. That same year. Quirijns notched victories over the top-two players in his age group – Mika Brunold and Raffaeli Mariani – in a private tournament held at the Swiss Tennis National Center.
He speaks four languages and intends to major in business information systems at TCU.
The Horned Frogs landed Duncan Chan, Julian Alonso and Kaj Quirijns during the early signing period. Chan is a native of Markham, Ontario. Alonso hails from Barcelona, Spain. Quirijns' hometown is Unteraegeri, Switzerland. Both Alonso and Quirijns possess Citizenship of the United States.
"These three players, two of whom are US citizens, have the mindset that fits our culture perfectly," Roditi said. "They are hardworking, all-around student-athletes who love tennis and want to do whatever it takes to play at the highest professional level. We are excited and proud to welcome them to our program."
Duncan Chan
Chan has already scratched the surface of the grandest stage in professional tennis.
He competed in the qualifying draw of the US Open in August. The Grand Slam appearance was the apex of a stellar 2022 season. Chan also advanced to the round of 16 in the J1 Salinas and J1 Repentigny and appeared in the third round of the qualifying draw of the JA Milan.
"We welcome Duncan into our Horned Frog family," Roditi said. "Duncan brings a different set of skills to our program. He's a net player who is always looking to come forward. He's already winning high-level doubles titles and his athletic skills will help him be a big part of the future of our program."
He is currently slotted No. 145 in the ITF Juniors Rankings and boasts a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) of 12.19. Chan's proficiency in doubles has enabled him to move to No. 1,067 in the ATP doubles rankings.
This dude is gonna be a ⭐️ on the purple courts
— TCU Men's Tennis (@TCUMensTennis) November 16, 2022
🇨🇦 Markham, Ontario
🎾 2022 US Open Qualifying Draw / No. 145 ITF Junior Ranking / 12.19 UTR
📝 Owns the No. 2 overall U18 doubles ranking
Welcome to TCU, Duncan #GoFrogs x #ShipIt pic.twitter.com/midfc1FTXJ
Chan is on the short list of the top amateur tennis talents in Canada. He is ranked second in the U18 Canadian doubles rankings. Chan has won both the J3 Calgary Singles and Doubles Championships. He also claimed the crown in the 2021 J5 Victoria Singles Championships along with earlier triumphs in the J1 College Park Doubles Championships and the M25 Saint-Augustin Doubles Championships.
Notable victories of Chan's include a defeat of Arthur Gea, who boasts the No. 40 ITF Juniors ranking, at the J1 Repentigny and wins over William Jucha (12.87 UTR) and Joan Torres Espinosa (12.77 UTR).
Chan competed extensively in baseball and also played volleyball before making the full-time transition to tennis at age-13.
Julian Alonso
Alonso's first name and surname surely will ring a bell for folks familiar with the professional tennis landscape.
He is the son of former ATP star Julian Alonso, who cracked the top-30 of the ATP singles rankings and ascended as high as No. 53 in the ATP doubles tables throughout an eight-year professional run. The younger Alonso has been trained by his father since he was five years old.
"We are excited to welcome Julian to our TCU family," Roditi said. "Julian is an athletic, hard-striking baseliner. We know he will continue to develop and be an asset to our lineup."
Alonso owns the No. 363 ITF Juniors Ranking and holds a UTR of 11.71.
The next great Alonso is headed to Fort Worth 🔜
— TCU Men's Tennis (@TCUMensTennis) November 16, 2022
🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain
🎾 Is the son of former ATP star Julian Alonso / No. 363 ITF Junior Ranking / 11.71 UTR
📝 Competes for Reial Club Tenis Barcelona
Welcome to TCU, Julian 🐸#GoFrogs x #ShipIt pic.twitter.com/19BSkXAxFE
He has twice competed in the main draw of the Santa Margarita di Pula Main Draw. Alonso's list of individual championships is highlighted by a singles and doubles sweep at J4 Managua, a doubles title at J4 Cairo and a Battle of Boca Championship.
Alonso holds victories over Armando Sotelo and Matthew Foster-Estwick, who are No. 119 and No. 249, respectively, in the ITF Juniors Rankings.
Alonso's credentials earned him a spot with Reial Club Tenis Barcelona – the premier club tennis program in Spain – which has produced a litany of professional players, including 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and reigning US Open Champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He intends to major in mechanical engineering at TCU.
Kai Quirijns
Quirijns, who trains out of Slovenia, brings J4 Latvia and Santo Domingo victories with him to TCU alongside experience in the Australian Open Junior Championships and qualifying draw of the JA Merida.
Got us a good one off the international tour to kick off our 2023 recruiting class 👏
— TCU Men's Tennis (@TCUMensTennis) November 16, 2022
🇨🇭 Unterägeri, Switzerland
🎾 Latvia and Santo Domingo J4 Winner / No. 370 ITF Junior Ranking / 11.54 UTR
📝 Speaks four languages
Welcome to TCU, Kaj 🐸#GoFrogs x #ShipIt pic.twitter.com/7dOohytbQZ
His ITF Juniors Ranking stands at No. 370 while his UTR is 11.54
"We are excited to welcome Kaj to our Horned Frog family," Roditi said. "Kaj is a fast, left-handed all-court player with many skills. He will also be a great addition to our program academically. His international tour experience will help him transition into collegiate tennis."
Quirijns upended Edas Butvilas, who is currently ranked in the ITF Juniors top-10, in 2020. That same year. Quirijns notched victories over the top-two players in his age group – Mika Brunold and Raffaeli Mariani – in a private tournament held at the Swiss Tennis National Center.
He speaks four languages and intends to major in business information systems at TCU.
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