Record at UF: 507-107 (23rd season in 2023-24)
Overall Record: 582-157 (28th season in 2023-24)
There hasn’t been much the Florida women’s tennis team hasn’t accomplished. But Roland Thornqvist, who in 2023-24 completed his 23rd year as head coach of the Gators, continues to find a way to raise the standard of success in Gainesville.
Thornqvist owns a remarkable 582-157 head coaching record in 28 years, including a 507-107 mark at Florida.
In 20+ years with Thornqvist on the sidelines, some of Florida’s more significant highlights include four NCAA Team Championships (2003, 2011, 2012, & 2017), as well as 11 SEC regular-season titles (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 & 2016) and 10 SEC Tournament crowns (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2016).
With a total of four National Championships, Thornqvist has added to the rich history of Florida women's tennis and continues to lead one of the nation's most prominent programs.
Individually, Thornqvist has been honored as the ITA National Coach of the Year (2011), the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year (2010 & 2012) and the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 & 2016).
The Sweden native climbed the charts in 2022, in terms of NCAA historical success as he ranked top 10 all-time in Division I winning percentage (8th, .808) and top 20 in all-time wins (12th, 512). In July 2020, Thornqvist was among the top NCAA Division I active head coaches carrying the fourth-highest winning percentage and the eighth-most victories.
The team and individual accomplishments under Thornqvist’s guidance continue to grow with every season.
He has guided Florida to 11 NCAA ‘final four’ appearances, with four culminating in titles and two as national runner-up (2002 & 2010).
In the classroom, 19 of his Gator squads have earned ITA All-Academic Team honors by compiling a minimum cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale).
The Gators put forth their best effort during the 2024 campaign, ending with Florida's 36th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the NCAA first and second rounds for the 23rd time since 1999. Rachel Gailis and Carly Briggs earned bids into the individual NCAA tournament with Gailis also receiving an All-American honor, and being named the ITA Most Improved Player for the Southeast region. As a team, the Gators advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals before falling to the 2024 NCAA Champions, Texas A&M.
Under Thornqvist Florida boasted an overall record of 18- 8 after the 2023 season, going 9-4 in SEC play. Similar to the 2022 campaign Florida was matched against the No.1 North Carolina Tar Heels at the NCAA Tournament after advancing to the Sweet 16. The Gators once again fell short to Thornqvist's alma mater but the season wasn't over as two singles players and one doubles pairing received a bid to the 2023 NCAA Individual Tournament. Duo Alicia Dudeney and Bente Spee advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals after defeating two top-50 doubles teams including No. 6 LSU. Under Thornqvist's guidance, this was the first doubles pair to reach the quarterfinals since his legendary year in 2017.
In 2022, Florida held a 10-3 SEC record heading into the SEC Tournament, which was hosted at the University of Florida, the Gators took down No. 30 Arkansas, 4-1, in the quarterfinals before falling narrowly to No. 6 Texas A&M in the semifinal, 3-2. Finishing with a 21-7 dual match record, UF advanced out of the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, defeating South Alabama and Florida State before falling to No. 1 North Carolina in the Super Regional round. Graduate student McCartney Kessler earned ITA All-American honors in singles play, while also being named the 2022 SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC. Alicia Dudeney, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, joined senior Marlee Zein for Second Team All-SEC honors.
Guiding the Gators through the unique challenges presented by the 2020-21 campaign, Thornqvist helped lead Florida to its 33
rd-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Anchored by All-American McCartney Kessler, Florida played host to the NCAA’s first and second rounds for the 20
th time since the field expanded to 64 in 1999. After falling at No. 3 Georgia and No. 21 Tennessee in early March, UF’s record stood at just 5-6. Against the ropes with a thin roster, the Gators had their work cut out for them with seven more SEC contests remaining, all against ranked opponents. Under the tutelage of Thornqvist, the engineer of four National Championships with the Gators, Florida would return to its winning ways and right the ship with seven-straight victories to close out the regular season. The turnaround began on a Friday evening in Gainesville. Featuring a new-look lineup, Florida routed Missouri by the score of 4-0. Hosting No. 20 Arkansas less than 48 hours later, Florida achieved the same result as it blanked the Hogs, 4-0. The Gators extended their streak with victories at Ole Miss and Mississippi State and notched home wins against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Following a 10-day break, Florida was tasked with closing its regular season at No. 24 South Carolina. The resilient Gators overcame their loss of the doubles point and posted a win again, for the seventh-straight match. UF finished the SEC campaign 10-3, good for a second place finish.
