GAJDZIK COACHING HIGHLIGHTS AT PURDUE
• 2017 ITA Ohio Valley Region Coach of the Year
• 2017 Finalist for ITA Wilson National Coach of the Year
• 2017 NCAA Public Recognition Award for posting a multi-year Academic Progress Rate(APR) among top 10 percent in the nation in men’s tennis
• 2016 ITA Ohio Valley Head Coach of the Year
• In 2016, coached Gergely Madarasz, the program’s first All-Big Ten first-team member since 2004 and the first under Gajdzik … Madarasz was a unanimous selection … guided Madarasz to the program's highest singles ranking since 2001 at No. 39.
• Gajdzik's biggest success came in transforming walk-on Athell Bennett into one of the best players in program history over four years, climbing as high as No. 20 in the nation, good for second-highest ever by a Boilermaker, as a senior in 2020
• Had Purdue’s first NCAA Singles Championship qualifier since 2001 in Madarasz in 2016, becoming just the third Boilermaker to qualify in program history.
• Team earned an NCAA Championships berth in 2014 sending the Boilermakers to the tournament for the first time since 2002.
• Obtained the highest-ever team ranking in program history at No. 28 on April 15, 2014 … the Boilermakers were ranked the entire 2014 season … Purdue appeared on 29 consecutive team polls from March 19, 2013 to Feb. 17, 2015 … the Boilermakers have been in the final team rankings four times during Gajdzik’s tenure.
• Had a pair of nationally ranked singles players, Madarasz and Benjamin Ugarte, for majority of the season 2016 for the first time since 1998-99.
• Four season win totals rank among the program’s top 10 … 20 wins in 2017 ranks fourth, 19 wins in 2013 ranks fifth, 17 wins in 2016 tied for seventh and 15 wins in 2014 tied for 10th.
• Recorded the program’s biggest upset with a 6-1 win over No. 16 Penn State on April 11, 2014.
• Has won 139 dual matches in seven seasons at Purdue, averaging nearly a dozen wins per season.
• Six times the Boilermakers have earned ITA All-Academic Team status (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016).
GAJDZIK’S PLAYERS BY THE NUMBERS
• 30: Academic All-Big Ten honorees
• 30: ITA Scholar-Athletes
• 12: All-Big Ten selections
• 13: nationally ranked singles players
• 9: nationally ranked doubles teams
• 3: Big Ten Athlete of the Week selections
• 4: ITA Ohio Valley Region Rookie Players of the Year
The 2021-22 season will be the 13th under head coach Pawel Gajdzik, who has taken the Purdue men’s tennis program into the national spotlight while his student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom and rise on the court.
Gajdzik came to Purdue on Aug. 23, 2009, after spending the 2008-09 season as the head men's tennis coach at Northern Illinois. He led the Huskies to a 9-10 overall record, including a 3-2 Mid-American Conference mark that tied for second in the league, which was the highest for the school since 1997.
The Huskies managed postseason acclaim as well during Gajdzik's tenure. Pawel Poziomski was named MAC Newcomer of the Year and All-MAC second team. Fellow freshman Jurica Grubisic was a first team All-MAC selection and junior Javier Bernabe was named to the second team. Gajdzik's 2009 recruiting class was named the No. 1 mid-major class in the country by TennisRecruiting.net.
Before taking over at Northern Illinois in 2008, Gajdzik spent six seasons on the coaching staff at Baylor. The Bears won the 2004 NCAA title and the 2005 national indoor team title before earning a national runner-up finish in 2005. Baylor also advanced to the national semifinal in 2006 and 2007 and the national quarterfinals in 2003 and 2008. The Bears brought six consecutive Big 12 Conference championships and five Big 12 tournament titles back to Waco while Gajdzik was on staff.
Gajdzik directed 2004 NCAA singles champion Benjamin Becker and 2005 NCAA singles champion Benedikt Dorsch. They were two of the four All-Americans to play at Baylor under Gajdzik. In addition to his coaching duties at Baylor, Gajdzik founded the PG Tennis Academy in 2005.
