Loving the Forty Acres: Men’s Tennis’ Timo Legout
Anastacia Loukianoff
4/18/2025
Coming from Paris, France, Timo Legout took an unconventional path to college tennis. Now ranked No. 2 in the nation and 31-3 overall (as of April 17, 2025), he joined the Texas Men’s Tennis team after beginning his career as a professional—flipping the script on the traditional tennis journey.
Athleticism runs in Timo’s family. His father, Christophe Legout, is one of France’s most celebrated table tennis players having competed in three Olympic Games (1996, 2000, and 2008), earned multiple national titles, and captured 10 medals on the ITTF Pro Tour.
Growing up, Timo played a variety of sports—including table tennis—but ultimately chose to focus on tennis. While most players progress from junior tennis to college before turning pro, Timo did the reverse. After several years on the professional tour, a slew of injuries prompted him to reevaluate his goals. He pressed pause on his professional career to pursue playing collegiate tennis where he could earn a degree—a decision that led him to Austin.
His decision to commit to Texas came quickly. He visited campus for a couple of days in 2023, and that was all he needed to get hooked on becoming a Longhorn. “Within a few hours, I knew this was the place,” Timo recalls. “The people, the coaches, the city, the facilities, the weather—it just felt right.” A few months later in January of 2024, the Frenchman arrived on the Forty Acres where he eased into training with the team while adjusting to college life. “I knew I would regret not coming to UT,” he says. “I felt this was the place the moment I stepped on campus.”
After redshirting his first season, Legout has seen great success in his young college career—winning the ITA Texas Regional Championships in both singles and doubles (alongside teammate Lucas Brown), earning SEC MVP honors at the Big 12/SEC Challenge, and being a semifinalist in both the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships.
Timo is quick to credit Longhorn Foundation donors for the life-changing resources he and his teammates benefit from, and says, “I wake up every day and try to remind myself how lucky I am to be here.” One of his favorite places on campus is the Texas Athletics Nutrition Center (TANC)—a place he describes as much more than a dining facility. “It’s where we eat, hang out, and connect with each other. Everyone’s happy to be there. It’s just one of those things you don’t find anywhere else.”
He also described the Student-Athlete Academic Center as a “game changer” for his academic development. As a sports journalism major, Timo writes regularly—something that presented new challenges as a non-native English speaker. “I struggled with writing in English during my first semester,” he admits. “But the tutors at the Student-Athlete Academic Center really helped me improve, and I am sharpening my writing skills over there on a regular basis.”
With the resources he’s been given at Texas, Timo has found his rhythm—both as a student and an athlete. “We’re super grateful for what the donors do for this program,” Timo says. “The support makes our lives easier—and better. Without them [Longhorn Foundation donors], the experience just wouldn’t be the same. I can’t thank our donors enough.”
I wake up every day and try to remind myself how lucky I am to be here.Timo Legout
While a return to professional tennis remains a major goal for the redshirt freshman, Legout is equally passionate about the college game and the friendships he has made with teammates. When asked to reflect on the differences between college tennis and the professional circuit, Timo doesn’t hesitate. “It’s so different you can’t even compare,” he says. “On tour, you play for yourself. Here, it’s team first. Always.”
In college tennis, he found something he never had on the tour: connection. “You have your best friends with you. If you’re not feeling good, they’re there for you. That’s something you don’t get in pro tennis.” Legout sees the team environment as one of mutual growth. “We help each other get better. We’ll ask each other, ‘What do you think I should do differently?’ and apply each other’s suggestions. That’s the culture we’ve built here, and that’s huge.”
Timo looks back on the 2024 season with admiration as he learned so much from a great Texas Men’s Tennis team that finished the year 27-4 overall, capturing Big 12 titles both in the conference tournament and in the regular season and finishing the year as National Runners-Up. “Last year’s team was really special. We had six seniors who’d played together for years, and when I came in I immediately felt like part of this super talented, tight-knit group. Watching them compete—guys like Micah (Braswell) and Eliot (Spizzirri)—was inspiring. They just refused to lose, and that year of being on the sidelines watching them give it their all has made me a better player.”
One of Timo’s favorite moments so far this season was clinching the match against then-No. 22 Mississippi State at the Texas Tennis Center. With the match knotted up at 3 apiece, all eyes turned to the Sheffield Family Court on court 1 where Legout was in a three-set battle against Benito Sanchez Martinez (ranked No. 29 as of April 15, 2025). “I told myself, ‘You came here for this. This is why you work every day. Your teammates trust you. Even if you lose, you go out and play your best.’” Timo ended up taking the deciding match 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, sending his teammates sprinting onto the court in celebration as soon as he served it out for the win. “That moment meant everything.”
Timo Legout’s journey to The University of Texas has been anything but ordinary, but thanks to the support of Longhorn Foundation donors his experience has become extraordinary. At UT Timo has grown on the court and in the classroom, dreams made possible thanks to the generosity of the Longhorn Foundation. Wherever life takes him next, one thing is certain: Timo will carry the lessons, relationships, and resilience he’s gained at Texas wherever he goes.