Several Gators flourished on an individual level in 2021 including Kessler and Zein who were both tabbed ITA All-Americans. For the third time, Kessler collected SEC postseason honors following a 14-2 finish in dual match singles and an 11-6 record in dual match doubles. Zein, a Second Team All-SEC pick, put together an impressive junior season with the Gators, recording a 10-9 record in dual match singles and an 11-6 mark in dual match doubles. One of two seniors on the unit, Ida Jarlskog came through with a successful final season in Gainesville. The Sweden native registered an 8-3 mark in dual match play, including a 6-1 record in SEC matches, and earned a Second Team All-SEC designation as well. Junior Sydney Berlin took a massive step forward in 2021 under Thornqvist’s guidance. The left hander posted a 13-4 mark in dual match singles and added a team-best five match clinching victories including one against Siena in the NCAA Tournament. In her first collegiate season, Sara Dahlstrom earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors.
Thornqvist led the Gators to a 5-4 record in the shortened season of 2020, finishing with a record above .500 for the 20
th-straight season overall. Under his watch, Thornqvist saw tremendous individual improvement up and down his roster, but the most noticeable may have been the strides taken by then junior McCartney Kessler. After a successful fall campaign, Florida’s No. 1 finished the season with a 21-12 record. Come conference play, Kessler really had things clicking as she posted a 3-1 mark in SEC competition. Thornqvist also helped then sophomore Marlee Zein continue to progress as the Houston native won five of her six dual match tilts. As a team, the Gators did endure four losses but all four came at the hands of top 40 squads. Florida’s most noteworthy wins came on the road as it posted victories at No. 47 Alabama and No. 48 Auburn in succession in late February. Florida's excellence in academics continued yet again in 2020, as the Gators garnered ITA All-Academic Team honors for the 10th straight season.
On March 8, 2019 Thornqvist added to his lengthy list of accomplishments when Florida earned a 4-3 win over No. 43 Arkansas. The program's all-time winningest head coach, Thornqvist, notched his 500th career victory, making him just the fourth active coach to reach the 500 win plateau. In addition to his milestone achievement, he was also named one of seven new appointees to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Board of Directors on April 24.
Thornqvist guided the Gators to their 32nd-straight NCAA Tennis Championship appearance and 37th in the program's 38 year history in 2019. Returning just two core contributors from the 2018 roster and dealing with untimely injuries to two of its top players, Florida endured some ups and downs. The Gators closed strong winning two of their last three matches, including a pivotal 4-3 victory over No. 14 Michigan. The five-time SEC Coach of the Year helped Florida pick up 10 top 50 wins and maintain a top 50 ITA ranking for the duration of the season. The Gators featured one of the nation's most-challenging schedules and battled 16-straight ranked opponents to finish the season. While UF's record stood at just 13-12 by season's end, the young and scrappy Gators were competitive in just about every match as they squared off in 10 contests that were decided by a 4-3 verdict.
From an individual perspective, under Thornqvist's tutelage Florida also achieved success as it had three receive SEC postseason awards and three singles players and a doubles team featured in the ITA rankings for the majority of the season. Sophomore
Ida Jarlskog, one of the team's two transfers, enjoyed an excellent first season of competition under Thornqvist's watch. She competed for the majority of the season at the top spot in singles, finished a team-best 14-6, and was named All-SEC First Team. McCartney Kessler, earning an SEC postseason honors for the second-straight season, was tabbed to the All-SEC Second Team while freshman Marlee Zein earned a spot on the All-Freshman squad.
