Amulika Gottiparthy
UGA Sports Communications

When Arda Azkara stepped onto the court for his first Davis Cup match earlier this month in Niš, Serbia, he wasn’t just nervous — he was overwhelmed. Most of the fans inside the Sportski Centar Cair were cheering against him, the stage felt bigger than anything he had played on before, and the weight of playing for Turkey hit him all at once.

But instead of letting the pressure take over, the Georgia men’s tennis graduate transfer from Izmir, Turkey, came away with a lesson he will now carry into every match: staying calm makes all the difference.

“I learned that anything can happen when you go on the court, no matter who you are or what you did in the past,” Azkara said. “When you’re relaxed, you play better. You focus more, you enjoy it, and you hit the shots you want to hit.”

Azkara, who transferred to Georgia from New Mexico, where he was a two-time Mountain West Player of the Year, had already played three years of college tennis before his Davis Cup debut. Still, he said the team atmosphere and level of competition felt completely different.

“At the end of the day, you’re not playing for yourself,” he said. “You’re playing for your teammates, your coaches, and the people back at home.”

That mindset was tested right away. Turkey dropped the doubles point early, with Azkara and partner Ergi Kirkin falling in three sets, which could have easily crushed Azkara’s confidence before his singles match. Instead, he found freedom in the situation. With the team already behind, he played looser and discovered how much better his game flowed when he wasn’t caught up in the score.

“I realized I was calmer, and that helped me think about my game more,” he said. “Of course, I still wanted to win, but I was more focused on showing my skills and enjoying the moment.”

The Bulldog made the most of his singles moment, beating Branko Djuric in a tight match, 7-5, 6-7, 10-7. And though Azkara was playing far from home, he did have a cheering section. Some of his friends flew in from Turkey without telling him beforehand, showing up in the stands to support him. “It was pretty cool and fun to see them come all the way,” he said with a smile.

Balancing high-level tennis with life in Athens isn’t easy for Azkara. As a master’s student, he can’t miss classes, and his days are filled with schoolwork, practices, and matches. He said it leaves little time for himself, though traveling for tournaments can sometimes feel easier.

“On the road, it’s more relaxing, because I don’t have to go to class,” Azkara said. “I still do homework, but I have more time for myself.”

Even with the challenges of travel involving the different food, new places, and long stretches away from home, Azkara said the Davis Cup reminded him why he plays tennis. The support from his country, his family, and his coaches keep him motivated.

He hopes younger players who get the chance to represent their country approach it with the same perspective. “They should really enjoy it,” Azkara said. “That’s when you look better on the court, and that’s what your country wants to see.”

For him, the Davis Cup wasn’t just about competing against top players. It was about discovering that calmness and perspective matter more than nerves or rankings. That’s a lesson he plans to carry with him for the rest of his career.