GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In an era when loyalty and commitment often seem up for grabs 24/7 to the highest bidder in college athletics, it’s easy to be jaded. So many athletes and coaches say goodbye before ever saying hello.
And then on a beautiful spring Saturday morning, UF men’s tennis player Tanapatt Nirundorn walks over holding his racket and a huge smile gripping his face. It’s Senior Day, and athletes like Nirundorn are on the endangered species list.
He signed with the Gators in 2022 as a highly accomplished junior player out of Thailand, reaching as high as No. 46 in the world in the ITF Junior Rankings his final year before college. At the end of his first season, former coach Bryan Shelton departed after a successful run, and Adam Steinberg took over the program.
Soon, on any given day at the Ring Tennis Complex, a familiar face disappeared, and someone Nirundorn had never met took their place.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Nirundorn said.
As Steinberg began reshaping the program in his vision and endured some lean seasons, Nirundorn opted not to pack his bags. He hung around when others assumed he would leave for a fresh start, as so many do during a coaching change. He is the only remaining member of the program he joined.
Jean Kansuthi, Nirundorn’s mom, understood her only son’s dilemma. She came to America to play at Eastern Michigan, where she was a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. Kansuthi also played professionally and relates to both the individual grind and the team camaraderie of the college game.
“It was hard for him,” she said. “Everyone he knew when he got here left. I didn’t know if he would stay.”
Gators senior Tanapatt Nirundorn shared Senior Day with his family and head coach Adam Steinberg, far left, on Saturday at the Ring Tennis Complex. (Photo: Avery Duffy/UAA Communications)
Nirundorn has a good story for you. It shows why he stayed when others left, including one of his best friends, former UF teammate Nate Bonetto. He tells you that when he made his recruiting visit to Florida, Bonetto hosted him. He had offers from some of the top programs in the country and considered Georgia, where his sister, Mai Nirundorn, was a year ahead and finished her career last spring when the Bulldogs won the national championship.
But Nirundorn said he felt at home with the Gators, largely because of the welcome he received from people like Bonetto. So, on Friday night, Bonetto showed back up. He left UF after his junior season in 2024 and transferred to Georgia Tech. Still, he wanted to be there for Nirundorn on Senior Day. On that recruiting visit four years ago, Bonetto and Nirundorn had dinner at local Mexican restaurant Las Carretas and stopped by Cold Stone Creamery for dessert.
They pushed the replay button on Friday night.
“A full circle moment,” Nirundorn said. “I don’t think of it as like, ‘Oh, I’m the guy that stuck around four years.’ I think of it as just like a really good opportunity because I love this place. I love all the people that come with it. Obviously, it’s different people now, but I love the athletic scene here, and everyone just supports each other.”
Bonetto was in the stands Saturday for Nirundorn’s special moment, as were his mom and her companion, his sister, his father, who made the trip from Thailand, and the family dog, Drake, a 10-year-old Pomeranian that has followed Nirundorn around the globe for tennis matches.
“We have everyone here,” Jean said. “I’m so happy. I’m going to miss this.”
In a similar fashion to last spring, when the family gathered in Athens for Mai’s Senior Day at Georgia, they knew Tanapatt was not at full strength. Mai missed the majority of her final season due to injuries. Meanwhile, Tanapatt suffered a recent ankle injury that limited him to just one doubles match during Saturday’s doubleheader against LSU and Presbyterian.
He and his playing partner, Henry Jefferson, lost their doubles match against LSU, and the Gators dropped the match. They rebounded for a shutout victory over Presbyterian, but Tanapatt rested his sore ankle.
Not all Senior Days end with a clutch performance and dramatic victory. That’s life. No one has to tell Nirundorn that not everything turns out as expected. He’s living proof.
He started playing tennis as a toddler when Jean was coaching in Louisville. Once he and Mai developed into budding talents, the family returned to Thailand to parlay their mother’s connections into junior sponsorship that took them around the world, including berths in numerous Grand Slam junior events. Mai retired from playing after last season and is now working in finance in New York City.
Tanapatt is not ready to hang up the racket.
“I want to play after college and see how that goes,” he said. “I’ve always believed in myself as a doubles player, so maybe I’ll try to take that route. Obviously, it’s a bit tougher than singles, because it’s not as much money, you’ve got to find partners and stuff like that. But I love tennis, man. I don’t want to leave the sport. And if I’m not playing, I might get into coaching or something like that.
“I want to stick around tennis.”
UF head coach Adam Steinberg presents Tanapatt Nirundorn with a Senior Day frame on Saturday. (Photo: Avery Duffy/UAA Communications)
No one can question Nirundorn’s staying power, the guy his coaches and teammates refer to simply as “T.” He stuck around to offer stability and a friendly face to the Gators’ constant stream of newcomers the past four years.
To pay tribute, the team shared their comments about Nirundorn in a video posted on social media. Steinberg delivered a line that undoubtedly made Nirundorn’s family proud.
It would make any parent smile as big as the one Nirundorn flashed Saturday.
“You’re an incredible guy,” Steinberg said. “I wish that if I had a son, I would want him to be like T. It’s the best compliment I can give you. You had an incredible impact on this program. You are a Gator for life.”