Career win number 400, his 325th with UF, was special for Thornqvist and the Gators as they took down top-seeded, No. 1-ranked and host Georgia, 4-1, earning a spot in the 2014 NCAA Semifinals. His 400th win at UF was an impressive 4-2 victory in the 2017 NCAA Semifinals against a Vanderbilt team that dealt the Gators two of their three regular-season setbacks. His 300th victory with the Gators came on May 12, 2013, with the 4-0 decision against Georgia Tech in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Championships. Thornqvist’s 350th all-time win, as well as the 275th of his Gator tenure was the 4-3 thriller in the 2012 NCAA Semifinals against Duke en route to the winning his third national championship.
Thornqvist guided the Gators to a 19-9 record and in NCAA appearance in 2018. UF finished tied for second in the SEC while featuring a trio of All-SEC First Team honorees in Anna Danilina, McCartney Kessler and Josie Kuhlman. Under Thornqvist's tutelage, Danilina finished her Gator career as a three-time All-American.
Thornqvist’s veteran-laden 2016-17 squad stood up to all challengers in the NCAA Championships and won Florida’s seventh national championship, its fourth under Thornqvist’s direction. Senior Belinda Woolcock reached the finals of the NCAA Singles Championships, having to beat junior teammate Anna Danilina in a three-set semifinal bout to advance.
In 2014-15, Florida ended the year ranked No. 1 in the final national poll after sweeping the SEC regular-season and tournament titles. Brooke Austin, who was named the SEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and Kourtney Keegan captured the NCAA Doubles Championship, while the Gators extended their overall home win streak to 159, which includes 26 wins in postseason play (SEC and NCAA Championships). It is the longest active home win streak by any NCAA Division I team in any sport in the nation.
The 2013-14 team reached the NCAA Semifinals for the second consecutive year, ending the season ranked No. 5 in the final national poll, marking the program’s fifth consecutive year with a top-5 ranking, as well as the 28th time in program history since the rankings began in 1980. The Gators fell to eventual NCAA Champion UCLA, 4-0. UF concluded the season 23-6. They tied for second in the Southeastern Conference regular season standings, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament.
The 2012-13 Gators finished the season ranked No. 2 in the final national poll after compiling a 26-3 overall record and advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, bowing out to eventual champion Stanford, 4-3. The Gators won a share of the the Southeastern Conference regular season title and captured the SEC Tournament championship during the year.
Sofie Oyen and Lauren Embree both sat atop the ITA National Singles Rankings during the 2012-13, becoming the 10th and 11th Gators since the 1998 season to earn the No. 1 singles ranking. Oyen and Embree are the sixth and seventh different players, respectively, under Thornqvist to earn the nation’s top ranking.
Embree also became the first player in SEC history to be voted the league’s Player of the Year three times, doing so in 2010, 2012 and 2013. The talented Gator also became the 20th different Gator to capture a collegiate Grand Slam title when she won the 2012 Riviera/ITA All-American Singles Championship.
Allie Will, who earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2012 NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships reached the semifinals of the singles event, captured the 2011 Riviera/ITA All-American Singles Championship during the fall in addition to a runner-up finish with then-sophomore Sofie Oyen in the doubles draw of the national tournament. Joanna Mather, the lone senior on the 2011-12 roster, reached the finals of the 2011 USTA-ITA National Indoor Championships, while junior Lauren Embree and Mather won the consolation draw of the 2011 Riviera/ITA All-American Doubles Championships.
The 2011-12 Gators capped their 27-1 record by winning the 2012 NCAA Championship, earning the program’s sixth national championship and the first time the team has won back-to-back titles - only the second team in NCAA Women’s Tennis history to do so. Florida earned the No. 2 overall seed in the 64-team event for the second consecutive year after winning the Southeastern Tournament for the third straight season and netting an 11-0 record en route to claiming the league’s regular-season crown.
The 2011-12 team was able to produce the program’s 22nd undefeated home record (12-0) and extend its overall home winning streak to 107 – the longest run by an NCAA Division I women’s team in any sport.
The 2010-11 season culminated with the program’s fifth NCAA championship, as the squad defeated top-seeded Stanford, 4-3, after sophomore Lauren Embree provided the remarkable 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) clinching singles win, rallying from down 4-0 in the third set. Embree’s heroics were made possible after freshmen Olivia Janowicz and Alexandra Cercone won their respective singles matches in three sets and the Gators captured the doubles point to being the match.
