Anyone who has ever played a sport knows that achieving perfection in a season is virtually next to impossible, but don’t try telling that to Blaise Bicknell.

The 19-year-old tennis player achieved just that in guiding the University of Florida to their first ever national championship last week, while achieving his two main goals for the season.

“It feels incredible to be a part of Florida’s first national championship and part of an undefeated season. My goals were to go undefeated and to help our amazing team to win the National Championship. It’s such a great feeling to help achieve those goals,” he said.

Bicknell admitted to feeling frustrated and demotivated after the 2020 season got cancelled last March, due to COVID-19, but credits his coach “Uncle Mel Spence” and training partners Randy Phillips and brother, Jacob Bicknell, for helping him to remain focused.

The “extended off season” was used to get fitter, faster and stronger, keys to the magnificent unbeaten season, Bicknell says.

He is the fourth player in school history to go unbeaten in a season, but the first to do so while winning a championship, an achievement that makes him proud.

“I am extremely proud of this accomplishment because I tend to lose focus sometimes in matches and so to be able to go unbeaten means I have improved my ability to focus, a lot,” Bicknell stated.

Going unbeaten for the season was a team effort according to Bicknell, as he revealed the people most significant in making that happen.

“My coach, Bryan Shelton, is so great and so strict that I have learnt that there is no messing around. Once we step on the court we are at work and there’s no messing around.

“My teammates, especially captains Sam Riffice and Duarte Vale have also had a huge impact on improving my discipline and I’m very grateful to them.

“All my coaches have taught me the best techniques in tennis and so with my improved strength, fitness and mental toughness, I was able to achieve my goals, along with the help of my incredible teammates.

“But, perhaps the greatest part about winning the title for the Gators was having his family there to see him do it,” Bicknell confessed.

Bicknell is hoping that his collegiate success will translate to success for Jamaica and help improve his own Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings.

“My improvement, hopefully, will help me to achieve my goals for this year which are to help Jamaica to win the Group 3 in Davis Cup and make it to Group 2. I also want to make it to ATP top 800,” he noted.

Bicknell has also set himself a new challenge, possibly for next season.

“I also want to play doubles and do well for the Gators in that,” he concluded.