Tennis scholars | Kent Sport

Tennis Scholars

Tennis Scholar

Francesco Abbadessa

Academic courseMedicine

Hometown/Nationality: Milan, Italy

Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Tennis

Best sporting achievement/personal best: 

Playing in two men’s ITF Futures professional tournaments. ITF Master's Tour singles world ranking #99 (30+ age group). National GB singles ranking #2 (30+ age group). 

Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote? 

“Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success” K. Bryant  

Francesco is a student with the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS).

Tennis Scholar

Tan Acar

Academic courseMasters in International Relations

Nationality: Turkish

Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Tennis

Best sporting achievement/personal best: 

  • Top 300 ITF
  • 5th Top in National Age Ranking
  • 31st National Ranking  

Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote? 

Novak Djokovic, with his extraordinary mental toughness and ability to succeed even under pressure on the court, his unwavering will inspires me to achieve my goals with the same relentless determination. His resilience resonates deeply with me, as I was nicknamed "the fighter" by Bruguera, the former coordinator of the Turkish National Tennis Team; this title perfectly reflects my own tenacity and determination. Such as Djokovic, I never give up and never stop, facing intense challenges on the courts or pursuing goals.  

Tennis Scholar

Ryan Loo

Academic courseAccounting and Finance

Hometown/Nationality: Singaporean

Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Tennis

Best sporting achievement/personal best: 

Junior Davis Trials.

Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote? 

‘You play the ball. You don’t play the opponent. Be free in your head. Be free in your shots. Go for it’ Roger Federer  

Tennis Scholar

Alessia Tafur Cicala

Academic courseBusiness and Marketing

Hometown/Nationality: Lima/Peruvian

Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Tennis

Best sporting achievement/personal best: 

BUCS Women’s Conference Cup Final 2025. 

Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote? 

Maria Sharapova: “If everything was going smoothly you would never build character."