Thornqvist was recognized by his peers, who voted him the 2011 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Coach of the Year, the first such honor in his career.
Florida ended the 2010-11 season with a 31-1 record, marking the program’s seventh 30-win campaign, and on a 21-match winning streak - a run tied for the 10th longest in school history.
Florida earned the No. 2 overall seed in the 64-team NCAA event after winning the SEC Tournament and netting an 11-0 record en route to claiming the league’s regular-season crown.
Fairly typical accomplishments for one of the nation’s best programs, however, Thornqvist’s bunch did this without a senior on its roster. Joanna Mather was the only healthy junior in a lineup that also included three sophomores and three freshmen.
The 2011 squad also kept its focus in the classroom, where eight of the nine roster members were named to either the SEC Academic Honor Roll or the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. As a team, the Gators combined for a 3.43 GPA - good for recognition to the 2011 ITA Team Academic All American honor.
The young Gators carried the program’s tradition of success throughout the season, advancing to the final of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Sophomore Allie Will, who went on to be named the 2011 SEC Player of the Year, paired with freshman Sofie Oyen and won the USTA-ITA National Indoor Doubles Championship, as they became the third different Gator tandem to win the USTA-ITA National Indoor Championships doubles title, joining the teams of Nicole Arendt and Jillian Alexander, which won the 1991 crown, and Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas, which captured the 1996 championship.
Oyen and Will were the 18th and 19th different Gators to win an individual Grand Slam title, as they produced the 24th championship trophy in the illustrious history of the Florida program.
Thornqvist welcomed the No. 1-ranked recruiting class to the court for the 2009-10 season, which proved to be another exciting one in Gainesville.
Then-rookies Lauren Embree and Allie Will controlled the top two positions in the singles and doubles dual match lineup and helped Florida compile a 29-3 overall record, including a perfect 11-0 mark in Southeastern Conference action, as the Gators won the regular season and tournament titles.
UF marched into the 2010 NCAA Championships final match, where Marrit Boonstra, one of two seniors on the team, dropped a heartbreaking three-setter – 7-5 in the third – of the clinching match that Stanford took to win the title, 4-3.
Under Thornqvist’s guidance Embree became the first freshman every voted the SEC Player of the Year, as Embree also garnered ITA National Rookie Player of the Year honors. Will earned recognition as the SEC Freshman of the Year, while Thornqvist was honored by his peers for the third time as the league’s Coach of the Year.
For guiding such a young team that featured six underclassmen to the enormous success it did in 2009-10, Thornqvist earned the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year accolade.
There was not another team in the country during the 2008-09 season that played with more heart and got more passion and grit out of its team than the University of Florida. Simply knowing the details of what the Gators endured throughout the course of the grueling year would make it easy to use those things as an excuse and state that every program has a down year once in a while. The 2008-09 Gators refused to let adversity stand in their way, as they played with as much heart and Gator pride as any team that has ever suited up. In spite of everything, Florida still marched into the NCAA Championship round of 16, where it dropped a brilliant fight to the event’s No. 2 seed.
The 2007-08 Florida women’s tennis team survived early-season setbacks and mounted a valiant charge toward collecting championships, coming away with the program’s 23rd Southeastern Conference regular-season title in the 29-year history of the event, while marching into the semifinals of the NCAA Championships for the 19th time in the last 22 years, bowing out to eventual champion UCLA, 4-2, as the Gators were the only team to win a point against the Bruins during their six-match run. Injuries dwindled the Gators’ senior trio to a just two, with only Whitney Benik earning a spot in the dual match lineup by season’s end, as Florida compiled a 24-3 overall record, including an 11-0 mark in conference action to produce the 17th undefeated league ledger in school history.
The 2006-07 team faced some difficult personal, off-the-court adversity from a number of its players. Several Gators became unable to compete during a large portion of the dual match season, which significantly altered the singles’ and doubles’ lineups. While Thornqvist was able to patch together six semi-healthy players for singles, the doubles’ pairings were blown apart. In spite of it all, the team still won a share of the SEC Regular Season and Eastern Division titles, with the only loss a 4-3 decision on the road at Georgia. The 2006-07 Gators, which featured three freshmen, three juniors and one senior, earned the No. 1 national ranking on March 6, 2007, eventually receiving the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Championships and the right to host a First & Second Round Regional. Florida marched into the quarterfinals, eventually falling to national runner-up UCLA in a thrilling 4-3 decision.
