Oct. 28, 2003
ATLANTA – Esme de Villiers, a Women’s Tennis Association doubles champion and International Tennis Federation singles champion, was named the assistant women’s tennis coach at Georgia Tech, Yellow Jackets head coach Bryan Shelton announced on Tuesday.
De Villiers, better known is “Nannie,” is a native of Somerset West, South Africa and brings over ten years of professional playing experience with her to Tech. An accomplished doubles player, she most recently won the 2002 Canberra, Australia WTA Doubles Title and was a WTA Doubles Finalist in Waikoloa, Hawaii in 2002, and Canberra in 2001.
In Grand Slam events, De Villiers won the Wimbledon Junior Doubles Title in 1994, and she was a 1999 semifinalist and a 2000 quarterfinalist in the French Open Mixed Doubles competition. The following year, she was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon with partner Myles Wakefield.
“We are very fortunate to have Nannie join our coaching staff,” said Shelton. “She has consistently been one of the strongest doubles players in the world and has played in all the major tournaments. That alone commands respect from our players and prospective student-athletes. Her competitive nature will permeate throughout our entire team.”
Along with her doubles title, de Villiers has four ITF Singles Titles to her credit, including two in 1994 and again in 1997. She was a representative on the South African Fed Cup team from 1995-2003, and a member of the New York Buzz of World Team Tennis since July, 2001.
“I’m very excited about working at Georgia Tech,” said de Villiers. “It’s a complete change of a career, and it’s a challenge in a different direction of my tennis. I think I’ve had a lot of experience, and I believe that I can help the girls improve their experience both on the court and in life. I am looking forward to a successful career as a coach here at Georgia Tech.”
Aside from her professional tennis career, de Villiers has provided television and radio commentary for several tennis events, including court-side at the ASB Bank Classic in 1998 and at the Fed Cup in 1995. She has also participated in numerous pro-am events throughout her career.
“Nannie is very excited about sharing her knowledge and experiences from playing at the highest level,” Shelton said. “I know that she will be a major contributor to developing our young talent.”
