FROM RESULTS TO PROCESS
5/1/2025 4:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Champions' TriBUne
‘Once you’re a Bear, you’re a Bear for life’
By: Marko MiladinovicChampions' TriBUne is a special feature through Baylor Athletics that gives you the student-athlete's perspective and the chance for them to share their own story. Marko Miladinovic, a senior from Belgrade, Serbia, has been a constant in Baylor's lineup since he was part of Baylor's Big 12 Tournament championship team as a first-semester freshman in 2022. Marko, graduating in Summer 2025 with a degree in corporate communications, has 77 career singles victories and is 13-5 in dual matches this spring. Miladinovic and the 18th-ranked Baylor men's tennis team (22-10) will face No. 40 Nebraska (15-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station:
Sitting down to write my Champions' TriBUne makes me sad, because it means that my time at Baylor is coming to a close. I still remember when Mati and Sven, the seniors when I was a freshman, were writing their TriBUnes. And I remember recognizing how much they loved Baylor through reading them. Writing mine now makes me reflect on and remember all the beautiful moments that occurred during my time at Baylor. Before diving deeper into my experience at Baylor, I have to go back to the beginning of my life and how it all started for me.
Before Baylor
I was born 25 years ago (yes, I am old for a senior, I know that) in Belgrade, which is a small town in Serbia (eastern part of Europe). I was raised by two wonderful parents that, from the day I was born, gave me all f their attention and support so that I could grow up as a person with good morals and strong character. My parents used to play tennis for fun when they were younger, and that is how I got my start. They would play for 50 minutes, then the last 10 minutes they would let me join them. This started when I was 4 years old, and I immediately fell in love with the sport. I also played soccer and basketball, as well as swimming competitively, but at the age of 10 I had to decide which sport I was going to focus on. I chose tennis and never looked back. My parents fully supported my decision, and that was so valuable for me.
Their support gave me a boost, and I began playing tournaments. From the very beginning of my career, I had a lot of success. I was consistently ranked No. 2 in the world in every age division of juniors. Throughout my journey, my parents did everything possible to help me achieve my professional tennis dreams, even building a club when I was 11 years old, so that I could have a place to train in perfect conditions. The unconditional support from my parents was a major driving force in my early success. Though I was very dedicated to my tennis, my parents knew how important it was for me to have balance in my life. So, I would go skiing each winter and go on vacations during the summer. By doing this, I was able to focus on tennis while also enjoying life with my parents and friends.
I have so many fond memories of my childhood, thanks in large part to the sacrifices my parents made for me. With success, came an incredible opportunity to play all the junior grand slams. Having my parents be able to enjoy watching me compete at each of the grand slams after their years of sacrifice is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Outside of tennis, i was always a well-behaved kid who stayed out of trouble. I have been an extrovert all my life, having a lot of friends from a young age. My parents consistently stressed that I be respectful of all people, religions and ethnicities. It was important to them that I remain on a path leading to strong morals, health and happiness.
As with any good story, there must be a plot twist, and my life story is no different. As I mentioned before, I finished my junior career ranked No. 2 in the world. It was time to transition into professional tennis. This adjustment is very challenging for many young players, as it was not uncommon to see good junior players fail to break through at the next level. Fortunately, my early transition was smooth, as I won my first professional title when I was 17 years old, and I got to an ATP ranking of No. 452 by the time I was 19 years old. Then, as we would say in Serbia, life happened to me.
I was so accustomed to success in tennis throughout my entire career, and then suddenly in 2021, following COVID, I struggled to win matches. For the first time in my tennis career, I wasn't climbing the rankings. It got into my head, making me wonder if all the sacrifices were worth it. I went from enjoying tennis every day to not wanting to be on the tennis court at all. I didn't realize it at the time, but there are clearly no accidents in life, and everything happens for a reason.
