By Andy Dawson, Samford Athletics Communication

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A young Fares Kilani grew up in Tunis, Tunisia, under the shadow of his older brother and father hitting a bright yellow ball back and forth with racquets. At the age of five, Kilani received a racquet of his own, and that is where his story begins. 
 
Kilani grew up with Wael and Majed, his brothers, his mother, Sana and father, Abderrazak. He grew up watching his older brother, Wael, play tennis and that is what gave him the motivation and inspiration to train and work to be his best. 
 
"I followed my older brother," recalled Kilani. "I liked the way he was traveling and winning tournaments and everything that goes along with that. So I wanted to follow in his path."
 

As one can imagine, tennis is not the most popular sport in Tunisia. However, in the Kilani household, tennis is non-negotiable. Kilani's father, Abderrazak, was a tennis man himself and he made certain from a young age that his boys would be too.
 
A regular day for Kilani growing up is relatable to most Samford students, and all Bulldog student-athletes. After attending classes during the day, he would go to the tennis club, which was close to the school and practice. After completing practice, Kilani would go home and work on his studies. 
 
Although the allure and prestige of traveling to play in tennis tournaments ultimately won him over, there was a time when Kilani would have called himself more of a soccer player. 
 
"I played soccer with my friends growing up and I probably liked soccer more," said Kilani. "But soccer is kind of a dangerous sport and you can get hurt. If that were to happen, you'll be done and your career will be over very soon. So that's why I chose tennis even if I liked soccer more because soccer is very big in Tunisia."
 
Looking back on his time in Tunisia, Kilani recollects the Tunisian Revolution as one of the most significant events in his life. The revolution in 2010 was led by a group of mainly young people who were outraged by social injustices that the country had seen throughout the 23-year reign of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. 
 
Tunisia gained its independence from France in 1956, led by the man who would become their first president, Habib Bourguiba. Bourguiba served valiantly until 1987 when Ben Ali overthrew him and began the oppressive chapter of Tunisian history. 
 
After the revolution, Abderrazak, Fares' father became a very important and influential man in Tunisia, but the newfound importance and influence came at a cost. Before the revolution, Abderrazak was against the president. 
 
This led the president to do everything he could to push back his father's progress. Abderrazak was a lawyer and saw direct effects during the time when tensions began to rise. The president told companies not to hire Kilani's father anymore, and in the process, this made life very difficult for the Kilanis. 
 
"People probably just see it in movies, but I lived it," said Kilani. "We spent two or three weeks revolting and didn't have school, everything stopped. Everyone was fighting against the president, because he was like a dictator. He stayed 23 years as the president. Every year, he said there'd be an election, and he'd allegedly win by over 90 percent, it was a joke. People didn't have the opportunity to live a good life and to work. Life was pretty tough then, but now it is better after the revolution."
 
Coming to America from Tunisia, there were a lot of adjustments for Kilani to make; language, classes, friends, family, coaches and the list goes on. The main problem however was language and communicating with people, but once Kilani made it through his first semester; he knew that he could make it here at Samford. 
 
Playing at Samford is the culmination of all his hard work and the reason Kilani continued playing tennis. To have an opportunity like his brothers that he may one day come play in America. At a university in Tunisia, he would not have that chance. 
 
After almost three years at Samford, there are certain comforts that Kilani reflects about from home. 
 
"I miss family, friends and our cultural food," Kilani said. "It's like couscous, little rice-like food served with fish, chicken or anything you want, and the spicier the better.
 
"Everything is big here in America and I think you have everything here. You can play soccer on the big field, you can play tennis and you can work out. In Tunisia, it's very small, so it's hard to find a big soccer field to go play with friends. It's all kind of small, and in America everything is large. Here you can do more activities and have more opportunities." 

 
Located in North Africa, Tunisia is a country that is predominately Muslim, more than 95 percent in recent polls. On the other end of the spectrum, around 77 percent of U.S. citizens identify themselves as Christians. With Kilani's Islam faith of upmost importance to him, this had the potential to be a deterrent. However, Kilani has embraced the differences and focused on his schoolwork and tennis, as the main reasons he's here. 
 
"I felt like it wasn't really hard for me," explained Kilani. "Because so many of the aspects of our two religions are similar, so I didn't feel that different. I didn't expect people would be that religious here, because I've never heard about this in America. I know it's mainly in the South, I think." 
 
Like many of us, Kilani looks towards his faith in times of hardship and trouble. When he first came over to America and Samford, it was a constant that stayed with him and gave him hope and the ability to carry on. 
 
It is more than the hard times. He eats specific things and prays five times a day and continues to pursue depth and knowledge.
 
"It has made me stronger and helped me get out of hard times, so I feel lucky," Kilani said. "I feel that it is very important for my faith to stay strong, especially by myself in the first days and first months here, when you don't know anyone or the culture." 
 
Since Kilani started playing tennis at the age of five, he believed he could have great success.  Following in the footsteps of Wael, his brother who played at the University of South Florida. 
 
"I felt like I was going to be like him (Wael), not going just to play tennis for fun," Kilani said.
 
Samford was just one of the schools that were interested in Kilani's tennis ability. However, recruitment and visits can be difficult across the world. Kilani's ideal school was one where he could come and start in the fall semester, but a lot of the schools that wanted him to play were not being accommodating with his records, and he would have to wait until the spring semester.
 
With Samford's accommodation and hospitality, Head Coach Rahim Esmail and the Bulldogs' tennis program landed a Tunisian champion of tennis. 
 
Kilani is in the midst of his junior season and knows what is expected and what it takes to win.  With a very young team this year, he will look to lead on the court through his play and in the locker room through his experience. 
 
Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, is a far cry from what Kilani grew up with in Tunis, Tunisia, but over the last few years, he has developed relationships with teammates, coaches and professors that have made Samford feel a lot more like home.
 
Upon graduation from the Brock School of Business with a degree in finance, Kilani hopes to continue his education in the United States. Also, if the opportunity were given, he would love to continue pursing a career in tennis.
 
Although Kilani may have a very different background and upbringing than most of the students at Samford, he has become part of the culture and way of life on campus. He has enjoyed great success in tennis up and will aim to continue that success this year.