This week I spoke with Doug Yaffa, 2026 UVA grad who’s now pursuing an MBA at Kellogg School of Business as well as a career in pro tennis.

The Rundown:

• COLD OPEN: Tennis, entertainment, media, and business

• TURNING POINT: Dealing with family sickness and overcoming the mental hurdles

• STEAL THIS: How would you answer “What do you do?”

• INDUSTRY INSIDER: College athletes should get more slack

• IF I WERE YOU: Remember nothings that deep

COLD OPEN

How Did You Get Your Start?

I got a tennis racket put in my hand at a young age, that’s where it all started. I enjoyed playing, but I didn’t think about doing anything with it until around 12 or 13 years old. I started competing in tournaments then. In high school, I fully committed to playing pro or at least being recruited to play in college.

To be recruited by UVA was a dream come true for me. It felt like everything came to fruition – I won a national championship in my first year, and it showed me that, as a team, we were capable of being in the top echelon of college tennis.

Before UVA, I traveled a lot for sports, and I got to see all these cool places, different cultures, and how music and sports interact with them. It got me interested in media and entertainment.

Summer after my second year, I landed a remote internship at a company called Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment with the help of an introduction from a family friend. I worked on the engagement and analytics data side of the business. I mainly like working with people, but it was cool to see the numbers behind partnerships and the media world.

It was great because they understood the requirements and work hours needed for me to keep my tennis career going.

I dealt with an injury third year, and I don’t think I would have been able to succeed as much as I did without the experience I got from that internship.

I’m incredibly grateful for bookending two titles at the end of my fourth year, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Following UVA, I’m not going to put any limits on myself professionally.

I'm working at this partnership agency called Innovative Partnerships Group this summer on the business development side, as well as going to Northwestern for a fifth year.

They have a cool program where I can pursue an MBA at Kellogg while also playing tennis there. I can get a one-year degree and then come back for my second year if I need it.

In deciding which school to go to, I talked to a great guy named Professor Hubbard at Northwestern. He's in the Kellogg School. And his wife, I believe, went to UVA. So there was a connection there. He was a great help just through the application process.

TURNING POINT

What’s A Challenge You Faced Early On?

The biggest challenge I faced was mental more than physical. My second year, my mom got diagnosed with cancer. She went through five or six rounds of chemo, didn't take a day off from running her beauty company, and was still there for me and my sister in any way that we needed.

Being at a top five team in the country on the tennis side, but then also trying to apply into the right major in my second year – my GPA kind of hit a wall

You’re playing on a tennis court six hours away, your mom’s going through chemotherapy – a lot of mental demons coming at you, and you can’t really do anything.

With her resiliency, it showed me anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I found some positive outlets – going for runs, working out, spending time with friends, and then also excelling on the tennis court.

With her resiliency, it showed me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Now my mom is starting a new beauty company focusing on affordable skincare products for chemotherapy patients.

STEAL THIS

What’s A Question You Love To Be Asked (Or Asking)?

I love to ask people “What do you do?” That's kind of my thing.

I love it because everyone takes it a different way. The way the answer shows a bit of who they are and how they think about their life.

Sometimes the answer is “I'm an investment banking analyst” where other times it’s “I like to run. I like to read.”

INDUSTRY INSIDER

What Do People Misunderstand About College Athletics?

There’s a lot of commentary in the college sports world. I think a lot of people forget these are just normal people who are particularly good at one craft.

I think 18 to 23 year olds should be given a line of slack in most scenarios and not be criticized for a misstep in the eyes of some 45 year old commentator.

IF I WERE YOU

Do You Have Any Advice For Students?

College is four years, enjoy it. It feels like yesterday I walked into dorms at Watson Webb and now I graduated.

Something I live by is that you’re never as bad as you feel and you’re never as good as you feel. Often at UVA it can feel like your world's crumbling down, but then the next week it picks back up. So try to realize that not everything is a big deal.

My advice to people in the workforce. Well… I’m just entering it, so I’ll let you know. I think it’s going to be cool. I think you should try to be as successful as you want to be without compromising your integrity. 

LIGHTNING ROUND

First Thing That Comes To Mind

• Favorite UVA restaurant: Pico wrap

• Best UVA weekend event: Oktoberfest – for me the fall events are the best because we don't get to really go out in the spring.

• Favorite movie: Dead Poets Society

• Favorite song: Vienna, Billy Joel