THIS IS FAMILY
4/15/2026 10:30:00 AM | Men's Tennis, My Baylor Story
Velcz learned how to ‘play for something bigger than yourself’
Much more than the 5,695 miles that separate his hometown of Budapest, Hungary, from Waco, Texas, moving to the U.S. was a culture shock for Zsombor Velcz when he enrolled at Baylor as a 19-year-old freshman in 2022.
Although he was already speaking English after traveling the globe playing in international tennis tournaments, "it wasn't the same when I got here." It was taking in-person classes versus home schooling online. And then, there was the adjustment of being part of a team for the first time in his life.
"Tennis is an individual sport," said Velcz, a senior for the 11th-ranked Baylor men (21-8), who will face Utah (7-15) in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Thursday at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
"I didn't really understand until I got here how it feels to be part of a team and play for something bigger than yourself. My freshman year, I slowly started to understand what it means to be on a team and playing with your best friends, with your brothers next to you on the court. I felt like those things helped me understand the game more and maybe understand life a little bit more."
Something that seemed so foreign to him when he first arrived on campus four years ago, Baylor tennis has become family to Zsombor.
"From the moment Zsombor arrived in the fall of 2022, we believed in who he could become," Baylor coach Michael Woodson said, "but what he's done here has meant so much more than just his development as a player. Baylor has truly become a second home for him, and the relationships he's built with his teammates, our staff and the community are a big part of that. He's not just part of this program – he's family."
That feeling of family was never more evident than on May 3, 2024, at the end of Zsombor's sophomore season. That morning, the team woke up to the tragic news that then-freshman Devin Badenhorst's father and sister had been killed in a car accident back home in South Africa.
"Definitely one of the worst days for me here at Baylor and maybe in my life, too," Zsombor said, "because I'm really close with Devin. Even though that was our first semester together, we got really close. . . . I played doubles with him that day, and it was really emotional for everyone on the court. Even after we lost, we came together and we stayed with him until he went back home.
"Those things made us realize that this is more than just playing for a team. This is more than just a team, this is a family. And we are always here for each other."
The U16 national champion in Hungary, Zsombor won a pro title during a "gap year" after high school, beating three-time All-Big Ten honoree Dusty Boyer from Nebraska, 6-3, 6-2, in the final at Gurugram, India.
"In that moment, I didn't really know that I was going to end up being in the States playing college tennis," he said. "I was at the (Hungarian) Federation, and there were a few guys older than me that had a higher ranking, like 300 or 400. And I was (816th). They were obviously playing in higher tournaments and traveling to different tournaments. We also shared a coach, so I was usually by myself."
All those things added up to Zsombor making a visit and ultimately deciding to go to Baylor on a tennis scholarship.
"Education was a big, big factor for me; my family, too," Zsombor said. "Student-athlete is not a thing in Hungary. Here, I can study and play tennis at the same time. That was a huge perk for me and made my decision much easier."
Zsombor got a lesson from associate head coach Izak van der Merwe early in his first semester at Baylor, when he didn't wear his college gear in a first-round loss to Arkansas' Adrien Burdet at a pro satellite tournament in Fayetteville.
"I was with Izak, and he told me, 'You don't understand it right now, but there is so much weight you carry when you play in Baylor gear representing Baylor, when your opponent can see you are playing for Baylor or you're on the Baylor tennis team,''' Zsombor said.
"It's my first semester. I didn't understand anything what he said about it. But I started to realize, this place is one of the most historically best programs in the country. So many great players come from this program. It's a great honor for me to play for Baylor and represent the school."
Zsombor has certainly done that, earning All-Big 12 honors in each of his three previous seasons, qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Championship with three different doubles partners and earning a career-high singles ranking this year of No. 35 in the country.
As a freshman, he teamed with Tadeas Paroulek to go a combined 21-3 at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in dual matches.
"Our playing styles are completely different," Zsombor said. "He was returning really well, so that made me return much better. Behind his service games, I had to help him a little bit more at the net. And he had to help me a little with the returns. We also had really good chemistry."
After not making it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his first three seasons, Zsombor has high hopes for a Baylor team that already has wins over Ohio State, Wake Forest, Texas A&M and UCF – all ranked in the top 15 in the country.
"At the beginning of the season, I think we didn't really realize how good this team can be," Zsombor said. "We started out really strong at home, beating Wake Forest and Ohio State; they were ranked No. 1 and 2 in the country. It just gave us huge confidence for the rest of the season. Our goal is to do big things in May, and I truly believe this team is capable of doing some really big things that we weren't able to do the last few years."
Set to graduate in August with a degree in corporate communication, business administration and entrepreneurship, Zsombor said he's undecided on whether to pursue his MBA. But he plans to take a week or two off after the season ends before starting to play professionally.
