Mark Tjia - Women's Tennis Coach

Mark Tjia

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
marktjia@uab.edu
Alma Mater:
TCU '92
Experience:
13th season
Hometown:
Gainesville, Fla.

Mark Tjia, a veteran tennis coach with 30 years of coaching experience at multiple levels, was named UAB's head women's tennis coach on Jan. 17, 2014.

Tjia has had great success at UAB along with the team, receiving notable recognition in Conference USA, the NCAA and the ITA.

Before Tjia’s first season, the team had not won over a ranked opponent in seven years until they defeated No. 67 Northwestern State. Later that year, the Blazers defeated UTEP in the first round of the Conference USA Championship, which was the first time in nine years that they have won a match at the conference tournament.

Under Tjia’s leadership, Pardis Kianoush became the first Blazer to earn All-Conference USA First Team honors since 2001. During his fourth year at UAB, the team produced a Second Team All-Conference player in Marlene Herrmann, Jana Hecking became the 2nd First Team All-Conference Player in singles under his tutelage, while Adela Wasserbauerova was first Blazer to be voted to the All-Freshman Team. In 2020, Sydney Clarke was voted to the All-Freshman Team, and to the All-Conference Second Team in 2021. This past season, Adela Wasserbauerova was voted to the American Athletic Conference First Team and won the ITA Southern Region’s Most Improved Player. This recently completed 2024 season saw the Blazers record a win over No. 58 Wichita State which is the highest ranked win in decades. The team finished in the top 10 in the Southern Region for the 3rd time in four years while also recording their 4th winning season in the past five years.

Throughout Tjia’s seasons as head coach, the team has also been widely recognized for their academic achievements and community service, winning the ITA Community Service Award for the Southern Region eight years in a row from 2017-2024.

UAB has also been named an ITA All-Academic Team ever season since 2015. The team has also consistently produced numerous ITA Scholar-Athletes since 2014.

Tjia joined the Blazers after spending three and a half seasons as the assistant men's tennis coach at his alma mater, TCU. He was actively involved in all areas of the program at TCU, including recruiting, budgeting and travel, individual and team instruction and marketing. He played an instrumental role in helping rebuild a Horned Frog men's program that was ranked No. 52 when he arrived in the Fall of 2010 but finished the 2015 season as the No. 4 team in the country along with a Final Four showing. Tjia was named the 2012-13 ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Tjia joined TCU after serving as an assistant coach for the Florida women's tennis team that reached the final round at the NCAA Team Championship, won the SEC, and finished No. 2 in the nation. During his time in Gainesville, he also worked as the Head Tennis Professional at the 300 Swim & Tennis Club in Gainesville beginning in 1997.

Tjia played at TCU from 1988-1992 during which the Horned Frogs made a Final Four appearance, made a final at the National Indoors, won three Southwest Conference Championships, and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. After receiving his bachelor's degree in business administration from TCU in 1992, Tjia participated for several years on the ATP pro circuit. He achieved a high world ranking of No. 589 in singles in November 1994.

After his playing days, Tjia served as a coach on the WTA Tour where he coached, practiced, and traveled with WTA No. 60 Shaun Stafford during a time period where she recorded three top 25 wins and made the quarterfinals of the Italian Open and the 3rd round at Wimbledon.

He has written and published the book "Loving the Battle!" - Tips to Improve Your Tennis Performance.

Tjia is married to Jenna Blythe-Tjia and they reside near downtown Birmingham with their dogs Sochi and Blazer.

