Since arriving on the Plains in the fall of 2021, Auburn senior Will Nolan has grown from being a role player to the captain of the 2025 squad and a regular at the top of the Tigers’ singles and doubles lineup in his final season.
Nolan had 14 singles wins this season while he and Billy Blaydes held a 23-9 overall doubles record. The Auburn duo have a 13-6 dual match record exclusively at the No. 1 singles position.
In the fall, Blaydes and Nolan became the first Auburn pair to win the ITA Southern Regional Doubles Championship since 2009 and earned a bid to the NCAA Doubles Championship in November. Nolan and Blaydes reached an ITA doubles ranking of No. 7 on Feb. 5 and the duo is currently ranked No. 17. Nolan earned the distinction of team captain at the end of the fall season for his stellar performance and the noticeable changes in his approach to the game.
“Being captain is a massive honor,” said Nolan. “The fact that Coach (Reynolds) could give me the opportunity was just amazing. In August, right before I came back to school, I decided to make a couple big changes in my tennis, but mainly just belief. Never really been much of a confident person in myself or when I'm on court, but that was probably one of my biggest changes. In all honesty, I never thought I'd be a captain with my career here, so I was happy I could make a change that other people could see.”
While Nolan found a lot of success during his senior season, the road to his fourth season was a long one. During his sophomore season, Nolan suffered a serious jaw injury that made his future in the sport unclear. The Auburn senior realizes in retrospect that he is stronger after the injury than he was before.
“The injury was pretty drastic, I never saw it coming,” said Nolan. “The rehab after was super intense. It only made me stronger. I think I went to the gym 45 days straight to try and get back. I was super motivated to try to play during the regular season because I just wanted to help the team and help my boys.
“Looking back, it definitely made me stronger and made me into a better man. Maybe it was not the comeback I was hoping for, but to be able to be healthy and just to be able to get back on court was a massive win, because at one point it maybe didn't look like it was going to happen. The fact that I'm here now playing this type of tennis, I think it just shows the hard work that I put in and is a testament to all the other people that helped me recover.”
With his recruitment taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Derbyshire, England, native never had the opportunity to visit campus, but he was attracted to the program because Nolan saw it as a chance to play a role in making the Tigers a national contender.
“What attracted me to Auburn was the coaches,” said the senior. “There were a couple of British guys that I knew would make the transition to college a little bit easier. I also thought it'd be an exciting team to join. We were competing with some big schools, but we weren't winning at the time and I wanted to join a team where I felt like I could help create a change for the program. That's why I picked Auburn in the end.”
The Brits that Nolan referred to, Tad Maclean and Finn Murgett, would become close friends with him once he came to the Plains, but it was his relationship with Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds that really thrived over the years.
“Coach Bobby and I have probably one of the most unique relationships in such a positive way. I look up to him so much,” Nolan said. “Every word he's telling me, I'm really trying to listen even though sometimes he probably thinks I'm not listening, I know he believes in me an awful lot more than I believe in myself. And just having someone like that with the experience that he has and the passion that he has for the program is amazing. I mean, he's the head coach, so he's the main reason why I came to Auburn.”
With the effect that Reynolds has had on Will, he’d like to return the favor to the next generation of tennis players and get involved in coaching himself. Nolan says that his passion for tennis has called him to coach in the college ranks himself one day if the opportunity presents itself.
“After I graduate, I think I'm going to play pro,” he said. “I'm going to go back home just because there are a lot more professional tournaments back home. Long term, I think I want to get involved in college coaching myself. Just the whole environment and wanting to stay in sports is probably best for me. I have a massive passion for tennis and I think in college coaching, I can get involved with a team, and I know that will create the adrenaline rush that I have for playing this sport now.”
The senior captain will graduate from Auburn University with a degree in exercise science this spring.