It’s 1991. Andre Agassi and a relatively unknown and overshadowed Jim Courier are facing off in the first All-American final of the French Open since 1954.

Across the world in Denver, Colo., a young tennis hopeful watches the match on TV.

Courier beat Agassi and ended the year ranked No. 2 in the world. While many Agassi fans were disappointed, new waves of Courier fans were inspired.

Mike Goodman was one of those inspired fans.

“I grew up watching Courier on TV,” Goodman said. “I was a huge fan.”

With Courier’s win, Goodman’s career began. And just like Courier, Goodman was often overshadowed by a successful Badger teammate.
“I grew up with Mark Weinig,” Goodman said. “I was often overshadowed by him. But he was part of the reason why I came here.”

Goodman chose Wisconsin over the University of Massachusetts and various other Division III schools.

“I was not heavily recruited,” Goodman said. “I did not play in a lot of tournaments in high school. Education always came first. I really wanted to come here and walk on the team.”

And that is just what he did in fall 2002. Goodman, however, did not show up ready to play. He suffered a shoulder injury, and his walk-on status forced him to red-shirt his first year.
“I walked on the team thinking I would be up to par with the rest of the team,” Goodman said. “I clearly wasn’t. Playing my first year here would have been a waste of my time.”
Goodman took full advantage of his red-shirt year. He decided to major in bio-chemistry and learned how to manage his time. The red-shirt sophomore worked hard in the classroom and on the court.

While he learned how to play, he did not learn how to win. Last year, during his first year of eligibility, Goodman never won a match.

“It was a brutal season,” Goodman said. “They just threw me in there. I just wasn’t strong enough and I didn’t know how to win. I had no confidence.”
Like most determined athletes in Goodman’s position, he was not about to give up. After a summer of hard work and dedication, Goodman began to gain confidence and improve his game.

At the Badgers’ first tournament of the year in Lincoln, Nebraska, Goodman went 3-2. He lost his first doubles match with teammate Felipe Bellido to Iowa’s J.P. Ritchie and Aaron Schaechterle 8-5.

“I hadn’t played doubles with my doubles partner (Bellido) at the time,” Goodman said. “We did not play very well together. It was our first match together, and I’m really not a doubles player.”
In his second match of the day, Goodman rebounded and received his first career win as a Badger with a 6-3 victory in a singles match against P.J. McGinnis of Denver.
“From his standpoint, his first win was huge,” head coach Pat Klingelhoets said. “He started to play with more confidence after that. He started to realize that his hard work was paying off.”

Fueled by his win over McGinnis, Goodman went on to defeat Drake’s Chris Lueth, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 and Iowa’s Bart van Monsjou 7-6, 3-6, 11-9 before falling to Minnesota’s Chi Pham 7-6, 6-3.

“I definitely want to win a lot more matches,” Goodman said. “I think I’m capable of making a stand to the Big Ten. I’m riding on my teammates too. I think this year, as opposed to last year, we all feed off of each other. We are a very optimistic group. Our freshmen are great; we are all really close. It’s very refreshing. We have been getting better because of each other.”

Goodman will look to continue his surge as the Badgers travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., Friday to take part in a three-day invitational with six other schools.

“My goal for this upcoming tournament and our team goal are just to get comfortable and get ready for the spring season,” Goodman said. “I’m not expecting to get ranked this season. Eventually, I hope so, but those are optimistic goals. Feeding off of these next couple of tournaments is really going to make a better squad and a much tighter knit squad.”
Goodman plays a huge role in helping the team feed off of each other.

“I’m no better or worse than anyone else,” Goodman said. “I try to show up optimistic every day. You either show up to play or you don’t. That attitude has really helped my game a lot.”
“His attitude is excellent,” Klingelhoets said. “He is one of the guys who comes in and works hard every day in practice. If someone isn’t working hard, he is not afraid to encourage them. He has really been a good team player. I have really enjoyed his attitude, and I think he has been helping to lift everyone up. Mike (Goodman) is ready to go every single day, and he is really good at pushing people.”

Goodman’s development is not complete, however. The red-shirt sophomore still has a lot to improve on, Klingelhoets said.

“We are working hard on his volleys,” Klingelhoets said. “His net game is a thing that could lift him up. He needs to win some points up in front of the net. We have been spending some time with that.”
The coaching staff remains uncertain about what they will get from the up-and-coming sophomore over the remainder of his UW career, but he has already made major strides.

“Time will tell,” coach Klingelhoets said. “He has come a long way. We are just going to go through the fall and see how the results end up. All around, he is a team player, and he adds a lot to the team.”
For his part, Goodman is eyeing an ascent into the national rankings and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

“I would love to be ranked and play in the NCAA tournament some day,” Goodman said. “There is a long way to go. I wake up every morning optimistic and knowing I have to try my best so one day I can make it to that point. I’ve got the best back in the world; my coaches are unbelievable; they are my best supporters. Having a coach like Danny Westerman, someone I look up too, whose name has been on the All Big Ten list, you couldn’t ask for more. I love it here.”