When Texas women’s tennis coach Howard Joffe “incidentally” watched Rose Marie Nijkamp play at a professional tournament in Bakersfield, California, her performance caught his attention.
Nijkamp became one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal.
“I saw her playing, and I knew she was talented,” Joffe said. “She obviously, in the transfer portal, was one of the highest sought assets, if you will. I mean, every school wanted her.”
Nijkamp’s journey began in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, where she started playing tennis at about 6 years old. By 11, she was pursuing a professional career.
After finishing grade school, Nijkamp chose to attend college in the United States to further develop her game and ease the financial burden on her parents, rather than going completely professional.
“My parents were not able to financially support me as much, so I needed to find a solution so that I could play tennis still, and take a bit care more about my own career than my parents because they were (funding) everything,” Nijkamp said.
Initially, Nijkamp doubted college would benefit her tennis career.
“I had this mindset of ‘going to college is (about) going to finish your tennis career,’ which is really bad because after I visited, that completely changed my mind,” Nijkamp said. “I saw that you can actually be a professional athlete while going to college.”
Nijkamp committed to Oklahoma State in 2024 and made an immediate impact, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors and winning All-Big 12 First Team in both singles and doubles.
Her time at OSU ended after the team canceled the remainder of its 2025 season due to three out of its nine athletes suffering season-ending injuries.
“It was a pretty tough semester,” Nijkamp said. “I felt like I needed to go somewhere else to improve my tennis.”
After conversations with Texas’ coaching staff, Nijkamp transferred to Texas to pursue her professional goals.
“I wanted to go to a place that could help me develop my game to a professional level, and I think UT is the best place for that, and just has a lot of opportunities for me here,” Nijkamp said.
Joffe has already seen progress in Nijkamp’s game during her short time with the Longhorns.
“I’ve seen some really fundamental improvements just in the month of work, and so it’s very exciting to see what she might do over the course of weeks and months,” Joffe said.
In late September, Nijkamp reached the semifinals in both singles and doubles at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships, partnering with junior Carmen Herea in doubles.
Her early results with Texas reinforced for Joffe the grit she brings to the court.
“She’s got that resource, which is really of tenacity,” Joffe said. “She will fight. It’s not a resource that has anything to do with sports. It has to do with who you are.”
Despite her competitive drive, Joffe said Nijkamp’s character makes her stand out.
“In sports you often want a killer and a venomous snake,” Joffe said. “She’s very, very good with competing, and yet a sweeter, nicer, more kind, thoughtful young lady you’re not going to find (elsewhere).”