Prior to the 2005-06 season, Florida had won 14 of the previous 18 SEC Tournament championships, including each of the last four. Amazingly, not once during any of those title runs did the Gators sweep every opponent en route to the crown - until the 2005-06 season, when Florida did just that, winning its fifth straight conference postseason title. Florida battled through the SEC regular season and emerged with a perfect 11-0 record and the overall league champion, as Thornqvist was recognized as the SEC Coach of the Year. The 2005-06 Gators marched into the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, where their season ended to eventual champion Stanford. Florida capped its season with a 25-2 record and ranked No. 2 in the final national poll. The Gators received the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Championships, earning the right to host the first and second rounds. The team’s 4-0 victory on May 19, 2006 against Baylor in the NCAA quarterfinals was his 200th career win, also his 125th with the Gators.
His fourth year as head coach at Florida might have been one of the best coaching seasons Thornqvist produced as a collegiate head coach. The 2004-05 season wasn’t the typical Florida tennis campaign, but somehow the Gators found their way back into a familiar position of advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships for the 17th time in the last 19 years, completing the season with a 22-3 record.
Sure, Florida also captured its fourth consecutive and 14th overall SEC title. The team finished tied for second in the SEC regular season standings, as the squad has finished either first or runner-up for the 26th straight time — every year in league history.
However, even before those events took place, the 2004-05 Gators were faced with significant setbacks. The team lost three starters from the previous season, including senior-to-be Alexis Gordon, who left the team for personal reasons one year removed after earning the No. 1 singles ranking in the country. Gordon’s departure meant junior Jennifer Magley and UF’s lone senior Zerene Reyes were forced higher in the lineup than expected. Combine that with three freshmen - the most on a Gator roster since the 1996-97 season - and Thornqvist with Associate Head Coach Dave Balogh had their work cut out for themselves.
Thornqvist completed his third year at UF guiding the 2004 Gators to a 23-1 overall record and a No. 3 final national ranking. Additionally, UF was named to the ITA All-Academic Team by posting higher than a 3.2 team grade point average during the year.
Despite annoying injuries throughout the season, the 2004 Gators successfully defended their SEC regular season and tournament titles. The squad extended its overall winning streak to 40 consecutive dual matches – the third-longest streak in program history. Thornqvist’s accomplishments were recognized by his colleagues, who named him the SEC Coach of the Year. UF was listed at No. 1 in two rankings periods during the 2004 season and received the top seed in the NCAA Championships.
The 2003 season was a magical one for the Florida women’s tennis program and for Thornqvist. The Gators captured their fourth overall NCAA championship with a thrilling 4-3 upset over top-seeded and two-time defending champion Stanford. In the process, Thornqvist became just the seventh different coach ever to win an NCAA women’s tennis title. At age 33 (born March 3, 1970), he also became the second youngest ever to hoist the trophy. USC’s Dave Borelli was the youngest, winning the title in 1983 when he was 32 (born Feb. 4, 1951).
While the national championship certainly was the highlight of the season, that was not the only accomplishment. Florida captured the 2003 SEC regular season title before winning the 2003 SEC Tournament crown. The Gators returned to the National Team Indoor Championships for the first time since 1999 and reached the final before losing a 4-3 battle to Duke. Florida received a program-record-tying eight individual bids into the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, including a program-high three doubles teams.
On June 22, 2001, the University of Florida Athletic Association and Athletics Director Jeremy Foley introduced Thornqvist as its new women’s tennis coach. He took over the program from Andy Brandi, who resigned on May 29, 2001 after 17 successful seasons with the Florida program.
The Gators have not missed a beat under Thornqvist’s direction.
