Jack Loutit looks to bring US college experience to Davis Cup

Rising tennis star Jack Loutit will be a part of the New Zealand Davis Cup team for the first time next weekend for the tie against Luxembourg in Palmerston North and he hopes his experience at college in the States will help him settle in.

For any tennis player, representing their country in the Davis Cup or Billie Jean King Cup is a major honour

Not only does a player have to come to terms with playing for more than just themselves, but also that they’re part of a team, which are both situations players of an individual sport like tennis don’t usually have to deal with.

But the 20-year-old Loutit hopes his experience at the University of Kentucky, where he’s in his second year, will help him with that.

“Being at the University of Kentucky has definitely prepared me well for whatever is to come, especially with the Davis Cup,” Loutit said. 

“You really learn how to bond with your teammates, just learning that everything is about the team, and you’ve got to put the team first before yourself. 

“I think that's especially true in the Davis Cup. That's a really useful tool to have.”

Most New Zealanders last got a chance to see Loutit play at the ASB Classic in January, when he won his first-round match in qualifying, against Australia’s Blake Mott, before putting up a competitive performance against Alex Michelsen from the States, who is currently ranked 49 in the world.

After that, Loutit went back to the States for the spring semester, where he helped Kentucky defeat South Carolina for the SEC Championship.

“I had some very good matches that I'll probably remember for the rest of my life,” Loutit said. 

“For example, clinching the SEC championship, winning against Illinois in a 4-3 match. Those two moments were definitely my favourite moments of my college career so far.

“I think that prepares me very well for Davis Cup, knowing what it's like to be under a high-pressure, high-stress environment.”

After the college season finished, Loutit went to Monastir in Tunisia to play a few ITF tournaments and reached a semifinal and final, then came back to Auckland for some family time.

The tie against Luxembourg will also be a first for Artem Sitak, as he begins his tenure as the team’s captain.

Loutit said he’s known Sitak for a few years and admired the way he handled himself during his many years on Tour.

“I looked up to him quite a bit in the past,” Loutit said.

“He's had a very good doubles career, especially. He's very professional. 

“He does all the right things and as a former player himself, he knows the inside of our sport very well. I'm really looking forward to working with him.”

The draw for the tie against Luxembourg takes place on Friday and the action begins on Saturday at Fly Palmy Arena with back-to-back singles matches from noon.

Sunday begins with the doubles match, followed by the reverse singles.