URBANA — Aleks Vukic started playing professional tennis tournaments a couple years ago. The results were, well, not great for the Australian teenager.
“I was losing in the first round of qualifying and really struggling to win any matches,” the Illinois sophomore said late last week before a practice session at Atkins Tennis Center. “I definitely was nowhere near as, I guess, good as I am now.”
Vukic returned to campus for the Car-X Futures event at Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex — his seventh Futures tournament of the summer. He bowed out in the first round of the doubles draw, teaming with Illini senior Jared Hiltzik, before losing in the second round of singles.