During the 2002 season, his first with the Gators, Florida compiled a remarkable 24-2 overall record and finished with a No. 2 national ITA ranking. UF won the SEC Tournament title after entering the event as the No. 2 seed. The Gators were the No. 1 ranked team when the March 26, 2002 Omni Hotels Collegiate rankings were released, marking the first time Florida had been at the top spot since May 11, 1999, when the Gators were ranked No. 1 the entire season but lost to Stanford in the NCAA final to end the year ranked second. The Gators remained at the top spot for the next period before dropping one position after losing to Georgia on April 7. UF was awarded the No. 1 seed in the 64-team NCAA Tournament, and reached the NCAA Final before losing to host Stanford in the championship bout.
Individually in 2002, senior Jessica Lehnhoff flourished despite the coaching change. She received the No. 1 singles ranking in the April 17, April 24 and May 1st listings, becoming the first Gator to earn the nation’s top ranking since Jill Craybas ended the 1996 season at the No. 1 spot. Lehnhoff became the first player in UF history to reach the semifinals of the NCAA Singles and NCAA Doubles Championships in the same year; reaching the final match of the singles tournament.
Florida accomplished all of this and more despite having just six players on its entire 2002 roster. When Thornqvist accepted the head coaching position at Florida on June 22, 2001, he inherited a Gator squad that had just four players. So his first task with assistant coach Balogh was to recruit two more athletes just to comprise a six-player roster. Thornqvist and Balogh were at the ‘right place at the right time’ when Alexis Gordon was searching for a school to attend and would be able to join the team during the Fall of 2001. Then Zerene Reyes, a native of Mexico City, Mexico, joined the squad in January – finally completing the six-player roster!
Thornqvist joined the Florida program with a five-year record of 75-50 after coaching at the University of North Carolina for the past three seasons (42-30) and at Kansas from 1997-98 (33-20). Each team advanced to the NCAA Championships under Thornqvist, with the 1998 Kansas team advancing to the Round of 16. In his premiere season at UNC in 1999, he led the Tar Heels to the NCAA Second Round in their first-ever NCAA appearance.
“Ever since I started playing tennis, Florida tennis has been THE program. To have the opportunity to lead the Florida women’s team is just really a dream come true. Andy Brandi built a program that is respected and envied across the nation. I am honored to be following in his footsteps,” Thornqvist said. “One thing that really attracted me was Jeremy Foley. I liked the way he operates and he is straight forward, very goal-oriented and driven and that is exactly how I see myself.”
Thornqvist returned to his alma mater in June of 1998 to take a North Carolina team that posted a 1998 record of 5-17 to a record of 16-9 and its first-ever NCAA berth in 1999. The Tar Heels also recorded their first NCAA Tournament victory in 1999, taking a 5-4 win over Washington in the opening round. His Tar Heel teams also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and 2001, reaching the second round again in 2001. The UNC team finished the 2001 season ranked No. 17 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll - the highest final position in the history of the Tar Heel program.
In his first head coaching assignment at Kansas, Thornqvist led the Jayhawks to a second-place finish in the 1997 Big 12 Conference standings and a No. 1 regional ranking. The 1998 Jayhawk squad compiled a 18-6 record, won the NCAA Central Regional Championship at Brigham Young University and advanced to the NCAA round of 16 before losing to Georgia.
Prior to his tenure at KU, Thornqvist spent 1994-96 as the assistant men’s tennis coach at UNC. Thornqvist also played professional tennis for one year after completing his collegiate eligibility, attaining a world ranking of No. 290 in singles.
Thornqvist established himself as one of the top players in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference during his collegiate career. He was a three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, the 1993 ACC Player of the Year, a 1992 and 1993 first-team All-American and a 1992 and 1993 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist in singles. In 1992, he led the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship and to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels also made the NCAA Tournament during his senior season, advancing to the round of 16. Thornqvist won the 1993 Rolex National Indoor Singles Championship as a senior. In both 1992 and 1993, he won the ITA’s Rafael Osuna National Sportsmanship Award. He is the only college player in history to win that award twice. Thornqvist was the No. 4-ranked collegiate singles player in the country his senior year.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Thornqvist received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UNC in 1996. He played for the Tar Heels from 1990-93, transferring from Elon College, where he played one year and won the NAIA singles and doubles championships as a freshman in 1990. He also led Elon to the NAIA team championship that year.
Thornqvist is married to Nan Thornqvist and they are the parents of Maclaine, who was born in November 1999, and Whitney, who was born in January 2001.
