Gonzalo Garcia-Nieto enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Jacksonville State men’s tennis program in 2023-24.
Garcia-Nieto stayed busy during the Fall of 2023 as Jax State men’s tennis impressed in numerous invitationals, ITA Regionals tournaments, and ITF Futures events. He coached Ivan Marrero Curbelo to a national ranking of No. 45 in the country, a first in the program’s history.
After concluding his collegiate playing career in June 2022, Garcia-Nieto accepted an assistant coaching position within the Jacksonville State tennis program. He immediately helped in the team’s recruiting efforts, playing a part in Jax State’s 33rd-ranked class nationally according to the Tennis Recruiting Network. Garcia-Nieto assisted in the team’s 13-win campaign in the Spring of 2023, a season in which the team scored its first win over rival Kennesaw State in nine years and defeated Eastern Kentucky in the First Round of the ASUN Tournament, serving as Jacksonville State’s first postseason win since 2019.
His tennis reach extends far beyond the Jax State Tennis Courts. Garcia-Nieto has coached and trained at the MBA Tennis Academy in Cabrils, Barcelona, which is owned by mentors Jordi Burillo and David de Miguel. Burillo and de Miguel, who both coached Gonzalo, are former ATP Tour competitors who accomplished worldwide rankings of No. 43 and No. 81 respectively.
The Gamecock assistant played completed his collegiate career at Lipscomb University where he guided the Bisons to their first two winning seasons in program history. As a senior in 2022, Garcia-Nieto contributed to a 9-7 team record, including four ASUN Conference triumphs, and a run to the ASUN Tournament Semifinals. His junior year saw Lipscomb start 9-1 and tally an ITA Ranking as high as No. 65 before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gonzalo began his college career at Tennessee Tech University and was an instrumental part of the Eagles’ success, winning two Ohio Valley Conference Championships and twice securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He starred in singles and doubles action for TTU, earning a nomination for the OVC Freshman of the Year Award.
Garcia-Nieto, a perennial top player in Catalunya, was ranked in the Top Ten for junior players in Spain. He achieved multiple quarterfinals finishes in national tournaments and routinely made it to the finals in state competitions. From a young age, Gonzalo was recruited to play for the prestigious Real Club de Tennis Barcelona and practice at the Catalan Tennis Federation.
A native of Barcelona, Spain, Garcia-Nieto earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Lipscomb University in May 2022, double majoring in Finance and Management. He resides in Jacksonville.