Conference and Regional Honors/Awards Under Tjia

2014
- Pardis Kianoush - Third Team Singles
- Rachel Daniell - Conference USA All-Academic
- Rachel Daniell - Conference USA Academic Medal
- Caroline Faught - Conference USA Academic Medal
- Rachel Daniell - Conference USA Spirit of Service Award
- NCAA Public Recognition Award
- Conference USA Sport Academic Award
2015
- Pardis Kianoush - Third Team Singles
- Rachel Daniell - Conference USA All-Academic
- Rachel Daniell - CoSida District VI Academic All-America
- Rachel Daniell - ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award Southern Region
- Amy Lowther - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Caroline Faught - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Catherine Ragon - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Elaine Simon - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Pardis Kianoush - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Paula Castro - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Rachel Daniell - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Catherine Ragon - Conference USA Spirit of Service Award
- Rachel Daniell - Conference USA Postgraduate Scholarship
- Conference USA Sport Academic Award
- ITA All-Academic Team
- NCAA Public Recognition Award
2016
- Pardis Kianoush - Third Team Singles
- Sophie Dodds - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Pardis Kianoush - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Amy Lowther - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Catherine Ragon - ITA Scholar Athlete
- McKenna Root - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Elaine Simon - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Elaine Simon - Conference USA Postgraduate Scholarship
- ITA All-Academic Team
2017
- Pardis Kianoush - First Team Singles
- Sophie Dodds - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Taylor Factor - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Pardis Kianoush - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Reghan Lynch - ITA Scholar Athlete
- McKenna Root - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Hana Sisirak - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Natalie Voss - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Catherine Ragon - Conference USA Postgraduate Scholarship
- ITA All-Academic Team
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
2018
- Marlene Herrmann - Second Team Singles
- Marlene Herrmann - March 14 Athlete of the Week
- Megan Bertrands - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sophie Dodds - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sophia Grzywocz - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Jana Hecking - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Marlene Herrmann - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Dominika Hrabalova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Hana Sisirak - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Natalie Voss - ITA Scholar Athlete
- ITA All-Academic Team
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
2019
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
- ITA All-Academic Award
- Megan Bertrands - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sophie Dodds - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sonia Grzywocz - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Jana Hecking - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Dominika Hrabalova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Hana Sisirak. - ITA Scholar Athlete
2020
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
- ITA All-Academic Award
- National runner-up in the 2020 Helper Helper Team Challenge
- Jana Hecking - First Team Singles
- Adela Wasserbauerova - All-Freshman Team
- Jana Hecking - CoSIDA District 4 Academic All-District At-Large Team
- C-USA Academic Excellence Award
- Megan Bertrands - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sonia Grzywocz - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Jana Hecking
- Dominika Hrabalova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Alexandra Shchipakina - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Hana Sisirak. - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Adela Wasserbauerova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Alexia Witthaus - ITA Scholar Athlete
2021
- Finished No. 9 in Oracle/ITA Southern Region rankings.
- No. 18 in the TennisRecruiting.net Top 25 Mid-Major Recruiting Classes
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
- ITA All-Academic Award
- Jana Hecking - Jim Castañeda Conference USA Postgraduate Scholarship Award
- Dominika Hrabalova - Second Team Singles
- Sydney Clarke - All-Freshman Team
- Megan Bertrands - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sydney Clarke - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Sonia Grzywocz - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Jana Hecking - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Dominika Hrabalova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Annalisa Smith - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Adela Wasserbauerova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Maggie White - ITA Scholar Athlete
2022
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
- ITA All-Academic Award
- Third in the nation among women's tennis teams in Helper Helper Team Challenge
- Sydney Clarke - Conference USA Second-Team Singles
- Jana Hecking - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Vanessa Mellynchuk - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Enya Ratkic - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Annalisa Smith - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Adela Wasserbauerova - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Mackenzie White - ITA Scholar Athlete
- Maggie White - ITA Scholar Athlete
2023
- ITA All-Academic Team Award
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
- Annalisa Smith – ITA Cissie Leary Award Southern Division
- Vanessa Mellynchuk – ITA Scholar Athlete and C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Enya Ratkic – ITA Scholar Athlete and C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Annalisa Smith – ITA Scholar Athlete, C-USA All-Academic, C-USA Academic Medal and C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Adela Wasserbauerova - ITA Scholar Athlete, C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and C-USA Academic Medal
- Maggie White – ITA Scholar Athlete, C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and C-USA Academic Medal
- Sydney Clarke – C-USA Spirit of Service Award and C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Alexandra da Silva – C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Mackenzie White – C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
2024
- ITA Southern Region Community Service Award
- Ranked No. 10 in the ITA Division l Mid-Major and Regional Rankings
- Adela Wasserbauerova – ITA Southern Region Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award, ITA Southern Region Most Improved Player, AAC All-Conference Team and ranked No. 18 in the ITA Division l Mid-Major and Regional Rankings
- Sydney Clarke – AAC All-Academic Team
- Klara Kajabova – AAC All-Academic Team
- Vanessa Mellynchuk – AAC All-Academic Team
- Enya Ratkic – AAC All-Academic Team
- Annalisa Smith – AAC All-Academic Team
- Adela Wasserbaurova – AAC All-Academic Team
- Mackenzie White – AAC All-Academic Team
2025
- Ranked No. 9 in the ITA Division l Mid-Major and Regional Rankings
- Ranked No. 68 in the ITA rankings on February 20
- ITA All-Academic Team Award
- Vanessa Mellynchuk – ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award Finalist
- Gresi Bajri – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Kristyna Damaskova – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Klara Kajabova – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Vanessa Mellynchuk – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Maria Paz Ospina – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Enya Ratkic – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Nera Tesankic – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete
- Mackenzie White – ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete

Tjia's Career Record

Season	Team	Overall	Conf.	Finish
2014	UAB	9-15	1-4	C-USA Second Round
2015	UAB	7-13	3-3	C-USA First Round
2016	UAB	7-15	0-1	C-USA First Round
2017	UAB	5-15	0-3	C-USA First Round
2018	UAB	12-11	1-2	C-USA First Round
2019	UAB	6-14	2-2	C-USA First Round
2020	UAB	11-4	1-0	Season canceled March 12
2021	UAB	14-7	3-1	C-USA Second Quarterfinals
2022	UAB	12-11	3-2	C-USA Second Quarterfinals
2023	UAB	9-10	2-2	C-USA First Round
2024	UAB	13-11	1-2	AAC Second Round
2025	UAB	14-9	1-2	AAC First Round
Totals	UAB (12 seasons)	119-135	18-24