Thornqvist File
| Year |
School |
Overall |
Pct. |
Conference |
Finish |
SEC Tournament |
NCAA Finish |
Final Rank |
| 1997 |
Kansas |
15-14 |
0.517 |
10-3 |
2nd |
-- |
Second Round |
No. 33 |
| 1998 |
Kansas |
18-6 |
0.75 |
9-2 |
2nd |
-- |
Round of 16 |
No. 17 |
| 1999 |
UNC |
16-9 |
0.64 |
3-5 |
4th |
-- |
Second Round |
No. 29 |
| 2000 |
UNC |
10-14 |
0.417 |
2-6 |
8th |
-- |
First Round |
No. 42 |
| 2001 |
UNC |
16-7 |
0.701 |
6-2 |
3rd |
-- |
Second Round |
No. 17 |
| 2002 |
Florida |
24-2 |
0.923 |
10-1 |
2nd |
Champions |
Finalist |
No. 2 |
| 2003 |
Florida |
31-2 |
0.939 |
10-1 |
1st |
Champions |
Champions |
No. 1 |
| 2004 |
Florida |
23-1 |
0.958 |
11-0 |
1st |
Champions |
Second Round |
No. 3 |
| 2005 |
Florida |
22-3 |
0.888 |
9-2 |
t-2nd |
Champions |
Semifinalist |
No. 2 |
| 2006 |
Florida |
25-2 |
0.926 |
11-0 |
1st |
Champions |
Semifinalist |
No. 2 |
| 2007 |
Florida |
24-3 |
0.889 |
10-1 |
t-1st |
Finalist |
Quarterfinalist |
No. 6 |
| 2008 |
Florida |
24-3 |
0.889 |
11-0 |
1st |
Finalist |
Semifinalist |
No. 5 |
| 2009 |
Florida |
16-10 |
0.615 |
7-4 |
4th |
Semifinalist |
Round of 16 |
No. 14 |
| 2010 |
Florida |
29-3 |
0.906 |
11-0 |
1st |
Champions |
Finalist |
No. 2 |
| 2011 |
Florida |
31-1 |
0.964 |
11-0 |
1st |
Champions |
Champions |
No. 1 |
| 2012 |
Florida |
27-1 |
0.958 |
11-0 |
1st |
Champions |
Champions |
No. 1 |
| 2013 |
Florida |
26-3 |
0.897 |
12-1 |
t-1st |
Champions |
Semifinalist |
No. 2 |
| 2014 |
Florida |
23-6 |
0.793 |
11-2 |
t-2nd |
Quarterfinals |
Semifinalist |
No. 5 |
| 2015 |
Florida |
24-4 |
0.857 |
12-1 |
1st |
Semifinals |
Quarterfinalist |
No. 6 |
| 2016 |
Florida |
23-3 |
0.885 |
13-0 |
1st |
Champions |
Round of 16 |
No. 3 |
| 2017 |
Florida |
29-3 |
0.906 |
11-2 |
t-2nd |
Finalist |
Champions |
No. 1 |
| 2018 |
Florida |
19-9 |
0.679 |
11-2 |
t-2nd |
Finalist |
Second Round |
No. 9 |
| 2019 |
Florida |
13-12 |
0.520 |
7-6 |
t-6th |
Quarterfinals |
Second Round |
No. 24 |
| 2020 |
Florida |
5-4 |
0.555 |
2-2 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| 2021 |
Florida |
13-8 |
0.619 |
10-3 |
2nd |
Quarterfinals |
Second Round |
No. 19 |
| 2022 |
Florida |
21-7 |
0.750 |
10-3 |
4th |
Semifinals |
Round of 16 |
No. 16 |
| 2023 |
Florida |
18-8 |
0.692 |
9-4 |
4th |
Semifinals |
Super Regional |
No. 15 |
| 2024 |
Florida |
17-9 |
0.654 |
10-2 |
3rd |
Semifinals |
Second Round |
No. 14 |
| Total |
KU, UNC, UF |
582-157 |
0.788 |
260-56 |
11 Titles |
10 Titles |
4 Titles |
24 top 25 finishes |
