Shields Signs Five in Class of 2024 – University of Arizona Athletics – University of Arizona Athletics

TUCSON, Ariz.- Arizona has signed five recruits for its men’s tennis class of 2024, as announced by Head Coach Clancy Shields on Wednesday. Zoran Ludoski, Matthias Uwe Kask, Oskar Jansson, Santiago Padilla-Cote, Filip Gustafsson have signed their National Letters of Intent and will join the Arizona Men’s Tennis Team next fall. 

Zoran Ludoski comes into the program with a career-high ITF Juniors Ranking of 52 and a career-high ATP ranking of 1684. Ludoski is a two-time ITF Junior Title winner in singles (2022 J3 Timisoara, 2021 J4 Cairo) and three-time winner in doubles (2022 J2 Renningen, 2021 J4 Cairo, 2021 J3 Timis?oara). He holds the No.1  spot in the Serbian 18U rankings and has a high UTR of 12.81. Ludoski competed in the round of 32 of the 2023 Australian Open Juniors earning a qualifying spot at the Junior Roland Garros. 

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When being asked about his choice Ludoski said,”I committed to Arizona because, first of all, I think it’s the best option for my professional career, I have all the conditions that allow me to be the best version of myself as a player, the people are very nice and pleasant there, I fit in with all the players, I see myself growing there into the best player and a great man.”

Coach Clancy Shields said this when asked about Ludoski’s choice,”This is a big day for our program, and i’m delighted to announce the signing of Zoran Ludoski to the Arizona Tennis Family! Obviously Zoran’s results speak for themselves as a Top-50 ITF player, but his story of grit and determination are the things that we are most excited to bring to our program. We look forward to working with this young man to help him achieve his goals, and we couldn’t be happier that he will be joining our Wildcat family!”

Matthias Uwe Kask joins the squad from Toronto, Canada with a high ITF Junior ranking of 137 and high UTR of 12.17. Kask is ranked No. 3 in Canada’s U18 rankings and is a two-time ITF Junior title winner in singles (2023 J60 Tallinn and 2022 J4 Skopje) and three-time title winner in doubles (2023 J100 Sobota, 2022 J4 Riga and 2022 J4 Tallinn).

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Kask was excited to share about his choice when he said,”The University of Arizona stands out to me because of the outstanding facilities and opportunities it offers. The players and coaches have a remarkable connection which will help me progress my tennis to the pro level. I can’t wait to Bear Down!” 

When asked about Kask’s commitment Coach Shields said,”It’s a great day to be a Wildcat and announce the signing of Matthias Kask to the Arizona Tennis family! Matthias has an incredible skill set on the court, technically sound, crafty, with a go-for-it mentality. As much as we liked Matthias’ game on the court, we equally loved the intangibles he brings away from it. Keep an eye out for this kid-his best days as a tennis player are ahead of him! Welcome to the family, Matthias!”

Oskar Jansson comes to Arizona with a career-high UTR of 12.28 and high ATP singles ranking of 1479. Jansson is ranked No. 312 in the ITF for Juniors and was a quarterfinalist at the ITF Pro Circuit M15 in Kelmar, Sweden, defeating Lucas Renard (ATP career-high 672). He has won five ITF titles: one ITF Junior singles title (J5 Stavanger) and four doubles titles (2022 J4 Eindhoven, 2022 J4 Kramfors, J4 Frederiksberg, 2021 J4 Vierumaki). 

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“I am excited to come to Arizona and join the tennis team. I had an amazing experience on my visit, and I look forward to joining the guys and keep building off their success.” Jansson added when asked about his choice. “I am thrilled to practice and compete with the team and find a new home in Tucson.”

Coach Shields added this when asked about Jansson,” We are excited to welcome Oskar Jansson to the Arizona Tennis family. He is a great kid, loves the game, and has a calm and confident presence on the court. He is one of the top players in Sweden as well as his class. We feel confident that he will continue to improve and take his game to the next level here at Arizona. Welcome to the family, Oskar!”

Santiago Padilla-Cote is a Blue Chip Recruit (Tennis Recruiting Network) and holds a No.17 ranking in the United States. Padilla-Cote Has a high UTR of 12.05 and a high ITF Juniors ranking of 175. Padilla-Cote holds seven ITF titles, including one ITF Juniors singles title (J60 Santa Tecia) and six doubles titles (2022 J3 Tampico, 2022 J4 Gunskirchen, 2022 J3 Cancun, 2021 J5 Santo Domingo, 2021 J5 La Paz, and 2021 J5 San Diego). 

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Padilla-Cote said this when asked about his choice to come to Arizona,” Absolutely stoked to represent the University of Arizona! The incredible coaching staff, along with such an electric team played a huge part in my family and I’s decision. I can’t wait to leave it all out there for this team. Bear Down!” 

When asked about Padilla-Cote, Coach Shields said, “We have been waiting a long time to make this special announcement and welcome Santiago to the Wildcat family! A Blue-Chip Recruit and top player internationally, this is a home run for our program. More importantly, Santiago is an awesome kid, someone I know we will all love working with, and the guys on the team will love calling their teammate. Welcome to the family, Santiago!”

Filip Gustafsson rounds out the Arizona Men’s Tennis Class of 2024 with a career-high ITF Junior ranking of 294 and a career-high UTR of 11.87. Gustafsson has won two ITF Junior singles titles (2023 J60 Jonkooping and 2022 J4 Tampere) and two doubles titles (2022 J4 Eindhoven with fellow recruit Oskar Jansson). His father Magnus was No. 10 on the ATP Tour as well as a quarterfinalist in the 1994 Australian Open.
 

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After speaking on why Arizona was the right fit for him, Gustafsson said,” I am so excited to be part of the University of Arizona Tennis Team. I cannot think of a better setup with all kinds of coaches helping the players to improve our tennis. I will do everything I can to help the team and my teammates become better!”

“We are excited to announce the signing of Filip Gustafsson! Filip has been one of the top players in Sweden and Top 300 globally in the Junior rankings.” states Coach Clancy Shields when asked about Gustafsson. “He is a big kid who is growing into his frame, and we feel like he will make a big jump at Arizona and blossom into his game. We look forward to working with Filip and helping him take the next steps. Welcome to the family!”