In professional tennis, players work harder than they did in the juniors, leading to far tougher competition. I loved to work hard on the tennis court, but I didn't have the work ethic needed for the level that I wanted to achieve professionally. I was also a very result-oriented individual, so I struggled to improve my practice habits because I was focused on the poor results. I was immature and wasn't taking feedback from anyone. Looking back, I actually had a relatively smooth transition from junior to professional tennis, but I wasn't able to achieve my full potential because of my mindset.
Before considering an American university as an option, my view of college tennis was that only tennis players who aren't high-level juniors choose this option. While I was losing first round every week during 2021, my perspective began to shift. I realized that there are very good tennis players attending college in the U.S. I remember thinking to myself that this will be a great option for me. I knew that I was struggling on the court, so if I was surrounded by teammates and have a different environment than what I had had for the past 15 years, maybe I would find my love for the game again.
In August 2021, following a first-round loss in the qualification of a Futures event, I called my dad and said, "I want to go to college. I am losing every week and not enjoying my time on the court. I need a different environment for my tennis and can get a college degree while searching for my love of the game again." My dad was completely supportive of my decision, so we began the process of contacting universities.
I vividly remember the first talk that I had with a recruiting service agent. I told him that I want a college that is not in a big city, has a team full of great competitors and has a university-wide feeling of family. He immediately said Baylor, and I remember thinking to myself that the name Baylor sounded special. It was 11 p.m., I was half-asleep, and I got a message on my phone. I was thinking that I should check it in the morning. But something was telling me that I should see who it is. It was the agency, and they told me that Baylor assistant coach Izak van der Merwe wanted to set up a call with me. I was so excited that I said I wanted to speak with him right at that moment. We had a 10-minute call, and right after that, I had a talk for 10 minutes with Baylor head coach Michael Woodson. After these two conversations, I made up my mind that I was going to Baylor. Michael and Izak were both incredibly nice, and I could immediately sense that they were good people, and that Baylor is all about family, building players to go pro after college and having the best college experience. A couple days later, I committed to Baylor, and my journey to Waco started in January 2022.
Baylor Time
Before enrolling at Baylor, I had never been away from my parents for more than three weeks at a time. So, moving to the United States and completely changing my lifestyle was something I struggled with in the beginning. Michael drove me from the airport to campus on my first day at Baylor, and I remember thinking how much I will miss my family. On the other side, I could feel extreme support from Michael right from the beginning, and I could sense that I was in good hands and would have an amazing experience at Baylor.
I walked into the Hurd Tennis Center for the first time on the following day, and I was stunned. I couldn't believe how incredible the whole facility was. Our locker room looked like it belonged in an NBA arena. I was taking videos everywhere I went. For me, it was love at first sight with our university. I never once imagined that college tennis could have this kind of setup, and that immediately gave me the boost to play well and give everything for the team during the season My first semester started well, and I was winning matches. Though the whole college environment was new to me, I was able to fit right in because of the incredible culture and support from everyone here at Baylor.
In tennis, just as in life, you encounter peaks and valleys. I lost a couple matches and was still struggling with my mentality, so I fell out of the starting lineup. Though it was hard for me, at the time, we had very good players who were working harder than me and having more success than I was. Looking back now, I have regrets about my first semester. But that was my journey, and I believe everything happens for a reason. I had to embrace a new role of being off-court and try to help the team win a national championship.
Winning the Big 12 Tournament in Fort Worth against TCU is my favorite memory from my time at Baylor. We were competing like one throughout the match, and that's when I realized that winning as a team is far more important than individual results. Even though I wasn't playing in the lineup at the time, my coaches were still supporting me throughout and making it clear that they believed in me. That is what Baylor is all about: unconditional support from the coaches and staff, no matter what your role is. I also want to thank my roommates and teammates from my first semester, Jacob Brumm, Matias Soto and Juampi (Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi). We had countless conversations about the college experience and how to be team-oriented in college. They taught me to love the team more than anything. I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for them.
