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BY WHITELAW REID W ITH MENACING SIZE, AN over- powering serve, strong ground strokes and surprising touch, many people in the tennis world believe Alex Domijan has the po- tential to be as good as John Isner, the top American professional who attended the University of Georgia and is currently ranked No. 10 in the world. But Domijan has no intentions of joining the pro tour. Instead, the 6-7 Floridian plans on serving his country as a Navy SEAL. Domijan made that an- nouncement in April while his fourth-year season was beginning to wind down. Domijan said he has always had a lot of patrio- tism and was inspired after reading a book about the late Pat Tillman, who spurned a lucrative NFL contract to join the Army Rangers. "He [was] a special human being," Domijan said. "I like the idea of sacrifice, discipline and the values of the military." Virginia head coach Brian Boland has been sup- portive of Domijan's endeavor. During the season, he gave Domijan time away from the team to train at a Navy recruiting station. While Boland is still hoping that at some point Domijan gives the pro tour a shot — he thinks he could become one of the top American players — he understands the choice his star is making. "These young men come to the University of Virginia with the opportunity to get one of the best educations in the world, along with being part of one of the greatest collegiate athletic programs in the world," Boland said. "We take a lot of pride in guiding and supporting them in their development, both on and off the court during their time here. In their experiences throughout that time, most of them want to play professional tennis, and that has always been their aspiration from the beginning. We're proud of all our former pros that are doing so well out there on the ATP Tour. SEAL OF APPROVAL Alex Domijan Is Bypassing A Pro Tennis Career In Favor Of Serving His Country i22-23.Alex Domijan.indd 1 6/3/14 2:35 PM