GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As the sweat dripped down his face and steam rose off his head on an uncharacteristically cold night at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex, he clutched his fist in celebration like he just won Wimbledon, but it just marked the end of a rally that went in his favor.

With every serve, forehand, backhand, volley and smash, his spirit grew. He cheered for himself and for his teammates loud enough that “Let’s Go” and “Go Gators” echoed in the surrounding streets.

You can’t miss Pablo Perez Ramos when attending a Gators men’s tennis match, even if your eyes are closed. His presence finds you.

The Spaniard, who grew up in the Canary Islands, has played tennis for nearly 19 years but is now enjoying it at the University of Florida after transferring from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Despite his flamboyant and passionate style of play, he says he wasn’t always like that. If you saw him play a year ago, you wouldn’t believe it was him.

“You [would] see angry Pablo,” he said while laughing. “I had a lot of energy as well, but it wasn’t like here.”

A fifth-year senior, Perez Ramos said the sudden change was due to the culture and coaching staff at Florida, which encourages a team concept of boisterous chanting to turn up the fun.

 

“Our culture is about playing with great energy, playing for each other, taking this individual sport and making it a team,” Florida men’s tennis coach Adam Steinberg said.

Perez Ramos has bought into the attitude so much so that Steinberg often forgets how long he has been a Gator.

“I tell him I feel like he’s played for the Gators for four years,” Steinberg said. “And that’s credit to him for buying into the Gator way and his love for the University of Florida in such a fast time, it’s pretty unusual and pretty incredible.”

Florida’s approach starts at the top, and Perez Ramos has quickly fit in and become close with his teammates.

After a tough loss against Florida State on Friday night, which came down to a tiebreaker, Perez Ramos had a message for his teammates.

“I texted them in the group chat when we lost to FSU: I would rather lose having these teammates than winning with a bunch of kids that are not close to me,” he said.

The coveted bond he says he has cultivated with his teammates doesn’t just come from the love of the game, but a shared experience of coming to the United States to play college tennis.

Of Florida’s 10 players, just three are from the U.S.

His goals mainly revolve around the team.

“Well, we are always looking for everything here [at] Florida,” he said. “It’s a place that won a national championship four years ago, five years ago. So, the goal is, obviously, to get that ring back and bring a national championship to Florida again.”

What hasn’t changed about Perez Ramos is his success on the court.

At NJIT, he posted a career record of 79-25 in singles and 76-28 in doubles, racking up multiple honors, including Southland Tournament MVP and NJIT Male Athlete of the Year in 2023-2024 when he helped the Highlanders capture their first-ever conference title.

After four years in Newark, Perez Ramos says he decided to transfer and entered the transfer portal in 2025, seeking a better opportunity that ultimately led him to Gainesville.

He says that once he entered the portal, he reached out to Coach Steinberg before assistant coach Max Koller contacted him, and after speaking, the two sides joined forces.

However, he knew long before that he wanted to be a Gator.

“2021 was my first year in college,” he said. “So obviously seeing Florida winning [the national championship in men’s tennis], was like ‘wow this is the place to be,’ ” he said.

On that UF team in 2021 was All-American Ben Shelton, whom Perez Ramos says he looks up to because he, too, aspires to play professionally after college.

In his first year with the Gators, Perez Ramos is undefeated in singles, 7-0, and 3-4 in doubles. The Gators return to action at home Saturday afternoon against Florida Gulf Coast.

“I’m so proud of him because he is mentally in a really good spot and because of that, the sky is the limit for him,” Steinberg said. “I look for him to be a force in the SEC.”

One big difference Perez Ramos noted between NJIT and UF is the level of fan support.

Perez Ramos said he was honored to play in front of so many fans against the Seminoles, which helps his game because he thinks he performs better under pressure.

But if not for a different type of support, he may never have suited up in the Orange & Blue or played in college at all.

“Without my family, I wouldn’t be here,” Perez Ramos said sincerely.

He explained that his father, a big tennis fan, got him into the sport and spent a lot of time helping him train.

“If we had to be on the court six hours because I wanted to, he would be there for me,” he said.

His mother took a more psychological approach, instilling confidence during his journey. Together, he says, they set the blueprint for his success and always believed in him, even when he didn’t believe in himself.

His sister, also a tennis player, encouraged him to practice and play more when he was younger, which helped him ultimately choose tennis over soccer.

“They’ve been super supportive my whole entire life,” he said. “When I was kind of doubting about quitting tennis or coming to college, they gave me an extra push.”

In his short time at UF, Perez Ramos has made it clear he loves being a Gator and takes pride in the name and logo on his chest, but beyond what his actions say louder than words, he wanted the fans to know something else about him.

“I really enjoy playing in front of them,” he said. “So, if they could pack the stadium every match, that would be incredible.”