During his playing days at Baylor, Gajdzik won the 1998 Big 12 singles and doubles titles and was named the conference's Newcomer of the Year while leading the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance. In his first season of collegiate tennis, he was ranked as high as 17th in singles and was in the top 20 in the doubles rankings with two different partners. His 8-0 conference mark that season still stands as the best single-season mark in school history.
The following year, Baylor put together a 25-4 record and advanced to the national quarterfinals. In 2000, Gajdzik won another Big 12 doubles crown while leading the Bears to the first men's team conference title in school history and a berth in the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championship.
Prior to coming to the United States, Gajdzik, a native of Szczecin, Poland, was a member of his country’s national team from 1989 to 1997. He was an ATP ranked professional player in singles and doubles while playing for the Polish Junior National Team. Gajdzik also won a national championship and was ranked in the top five throughout his junior career.
Gajdzik is married to the former Elizabeth Solomon. The couple has a daughter, Natalia, and a son, Lukas.
*Head coach Pawel Gajdzik was suspended from one date of competition Jan. 16, 2016, which included two dual matches (vs. Toledo, vs. IUPUI).
~2020 season was canceled after 17 matches due to COVID-19 pandemic
*Per Big Ten Conference rules, the 2021 season featured only league opponents. The final match of the regular season against Indiana and participation in the Big Ten Conference Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
• 2017 ITA Ohio Valley Region Coach of the Year
• 2017 Finalist for ITA Wilson National Coach of the Year
• 2017 NCAA Public Recognition Award for posting a multi-year Academic Progress Rate(APR) among top 10 percent in the nation in men’s tennis
• 2016 ITA Ohio Valley Head Coach of the Year
• In 2016, coached Gergely Madarasz, the program’s first All-Big Ten first-team member since 2004 and the first under Gajdzik … Madarasz was a unanimous selection … guided Madarasz to the program's highest singles ranking since 2001 at No. 39.
• Gajdzik's biggest success came in transforming walk-on Athell Bennett into one of the best players in program history over four years, climbing as high as No. 20 in the nation, good for second-highest ever by a Boilermaker, as a senior in 2020
• Had Purdue’s first NCAA Singles Championship qualifier since 2001 in Madarasz in 2016, becoming just the third Boilermaker to qualify in program history.
• Team earned an NCAA Championships berth in 2014 sending the Boilermakers to the tournament for the first time since 2002.
• Obtained the highest-ever team ranking in program history at No. 28 on April 15, 2014 … the Boilermakers were ranked the entire 2014 season … Purdue appeared on 29 consecutive team polls from March 19, 2013 to Feb. 17, 2015 … the Boilermakers have been in the final team rankings four times during Gajdzik’s tenure.
• Had a pair of nationally ranked singles players, Madarasz and Benjamin Ugarte, for majority of the season 2016 for the first time since 1998-99.
• Four season win totals rank among the program’s top 10 … 20 wins in 2017 ranks fourth, 19 wins in 2013 ranks fifth, 17 wins in 2016 tied for seventh and 15 wins in 2014 tied for 10th.
• Recorded the program’s biggest upset with a 6-1 win over No. 16 Penn State on April 11, 2014.
• Has won 139 dual matches in seven seasons at Purdue, averaging nearly a dozen wins per season.
• Six times the Boilermakers have earned ITA All-Academic Team status (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016).
GAJDZIK’S PLAYERS BY THE NUMBERS
• 30: Academic All-Big Ten honorees
• 30: ITA Scholar-Athletes
• 12: All-Big Ten selections
• 13: nationally ranked singles players
• 9: nationally ranked doubles teams
• 3: Big Ten Athlete of the Week selections
• 4: ITA Ohio Valley Region Rookie Players of the Year
The 2021-22 season will be the 13th under head coach Pawel Gajdzik, who has taken the Purdue men’s tennis program into the national spotlight while his student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom and rise on the court.
