Ex-Pack tennis star Moez Echargui credits time at Nevada as he preps for Paris Olympics

Every other week, Nevada Sports Net will spotlight a local athlete as part of our “Legendary Athletes” series, which is presented in partnership with Legends Bay Casino. Today’s featured athlete is former Nevada tennis star Moez Echargui, who has qualified for the Paris Olympics and will represent his native country of Tunisia.

If Moez Echargui were to go to college all over again, he would still choose Nevada.

The former Nevada tennis standout won multiple conference honors during his Silver and Blue career from 2011-15. Echargui was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2012, Mountain West Co-Player of the Year in 2015 and made the all-conference singles team in 2014 and 2015. He was most recently named to the Mountain West’s 25th season team. Echargui is tied with Laurent Garcin for most career victories in Nevada history with 72.

“I had such an amazing experience with the teammates, the surroundings and everything,” Echargui said. “Even in the school education wise, so I’m happy about and I’m actually happy that I get to chose Nevada. If I ever get to do it again I have no doubt about it, I know what I’m gonna choose. The first year it was difficult, life changing, I was almost 18 years old when I got there in 2011. I was kind of young going on the other side of the world leaving the country. It was not easy at the beginning, but I found the right teammates, the right coaches that guided me through my journey and throughout my sophomore year, after my freshman year, I knew that I had all the people that needed to push me in throughout this journey to compete to be professional and to compete professionally.”

Echargui graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and minor in engineering in 2016 and began competing on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) tour in 2017 after moving home to Tunisia. He became the first Wolf Pack tennis alum to play in the Davis Cup, doing so early in his professional career in 2017. He ended Marcos Baghdatis’ record run of 36 straight Davis Cup singles victories, a streak that stretched over 14 years.

In March, Echargui qualified for his first Olympics after winning gold at the African Games, earning the automatic bid to Paris. In the gold medal match, Echargui won the back-and-forth first set against Benjamin Lock, defeating him in a tiebreaker to win the first set 7-6 (9). Lock pulled back a set, winning the second frame 6-3, but Echargui dominated the deciding set, defeating Lock 6-2 in set three. Echargui also earned a bronze medal in the doubles competition for Tunisia in the team competition.

“It’s been a dream come true, qualified for the Olympics, I’ve never dreamt to be there one day, it’s such an honor,” Echargui said. “I think it’s a privilege being among the greatest athletes in the world, so it’s going to be a first time for me. It was quite an experience because it was my first time competing at the African Games. In 2019, I actually I didn’t have the chance to be present at the African Games. I got an injury that got me away from the court from for eight months, so I was not able to compete in that. But luckily this time, I was. I’m happy and excited about it because for the first time I got the gold medal. And with that I get the qualification for for the Olympics.”

Added Echargui: Being there with great athletes from Africa, like seeing them, being among them, it was such a privilege and honor because since 2017, I’ve been participating on the ATP tour and it’s kind of a close circle. I’m only seeing the inside of my sport, so at the African Games, I get to see another look, other athletes, how they’re practicing, how they are competing, how they’re getting ready for competition, so it was quite an experience.

Echargui resides in Milan, Italy and is competing in several events leading up to the Paris Olympics next month. He said his parents will be able to make the 1.5 flight from Tunisia to Paris next month to watch him compete on the biggest stage. Echargui added the support he’s received from the Reno community has been overwhelming as he prepares for an opportunity of a lifetime.

“I think most of all, after all these years, after I qualified for the Olympics because people come and go and what at the end stays is those connection and those people that you meet throughout the journey and. After I qualified for the Olympics, I have received so many messages, a lot of people were also following me since I’ve started to play on the tour professionally. But, what I can remember lately is like those small messages from the people that were there at the school, in Reno and to see their messages and their encouragement, I mean, it’s amazing.”

Tennis at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will begin on Saturday, July 27, with the round of 64 spanning three days at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

You can watch the interview with Moez Echargui from NSN Tonight below.