Antiquarian and coffee expert Ethan Quinn collects the first title of the Challenger Tour | ATP Tour

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Classic and coffee expert Quinn collects the first title of the Challenger Tour

Read about the hobbies of a 20-year-old

November 22, 2024

Ethan Quinn thoroughly enjoyed his first full season as a professional, whether it was winning his first ATP Challenger Tour title in his final tournament of the year or indulging in two off-court passions: visiting coffee shops and antique stores.

America's #NextGenATP turned champion in June 2023 shortly after winning a unique NCAA title against the University of Georgia. While in Athens for 16 memorable months, Quinn became a coffee shop fanatic in part because of Georgia assistant coach Will Reynolds.

“When we are on the road, around 6 in the morning he would go and find a local coffee shop where we are.” A lot of times I would just ask him, 'Hey, can I join?'” Quinn told ATPTour.com. “By doing that, I started to enjoy going to these local places. I felt it was better than buying this business coffee. The quality was better, people really cared about talking to you rather than just a coffee shop.”

It was also in college that Quinn began exploring antique stores – a hobby she brought with her while traveling the world.

“My mom got a house in Athens when I was in college and the way she furnished the house was by going to antique shops, so I went with her and I thought it was really cool to go to all these different markets and little shops,” Quinn said.

“Being able to offer everything, even if it was a cheap price, was also good, but also those unique pieces that you can find. I thought it was really cool to have your own character, yourself in these pieces that you can find.”

Quinn's latest collector's item is a piece of shiny hardware, which he won after a strong run at last week's Champaign Challenger. The Fresno, California native defeated Nishesh Basavareddy 6-3, 6-1 in the American #NextGenATP final.

“It means a lot that I was finally able to get that reward for the hard work and challenges I went through this year,” Quinn told analyst Mike Cation. “Now going into the offseason, it gives me a little more perspective in my step. I can go into my off season knowing that what I'm doing is working.”

Ethan Quinn is crowned at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Champaign, Illinois.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/ news/2024/ 11/19/16/39/quinn-champaginch-2024.jpg”>
^{Ethan Quinn was crowned at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Champaign, Illinois. Credit: Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger}

At a career-high No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Quinn has quickly absorbed the lessons learned in his first full season on the road. He has even been informed of the travel challenges associated with this job, including one that turned out to be an unforgettable stroke of luck.

“After Newport, I was flying to Atlanta and my flight was delayed 12 hours with a one-hour layover,” Quinn said. “There was a man I met in the living room talking to his brother and said, 'I'm renting a plane.' And I asked him, 'Hey, do you have extra seats so my coach and I can get on the plane with you. I'm playing in a tournament that starts tomorrow. Is there any way you can help me get on the plane? I would really appreciate it.'

“He ended up charging us a cheaper price than what we could have paid. I was very lucky to meet this man and enter this competition. If I didn't make it, it would have been a really bad week.”

It can be a lesson in adapting, something Quinn has improved on the court this year since he's been away from the Georgia Bulldogs.

“The thing that my coach was able to put on the level that I understood is that I'm not competing against Georgia, I'm competing against a different team and I think that team will be the EQ team,” said Quinn. , referring to his origins. “It took me a while to see that. I was leaving Georgia, I was leaving that group there. Now I play for my team.

“Not just your competition, but everyone you've been working hard with in the shadows. I know at the beginning of my career, I thought it was very lonely on tour because everyone is not really your friend, you compete with each other. But once I was able to see that everyone wants the best for you, especially in your team, I was able to enjoy the whole process little by little.”