Freshman Niels Villard finds home in Florida men’s tennis

Nestled along the banks of the Marne River lies the commune of Meaux in Northern France. A quiet town rich in history and lined with ancient buildings and historic cathedrals, the town is known for its landscape, rich culture and cuisine (including the world-famous Brie de Meaux).

But for one boy growing up in this picturesque setting, a quiet magic seemed to pen the pad of destiny — one not found in the bakery or on the farm, but on the tennis courts. This young athlete, Niels Villard, would go on to become one of Meaux’s most promising talents, carving out his own path on the global stage.

At just 3 years old, Villard’s destiny was sealed the moment his father, Gildas Villard, a former professional tennis player, handed him a racket. It was as though the elder Villard had planted a seed of destiny in the fertile soil of Meaux, and his son’s rise in the tennis scene became as inevitable as the daily sunrise over the Marne.

Niels Villard’s introduction to tennis started with some innocent swings with his dad, but quickly turned into something much greater as the courts of Meaux began to echo the early signs of a prodigy. Villard discovered a passion for the game and set his sights on improving, not knowing he would one day represent UF and perhaps conquer the international stage.

Aspiring to join the professional ranks like his father, Niels took on the burden of professional tennis training at a young age and sprang into the ITF junior tour. The continuous high-level training and travel to compete in various matches taught Villard a valuable lesson about constantly putting the work in to stay on top of his game, allowing him to find success as he began to play events in the junior circuit.

By the age of 14, his training and national play came into full swing. Villard competed across France in J5 tournaments to gain experience on the hard courts of France, traveling to Les Ponts-de-Ce, Honfleur and Saint Gregoire in 2019.

Despite close calls and heartbreaks throughout 2021 and 2022, including near victories at the J5 tournaments in Colomiers and Honfleur, Villard finally broke through during a productive fortnight in October 2022.

As any athlete knows, playing two weeks in a row is nothing short of a daunting task.

Nevertheless, at just 17 years old, Villard captured his first two international singles titles by dominating J5 tournaments in Saint-Paul and Saint-Denis in a 14-day span. He also secured his doubles title in Saint-Denis the same week as the singles tournament, marking his third consecutive international title.

Villard continued to put in the work on the court. Only three months later, he found more success, this time in Spain. Grinding his way to a singles title in the J60 Manacor, Villlard continued to prove himself on the global stage and make a name for himself on the court.

That name, ‘Villard,’ began to gain traction in the tennis scene. Florida associate coach and French native Anthony Rossi took notice of the young star, quickly informing head men’s tennis coach Adam Steinberg about him. Rossi used his connections in France to ultimately get the ball rolling in the freshman’s recruitment process.

“[Rossi] was really following Niels’ career back in France, and, obviously, we became very interested through his results,” Steinberg noted. “I actually went to France… It was amazing. It was a great, great trip, and [I] got to meet with Niels and watch him play. That solidified our decision to really make him an offer and bring him here to Gainesville.”

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Villard simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play for Florida, quickly scheduling an official visit in which he took a liking to the players, coaches and even the structure of the program. The Meaux native explained the professionalism of the team and the high-level practices make Florida a great place to play, always challenging him to step up his game.

Despite having to adapt to the team-oriented environment of Gators tennis, Villard has continuously put in the work to improve on the courts of Gainesville. Recently focused on adding an enhanced level of consistency and regularity to his game, the freshman is working to have “more discipline on every point” in an effort to play a further balanced game that bodes well in long matches of back-and-forth collegiate battles.

In his short time at Florida, Villard has already learned how enthusiasm and supporting his fellow Gators are some of the most important aspects of collegiate tennis. Since his arrival in Gainesville to start the Spring semester, Villard has been an unwavering beacon of energy for the Gators and is consistently the loudest player on the court. His chants of “Go Gators” ring throughout the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex like a battle cry.

“I see in the [world of] college tennis, it’s not just the tennis – it’s the energy of the team, everything,” Villard said.

Even coach Steinberg took note of Villard’s willingness to learn and adequate adaptation to the energy-filled structure of collegiate tennis since his arrival in January.

“He’s really bought into the team culture, the spirit and the pride of Florida a lot quicker than I ever thought he would,” Steinberg said. “Regarding the team’s energy, he’s one of the best we have. He’s got a great spirit about him and he brings it every day.”

However, there’s still work to be done, as the freshman looks to dominate the collegiate stage and progress to the professional circuit. The UF coaching staff has worked tirelessly to progress Villard’s training and get the Frenchman accustomed to playing collegiate tennis this spring.

“We’ve really been working on playing with more angles, especially with his backhand, and opening the court more,” Steinberg said. “We’re just trying to get him to be more aggressive coming forward, and he’s enjoying that progression.”

Villard has impressed so far this season, having posted six wins in singles while recording only two losses. He also recently impressed with a comeback win in three sets against Georgia, lifting the Gators over the Bulldogs 4-3 in a thrilling upset. With his sights currently set on giving his all for the Gators, the freshman is the whole package — a team player and a relentless, commanding presence on the court.

In fact, “energy” is the one word first-year Florida tennis player Ben Weintraub used to describe Villard.

Like Villard, Weintraub is in his first Spring season with the Gators, and has gotten to talk, travel and practice with the French native during his transition to UF. Weintraub acknowledged Villard was quick to find a voice on the team and is very committed, possessing a determination that isn’t always exhibited by those adapting to collegiate tennis.

Along with his tennis, Weintraub noted Villard’s English has improved a great deal since his arrival in Gainesville.

“It was a little bit hard to communicate even. Of course, he’s getting better from day to day, and we’re even laughing about it now,” Weintraub said. “He gets us going in practice. He pushes us, which is very uncommon for a guy just coming in.”

Although it's still early in his tennis journey, Villard is determined to thrive as a professional and has his sights set on making a mark on the international pro circuit. He revealed his goals to play in every professional tournament on the international circuit and eventually solidify himself as a top-100 tennis player on the professional tour.

Villard also hopes to play in all four of the international circuit’s major Grand Slam tournaments, with Roland-Garros (the French Open) being especially meaningful, because it takes place in his home country.

For now, Villard realized collegiate tennis is an ideal path to his goal and the biggest step so far in his professional journey. Coming to compete in America has helped him continue to improve and gain valuable experience with a different culture of tennis and newfound mentality.

“It’s a great experience,” Villard said. “It’s great for the tennis I like so much. It’s like, the structure is so good, the coach is so good, the level is so good. For me, it’s the best way.”

Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.com and follow him on X at @CuranAhern

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