University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), – final preparations for the end of season of the Colonial Athletic Association conference are underway as the UNCW tennis team gears up to regain the title that it has won 3 times in a row. The newly ranked team from Wilmington, North Carolina will be vying for a fourth consecutive CAA title, a record that the team will be looking forward to attaining. Winning the CAA conference opens up the opportunity to compete in the NCAA national championship, the most prestigious college tournament in the USA.
Maltese tennis player, Alex Degabriele, who moved to North Carolina in August 2022 on a tennis programme, thanks to the support of the Malta Sports Scholarships Scheme within the Ministry of Education, has resumed training with the team following a period in which he was sidelined due to injury. Alex has been training on a full-time basis with UNCW for the past 2 years while studying for a Business Administration degree.
Member of the 2023 CAA Championship team, Alex went 11-5 in singles and 11-7 in doubles in his first year. Alex will be looking forward to regaining full fitness in preparation for the end of season in the USA. Alex will return from the USA in May to resume his tennis programme in Europe, including his commitments with his Italian team Mediterraneo CT in the Italian Serie B, followed by participation in the Davis Cup with the Malta Tennis Federation. Before returning to the USA in August, Alex will also be participating in the Pro ITF Circuit, with scheduled matches in Tunisia and Belgium, over the summer months.
‘The past months have been very challenging for me,’ commented Alex De Gabriele. ‘Nursing a shoulder injury for all this time and not being able to compete with my team was not an ideal situation. However, I have found unwavering support from my college, especially the coaching and medical staff who have done a great job to bring me back to fitness. I would also like to thank the Malta Sports Scholarships Scheme at the Ministry of Education for supporting my tenure here in the USA. Their invaluable support has made it possible for me to experience college tennis at the highest level.’
