9/3/2026 10:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Director of Tennis Alex Leatu oversees both the men's and women's programs. Ask her the culture that defines the tennis program, and she doesn't hesitate: "Our team is built on standards of excellence, discipline and no excuses," she says.
Ask her what that looks like off the court, and it's just as competitive. With classes resuming next week, she knows every student-athlete will be pushing their teammates to be better in the classroom, and each year the goal is the same: the highest team GPA they can post.
Gavin Ryan '29 has realized that the team has to embrace their tennis community to reach their goals. "At a small school like Queens, we rely on our teammates a lot for support," he says. "It is expected of us to give our best for each other because that is the only way we will be able to succeed." That standard extends to the classroom as much as the court. "Becoming a student-athlete has helped me improve my time management and discipline," he says, the same discipline Mauldin expects from every player across both rosters.
Mauldin doesn't stop at setting an expectation; she provides the structure to meet it, too. Coaching staff run weekly check-ins with every student-athlete, and when the schedule gets tight, between practice, travel, and matches, they'll build in a mental health day or an extra day for studying.
Tennis' mentality and commitment to providing the space needed to achieve success both on the court and in the classroom has carried a team GPA above 3.5 year after year. Behind the scenes, donor support serves as a throughline, investing in every aspect of a program that continues to cultivate and empower excellence.
Get Involved This Year
This kind of support doesn't happen without a community behind it. Royal Ralliers, our new way for fans, families, and alumni to show up for the Royals jersey, launches this fall: cheer from the stands, share a post, or start a conversation with a fellow fan. Learn more and sign up today.
We also invite you to mark your calendars for October 2-9, when the Queens Athletics community joins together in support of our student-athletes for Investing In Champions, the annual week of giving. Early giving starts now, and your support unlocks benefit tiers and Royals Club membership. If you're interested in building momentum and increasing the impact of your gift, reach out to us at athletics@queens.edu to set up a giving challenge.
