TAMPA, FL (October 21, 2025)- Growing up in Uruguay, Toto Llanes had dreams of one day playing professional tennis. As a proficient juniors player in his country, it was a reasonable goal, but looking back, he wishes he'd considered an alternate path earlier in his tennis career — college.
"College tennis pretty much changed my life," said Llanes. "It gave me a lot of relationships with friends and coaches. I've met a lot of important people really fast just because I'm good at sports. It opens doors easily."
Now in his senior season at the University of South Florida, Llanes hopes to inspire other young players, especially those in South America, to consider playing college tennis. As a way to share his story, Llanes started an Instagram account called Inside Out Tennis. He's posted about his daily routine, training, and matches to show people the college tennis experience.
"I feel like this is good content that people want to see," said Llanes. "When I was younger, I didn't know how good you could train in Division I tennis. I thought the only path to going pro was by just going right away after juniors. I didn't realize how tough the level is here and how much this would prepare me for the future."
Finding college tennis
Llanes was nearly 21 years old when he came to the United States to play college tennis. While he wishes he'd made it to the US earlier, he's grateful he found it nonetheless and wants to do whatever he can to inform others of the benefits of college.
"Playing tennis at USF has taught me not to only think about tennis," said Llanes. "Before, when I was playing pro, I was just focusing on tennis, and that was a lot of pressure. You have to be top 50 or 60 in the world to be financially stable playing pro tennis. It's a lot of investing and not getting anything back.
"Now, I have a backup plan, which is my major. Even if you play tennis, you still have a lot of free time that you can use for something else, like preparing for a major."
With his time in college, Llanes has come to realize he has more to offer the world than just his tennis skills. He's studying econometrics and loves being able to help others and inspire them to achieve their dreams.
"Playing college tennis is like having two full-time jobs," said Llanes. "I feel like it's good to help prepare you for the future as well. I'm just trying to get the maximum possible out of my time here because I don't want to have any regrets."
Llanes doesn't know what the future holds for him, but he's excited to see where this Inside Out Tennis account goes. Whether he ends up coaching or playing professional tennis, he wants to continue to share his story and help others, especially those in South America, achieve their dreams.
"So many young players back home don't know about the opportunity to come to the US and play college tennis," said Llanes. "I want them to know it's an option and show them how it's changed my life. It's been an incredible experience, and I feel like many players are missing out."
