The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Bianca Turati: Letter to Longhorn Nation
05.13.2020 | Women's Tennis
Two-time singles All-American announces her plan to turn professional.
Longhorn Nation,
Such a journey it has been!
It feels like yesterday when I first got to the Forty Acres as a freshman. I was just a shy Italian girl who could barely speak English. At the time, the only thing I knew for sure was that I liked playing tennis and that, one day, I wanted to become a professional player.
But I wasn't ready to take that step just yet. I was scared to bet everything on tennis. I thought it was too big of a risk, and I thought it was too early to be done with my education.
I decided that getting a scholarship at one of the best universities in the world was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I couldn't miss. So, I decided to commit to The University of Texas.
I can say now that it was the best decision I've ever made. The best one of my life. College helped me grow up so much as a person and tennis player. It made me become a much tougher woman. A confident one. One that knows what she wants.
Well, I know that my incredible journey at Texas has come to an end. It is time for me to end a chapter of my life and begin a new one. I am ready now to take that step of throwing myself into professional tennis. I am ready to go after my dreams. And I am very excited about it.
I wish all the best to the team next year. I strongly believe that Texas Women's Tennis will achieve something great. I know it because the team is led by great coaches who I will never be thankful for enough. I also want to thank everyone who was part of my unforgettable, beautiful college journey. The list would be too long, but if you are one of those people, you know it. Thank you.
And thank you, UT. You have given me so much. Finally, it's obvious but I want to say it super proudly. I will always bleed burnt orange.
Hook' em forever,
Statement from Texas Women's Tennis head coach Howard Joffe on Bianca Turati
"Over the past four years, Texas has reestablished itself as a top women's tennis program nationally. The exemplary state of our team and program is the product of lots of devotion by many people. But the one person whose contributions, attitude and conduct that has gone the furthest and had the most profound effect has been Bianca Turati.
As a student, Bianca quickly mastered English and will graduate with a GPA perilously close to 4.0. As a competitor, she was fair and ferocious at the same time and won at an astounding clip at the top spot. But it is as a teammate and human being that her departure will be most felt. Bianca is kind, thoughtful, respectful and has been and will be the most loyal Longhorn out there.
While she will be missed, Bianca has progressed in WTA rankings and UTR (currently the only collegiate player over 12.0) to the point that the time to follow her dreams is now. She is prepared and we will all be rooting for her to do us proud as a WTA player."
Players Mentioned