"What's been special is how his sense of belonging has shown up in everything he does," Woodson said. "He's grown into a confident, complete player on the court through his work ethic and competitiveness, and into a leader off the court who his teammates trust and look up to. He represents Baylor the right way every day, and we're incredibly proud of the young man he's become."
Although he was already speaking English after traveling the globe playing in international tennis tournaments, "it wasn't the same when I got here." It was taking in-person classes versus home schooling online. And then, there was the adjustment of being part of a team for the first time in his life.
"Tennis is an individual sport," said Velcz, a senior for the 11th-ranked Baylor men (21-8), who will face Utah (7-15) in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Thursday at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
"I didn't really understand until I got here how it feels to be part of a team and play for something bigger than yourself. My freshman year, I slowly started to understand what it means to be on a team and playing with your best friends, with your brothers next to you on the court. I felt like those things helped me understand the game more and maybe understand life a little bit more."
Something that seemed so foreign to him when he first arrived on campus four years ago, Baylor tennis has become family to Zsombor.
"From the moment Zsombor arrived in the fall of 2022, we believed in who he could become," Baylor coach Michael Woodson said, "but what he's done here has meant so much more than just his development as a player. Baylor has truly become a second home for him, and the relationships he's built with his teammates, our staff and the community are a big part of that. He's not just part of this program – he's family."
That feeling of family was never more evident than on May 3, 2024, at the end of Zsombor's sophomore season. That morning, the team woke up to the tragic news that then-freshman Devin Badenhorst's father and sister had been killed in a car accident back home in South Africa.
"Definitely one of the worst days for me here at Baylor and maybe in my life, too," Zsombor said, "because I'm really close with Devin. Even though that was our first semester together, we got really close. . . . I played doubles with him that day, and it was really emotional for everyone on the court. Even after we lost, we came together and we stayed with him until he went back home.
"Those things made us realize that this is more than just playing for a team. This is more than just a team, this is a family. And we are always here for each other."
The U16 national champion in Hungary, Zsombor won a pro title during a "gap year" after high school, beating three-time All-Big Ten honoree Dusty Boyer from Nebraska, 6-3, 6-2, in the final at Gurugram, India.
"In that moment, I didn't really know that I was going to end up being in the States playing college tennis," he said. "I was at the (Hungarian) Federation, and there were a few guys older than me that had a higher ranking, like 300 or 400. And I was (816th). They were obviously playing in higher tournaments and traveling to different tournaments. We also shared a coach, so I was usually by myself."
All those things added up to Zsombor making a visit and ultimately deciding to go to Baylor on a tennis scholarship.
"Education was a big, big factor for me; my family, too," Zsombor said. "Student-athlete is not a thing in Hungary. Here, I can study and play tennis at the same time. That was a huge perk for me and made my decision much easier."
Zsombor got a lesson from associate head coach Izak van der Merwe early in his first semester at Baylor, when he didn't wear his college gear in a first-round loss to Arkansas' Adrien Burdet at a pro satellite tournament in Fayetteville.
"I was with Izak, and he told me, 'You don't understand it right now, but there is so much weight you carry when you play in Baylor gear representing Baylor, when your opponent can see you are playing for Baylor or you're on the Baylor tennis team,''' Zsombor said.
"It's my first semester. I didn't understand anything what he said about it. But I started to realize, this place is one of the most historically best programs in the country. So many great players come from this program. It's a great honor for me to play for Baylor and represent the school."
Zsombor has certainly done that, earning All-Big 12 honors in each of his three previous seasons, qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Championship with three different doubles partners and earning a career-high singles ranking this year of No. 35 in the country.
As a freshman, he teamed with Tadeas Paroulek to go a combined 21-3 at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in dual matches.
"Our playing styles are completely different," Zsombor said. "He was returning really well, so that made me return much better. Behind his service games, I had to help him a little bit more at the net. And he had to help me a little with the returns. We also had really good chemistry."
After not making it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his first three seasons, Zsombor has high hopes for a Baylor team that already has wins over Ohio State, Wake Forest, Texas A&M and UCF – all ranked in the top 15 in the country.
"At the beginning of the season, I think we didn't really realize how good this team can be," Zsombor said. "We started out really strong at home, beating Wake Forest and Ohio State; they were ranked No. 1 and 2 in the country. It just gave us huge confidence for the rest of the season. Our goal is to do big things in May, and I truly believe this team is capable of doing some really big things that we weren't able to do the last few years."
Set to graduate in August with a degree in corporate communication, business administration and entrepreneurship, Zsombor said he's undecided on whether to pursue his MBA. But he plans to take a week or two off after the season ends before starting to play professionally.
"What's been special is how his sense of belonging has shown up in everything he does," Woodson said. "He's grown into a confident, complete player on the court through his work ethic and competitiveness, and into a leader off the court who his teammates trust and look up to. He represents Baylor the right way every day, and we're incredibly proud of the young man he's become."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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