Gajdzik came to Purdue on Aug. 23, 2009, after spending the 2008-09 season as the head men's tennis coach at Northern Illinois. He led the Huskies to a 9-10 overall record, including a 3-2 Mid-American Conference mark that tied for second in the league, which was the highest for the school since 1997.
The Huskies managed postseason acclaim as well during Gajdzik's tenure. Pawel Poziomski was named MAC Newcomer of the Year and All-MAC second team. Fellow freshman Jurica Grubisic was a first team All-MAC selection and junior Javier Bernabe was named to the second team. Gajdzik's 2009 recruiting class was named the No. 1 mid-major class in the country by TennisRecruiting.net.
Before taking over at Northern Illinois in 2008, Gajdzik spent six seasons on the coaching staff at Baylor. The Bears won the 2004 NCAA title and the 2005 national indoor team title before earning a national runner-up finish in 2005. Baylor also advanced to the national semifinal in 2006 and 2007 and the national quarterfinals in 2003 and 2008. The Bears brought six consecutive Big 12 Conference championships and five Big 12 tournament titles back to Waco while Gajdzik was on staff.
Gajdzik directed 2004 NCAA singles champion Benjamin Becker and 2005 NCAA singles champion Benedikt Dorsch. They were two of the four All-Americans to play at Baylor under Gajdzik. In addition to his coaching duties at Baylor, Gajdzik founded the PG Tennis Academy in 2005.
During his playing days at Baylor, Gajdzik won the 1998 Big 12 singles and doubles titles and was named the conference's Newcomer of the Year while leading the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance. In his first season of collegiate tennis, he was ranked as high as 17th in singles and was in the top 20 in the doubles rankings with two different partners. His 8-0 conference mark that season still stands as the best single-season mark in school history.
The following year, Baylor put together a 25-4 record and advanced to the national quarterfinals. In 2000, Gajdzik won another Big 12 doubles crown while leading the Bears to the first men's team conference title in school history and a berth in the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championship.
Prior to coming to the United States, Gajdzik, a native of Szczecin, Poland, was a member of his country’s national team from 1989 to 1997. He was an ATP ranked professional player in singles and doubles while playing for the Polish Junior National Team. Gajdzik also won a national championship and was ranked in the top five throughout his junior career.
Gajdzik is married to the former Elizabeth Solomon. The couple has a daughter, Natalia, and a son, Lukas.
| GAJDZIK AT PURDUE | |||||||
| Year | Overall Wins | Overall Losses | Winning Pct. | Big Ten Wins | Big Ten Losses | Big Ten Winning Pct. | Final Rank |
| 2010 | 11 | 15 | .423 | 1 | 9 | .100 | NR |
| 2011 | 13 | 13 | .500 | 3 | 7 | .300 | 64 |
| 2012 | 10 | 16 | .385 | 2 | 9 | .182 | NR |
| 2013 | 19 | 12 | .613 | 3 | 8 | .273 | 40 |
| 2014 | 15 | 8 | .652 | 7 | 4 | .636 | 42 |
| 2015 | 4 | 20 | .167 | 0 | 11 | .000 | |
| 2016* | 15 | 10 | .600 | 5 | 6 | .455 | 50 |
| 2017 | 20 | 13 | .636 | 7 | 4 | .571 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 17 | .393 | 2 | 9 | .182 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 14 | .417 | 3 | 8 | .273 | |
| 2020~ | 10 | 7 | .588 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |
| 2021^ | 1 | 14 | .067 | 1 | 14 | .067 | |
| Totals | 139 | 159 | .481 | 34 | 93 | .306 | |
*Head coach Pawel Gajdzik was suspended from one date of competition Jan. 16, 2016, which included two dual matches (vs. Toledo, vs. IUPUI).
~2020 season was canceled after 17 matches due to COVID-19 pandemic
*Per Big Ten Conference rules, the 2021 season featured only league opponents. The final match of the regular season against Indiana and participation in the Big Ten Conference Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.