My sophomore year started well in the fall, as I had a better mindset and was playing good tennis. As the spring season came, I started off strong. But as soon as the losses came, I began to struggle mentally. I had countless conversations with my coaches about changing my mindset and how I would become if I could just focus on the process of getting better. Unfortunately, I completed my second season with a losing record, and I am so grateful for Michael and Izak for deciding to stick with me after that year. I wasn't winning matches at the rate I was capable of, but they kept believing in my unconditionally and thought that I could change for the better. I have no words to describe what that meant to me. The rest of my development was up to me.
During my junior year, my mentality improved, but not to what it needed to be. I was still result-oriented. It was during this time that something changed. I wasn't playing in the lineup, and I remember right before a trip to Oklahoma during the Big 12 season, I said to myself that I can't keep being this way as it isn't helping me or the team. I decided to be the loudest guy off the court and begin working harder on the court. I needed to commit fully to focusing on the process of getting better each day. For the first time in my college career, I felt that I was giving everything I had to Baylor. For years, I felt like I was taking from everyone around me. So, it was time to turn my life around and give everything back, because my coaches and teammates deserved that from me. That season concluded with us being ranked around 40 in the country, again. And I knew that going into my senior year, I needed to give everything I had, alongside my teammates, to change our course.
In addition to the positive changes I made near the end of my junior year, Oskar Brostrom Poulsen and I decided to stay in Waco for the summer and push ourselves to the limit so that we could start our senior year ready to pursue championships. We worked very hard, and the coaches pushed us to get better each day. I didn't know if I would pursue professional tennis after college during my first three years. But during my last summer, I found my love for the game again. True love, passion and excitement for the game of tennis.
None of this would have been possible without Michael, Izak and assistant coach Grey Hamilton telling us that they believed in us and that next year would be ours. We practiced at a very high level and immediately reaped the fruits of our labor. It was amazing for me to see how focusing on the process of getting better led directly to the results I had always wanted. Alongside Oskar, we made it to the finals of the ITA All-Americans in doubles, and I had a good fall in singles. Finally, I was more process-oriented than result-oriented, and this was only possible because my coaches believed in me when I was at my lowest point.
That's what Baylor is all about: building student-athletes up, even when they are not performing well, and helping them focus on the growth that extends far beyond the court. Our season right now is definitely going in the right direction. We are all a family. The coaches named Oskar and I captains this year, and that is the greatest honor I could imagine as part of the Baylor program. We are pushing ourselves and our teammates to get better each day. We have had some good wins and some tough losses, but we were able to turn the ship around after two years. And I am more excited for what awaits us in the NCAA Tournament.
!["Even when I was at my lowest, [Michael Woodson] never stopped believing in me." - Marko Miladinovic](/images/2025/5/1/2024-25_BU_ATH_Champions_Tribune_-_Marko_Miladinovic_-_Quote_5.jpg)
Messages of gratitude
I want to extend my deepest thanks to Michael, our head coach. What an incredible leader and an even better person. He is the reason this program stands as the best in the nation. No one works harder than Coach Michael. He leads by example every single day – through his actions, character and unwavering commitment – and that pushes me to become better. He often says his goal is to help our student-athletes grow from young people into strong, capable men. His unconditional support helped me navigate some of the toughest moments during my time at Baylor. Even when I was at my lowest, he never stopped believing in me. And for that, I will always be grateful. He gave me the opportunity to be part of the best university in the country, and I can't fully express what that means to me. Coach Michael's influence extends far beyond tennis. He has helped shape who I am today. Thanks to him, I leave Baylor not just as a stronger tennis player, but as a better person.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Izak, our associate head coach. Over the years, we've built a strong bond – sharing countless conversations about tennis, golf and even the stock market. Through all of it, he's been more than just a coach to me, he's been a genuine source of support and care. Whenever I was struggling mentally, Izak was always there, sending thoughtful and deeply personal messages that reminded me how much he believed in me. On the court, he pushed me every single day because he saw potential in me, even when I didn't see it in myself. He refused to let that go to waste, and his drive helped me grow. It's hard to put into words just how much he has meant to me during my time at Baylor. He is a truly special person whose unwavering support and belief helped me rediscover my love for the game. For that, I'll always be thankful.
