It was late October in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the mild autumn weather was much welcomed in the heartland of the United States. Pheasant hunting season had just begun, evident from the sea of bright orange hunting apparel scattered throughout Sioux Falls Regional Airport, located a stone’s throw away from the MarketBeat Open, an ATP Challenger Tour event that made its debut in 2024.
The blend of outdoorsmen and tennis players made for an ideal setting for American Colton Smith, who grew up on a farm in Washington and is now excelling in college and professional tennis. Smith found the perfect balance, making his first Challenger final in Sioux Falls while spending his off days fishing.
“We were trying to go for the northern pike. We got a couple hits on that, but we ended up finding carp,” Smith told ATPTour.com. “At least we were catching fish, even if it was carp.”
Although he was not able to schedule a pheasant hunt that week, Smith already has plans in place should he return to the Challenger tournament.
The 21-year-old’s most recent Challenger outing came in Cleveland, Ohio, where he went one step further to be crowned champion. Though Smith did not bring his fishing gear to Cleveland — citing the cold weather — he still found ways to indulge in his passion.
“I had some prize money to spend,” Smith said with a smile. “There was a fly fishing store right next to the site so we stopped in there a couple times.”
A senior at the University of Arizona, Smith is the winningest singles player in school history.and currently No. 3 in the ITA singles rankings. His game has seamlessly translated to the Challenger level, boasting a 15-6 match record in just seven outings.
Not only has Smith enjoyed a successful few months on court, the World No. 262 in the PIF ATP Rankings lights up when speaking about his favourite fishing and hunting experiences, which both came last year.
“My sister [Chloe] and I took a camping trip over to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. We were doing some fly fishing the first day and all the sudden, I saw this monster swim up to my fly and hit it,” Smith recalled. “It was one of the coolest fights I’ve ever had with a fish. It was just a beautiful fish and a beautiful area to be able to do it in.”
Smith and Chloe later returned to Idaho with their father Brodie, this time to go elk hunting.
“We got into this herd and there was this elk bugling, growling and screaming at us. It was one of those moments that gave us both goosebumps,” Smith said. “We were like, ‘We’re coming back here every year!’”
Smith’s love for the outdoors is hard to miss. In Cleveland, he sported a sleeveless shirt, showcasing his left arm tattoo featuring a bear, an elk and his dog — the latest ink Smith added during his winter break. In the heat of a three-set battle — like what he endured in the Cleveland final against Eliot Spizzirri — it can serve as a reminder of the calm and focus he finds in nature.
“It’s a great reset for me,” Smith said. “I’ve fished my entire life and I started hunting when I was around nine. I don’t know what it is about hunting or fishing, I think a lot of it is just being able to kind of reconnect with nature. If I’m on the road, travelling a bunch, if I can get out and get into nature and feel good again, that’s something that’s always been super important to me. As long as I continue to keep that balance, I’ll have no problem on the Tour.”
Credit: Samuel Herr
A native of Tenino, Washington, Smith is proud of his rural upbringing.
“I couldn’t picture a better childhood. We have a bunch of cows, horses, chickens, pigs, dogs,” Smith said. “You have a lot of chores so I think it teaches you a lot of discipline, but also a lot of appreciation for being able to live off the land a little bit. It’s always the best time when I get to go home for a little bit. The freedom and the relaxation, I don’t get that anywhere else.”
Even during his December training stint in Florida, Smith found time to fish for peacock bass with Canadian Liam Draxl, who is No. 187 in the PIF ATP Rankings and a former University of Kentucky standout. Smith practised in Boca Raton alongside Ethan Quinn and J.J. Wolf, while also fitting in workouts with Tommy Paul and earning high praise from the Top 10 star.
“That guy is a beast. An absolute beast,” Paul said. “We did a lot of track workouts together and workouts in the gym… And we were planning on [going fishing], but it just didn't work out. The days that he was there, the weather was bad.”
Did You Know?
As a player ranked in the 11-20 range of the 2024 ITA year-end rankings (29 May 2024), Smith was eligible for six qualifying spots at Challenger 50 or 75 events in the second half of the year, via the ATP Next Gen Accelerator. Smith used one qualifying spot at the Lincoln Challenger and reached the second round of the main draw. Upon that strong result, Smith's ranking was high enough to enter qualifying on his own.
If Smith finishes Top 10 in the ITA rankings this May, he will get main draw access for Challenger 50 or 75 events for the 2025-2026 edition of the programme. Read more about the ATP Next Gen Accelerator by clicking here.
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