For Director of Tennis Rajko Mladenovic 2011 begins his
second year of running the HIU tennis programs.
With a decent recruiting class, Mladenovic is excited to attempt to be
competitive within their tough schedule- especially on the men's side.
Last season (2010) was difficult for both teams but Coach
Mladenovic did the best he could with the hand he was dealt.
Mladenovic took over the reins of the Men's program for
which he has spent the last four years serving up aces and returning volleys
from the baseline. He was no stranger to
the Women's program either after serving as their assistant coach during the
2009 season.
As a player, Mladenovic finished his four year career with
55 wins in singles play- a Hope International tennis record. As a senior, he was named a 2009 NAIA
All-American after posting a 15-8 record.
In 2008, he led the Royals to a National Christian College
Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship. He was named an NCCAA Singles All-American
for his play at the national tournament.
Born and raised in Serbia, Mladenovic has been playing
tennis since the tender age of eight. By
the age of fifteen, he was playing under legendary coach Srdjan Daskovic.
Mladenovic credits his family (Father- Radomir, Mother-
Bozana, and Brother- Mihajlo) for his success in life. He stated "My family is very important to me
as a person, and without their support I could never succeed in my life and
career."
Coach Mladenovic resides in Fullerton, CA.