I want to thank Grey, Nick Ochran and George Goldhoff – the assistant coaches during my time at Baylor. Each one of them was there for me whenever I needed support, constantly helping me improve both on and off the court. Grey, our current assistant coach, showed me what it truly means to fight for this university. His unmatched passion during matches and relentless energy on the practice court inspired me every single day to push harder and grow stronger. I also want to thank Cole Durham, our fitness coach. His professionalism in every session was remarkable. He pushed me to be in the best shape possible. And his mantra – "No excuses!" – is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.
A special thank you to Jacqui Haddock, our director of tennis operations. She works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that we have everything we need every single day. She doesn't have to be available 24/7, but she is. And that says everything about her commitment to Baylor. I've lost count of the number of times she has helped me, from small issues to major challenges. This program would not be the same without Jacqui, and I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart. Jacqui, you are truly the heart of this program.
I want to thank Mack Rhoades, our Athletic Director, for cultivating a one-of-a-kind culture here at Baylor. His vision and dedication have made the student-athlete experience truly unforgettable, and I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of what he's built.
I also want to thank Kenny Boyd, our Associate AD and Sport Program Administrator, for his constant presence, unwavering support and deep commitment to our team's success. His involvement makes a tremendous impact on all of us, and we appreciate him more than words can express.
I want to thank my teammates – without you, I wouldn't have had the best college experience of my life. To my first-year team, and especially my first captains, Sven (Lah) and Matias [Soto], you welcomed me like a brother. From the very beginning, you made me feel at home. A special shoutout to Jacob Brumm, who treated me like his best friend, even though he barely knew me. What an incredible guy. To my second-year team, and my captains, Finn (Bass) and Juampi, thank you for your constant support and positivity. You were amazing teammates and friends.
To my third-year team, led by captains Chris (Frantz) and Teddy (Paroulek), you showed me what it means to be a true professional, both on and off the court. A special thank you to Chris, who taught me the meaning of being a Baylor Bear. He led by example and gave everything for this team and this program.
And to this year's team – what a special group. We love each other like brothers, and you made my final season as a college player absolutely unforgettable. I wouldn't be nearly as happy on or off the court without you. And for that, I love you all so much.
I also want to thank Sophie, my girlfriend. You've been nothing short of amazing – always supporting me, always believing in me. You constantly reminded me that I can achieve greatness in tennis and that I should follow my dreams. I'm so lucky to have had you by my side through this journey.
To Baylor – there are no words to fully describe what this university means to me. From the moment I first heard the name "Baylor," I knew it was something special. At the start of my time here, I expected to enjoy it, but I never imagined that four years later, I'd be sitting here overwhelmed by gratitude and emotion for what this place has given me. Thank you to all my academic advisors, professors and everyone at the BANC who made my Baylor experience so special. To the students and athletes – thank you for fostering a culture of respect, support and unity. It truly makes this university feel like home.
When I first arrived, I didn't know what life after college would look like. But Baylor's mission of "Preparing Champions for Life" couldn't be more accurate. I'm leaving here ready to pursue a professional tennis career, and that's only possible because of the incredible support and belief from my coaches, teammates and everyone who's been part of this journey.
More importantly, I'm leaving Baylor with deep gratitude for the life lessons I've learned and the person I've become. This place has become home. And even though I may be leaving, the culture here lives on – because once you become a Bear, you're a Bear for life.
Thank you, Baylor family. I'm incredibly sad to say goodbye, but I'll carry you with me forever as I chase my dreams.
Sic 'Em!
Players Mentioned
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