Inspirational
A passionate leader for Duke tennis, Connor Krug draws strength from grandfather Dick Vitale's battle versus cancer
Michael White, GoDuke The Magazine
From the very beginning, Connor Krug’s life has been anything but normal.
When your maternal grandfather is Dick Vitale — the legendary ESPN broadcaster and voice of college basketball — doors of access tend to swing wide open. In fact, Krug’s earliest memories are flooded with recollections such as playing catch with Baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera in Yankee Stadium, personally meeting 20-time major tennis champion Roger Federer at Wimbledon, attending athletic events alongside coaching firebrand Bobby Knight, and even making his share of childhood trips to Duke University’s own Cameron Indoor Stadium.
So, as the Lakewood Ranch, Fla., native developed into a much-sought-after tennis recruit, he found himself ultimately looking for a college home that would provide a different kind of “normal.”
Duke, it turns out, was the perfect fit.
“As an athlete, it can be a crazy experience and different from regular students, but I saw that as a bit of a turn off,” said Krug, a senior political science major whose twin brother Jake is also a teammate at Duke. “I think Duke is amazing because you still get the perks and experience of being an athlete, but you’re mixed into the regular student life to a very high degree. You’re still there with other students every day, being challenged off the court as a person and in the classroom a lot more than you are at other top programs.
“That’s one of the biggest things that drew me to Duke.”
It was this normality and balance that has perhaps impacted Krug in the most profound of ways. Known for a fiery, competitive spirit on the court and a relaxed, soft-spoken demeanor away from it, he said this season he is experiencing more success by embracing and appreciating his senior year.
Bringing that steadiness to his approach has been key.
“I think if people watch me on the court and watch me compete, I'm a crazy, intense guy. I wear my heart on my sleeve,” said Krug, who plans to pursue a career in investment banking following graduation. “And I think people would be surprised to know that off the court I’m completely different. I'm laid back and easy going. If I was that intense in all areas of life it would be almost too much. So I really like to pull away and relax when I'm away from the tennis court. Just get away from it all and spend time with my friends.
“That's been an important part of my college experience and has allowed me to grow as a person — having that other life outside of the sport. In high school and growing up, that didn’t really exist.”
While Krug has always performed well on the court and certainly in the classroom — where he’s a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team selection and back-to-back ITA Scholar-Athlete honoree — he said he has tried to put “less pressure” on himself and simply “have fun” during this final season in Durham.
Krug’s head coach Ramsey Smith has certainly noticed the growth in his senior’s game.
"I am incredibly proud of Connor,” Smith said. “He embodies what it means to be a Duke student-athlete as well as anyone. From the moment he arrived three-and-a-half years ago, he has bled blue and cared deeply about this team, the program and everything Duke represents. I'm especially proud of how he has handled the ups and downs of his career and put himself in a position to play his best tennis in his final semester. He leads by example, plays with passion and has been instrumental to our success, especially during his senior season. I couldn’t be happier with what he has brought to the program."
Smith also pointed to both Krug brothers for what they have provided.
"I truly appreciate what Connor and Jake have contributed to this program,” said Smith, whose team was ranked No. 15 nationally when it opened ACC play on Feb. 28 against No. 5 Virginia. “Looking back at how far we've come since they first stepped on campus, they have played a major role in our growth and progress each year. Their passion for the sport, dedication to training and relentless work ethic have been infectious. I owe a great deal to Connor and Jake for the direction in which our program is headed."
Along with his mental approach to this final season at Duke, Krug has also found inspiration in watching his grandfather navigate a cancer diagnosis in 2023 and the challenges that followed over the subsequent two years. Through the treatments and surgeries, Vitale ultimately emerged cancer-free last month and returned to the broadcast booth at ESPN when the Duke men’s basketball team traveled to face Clemson earlier this season.
A week later, Vitale’s second game of the year came at Cameron Indoor Stadium as the Blue Devils hosted Stanford. Though Krug and his teammates were away in Waco, Texas, competing at the ITA National Indoors, the grandson watched from afar with a deep sense of pride. His sister Ava, a freshman on the Duke women’s tennis team, was on hand for the contest, including Vitale’s pregame ringing of the cancer bell at Cameron center court.
“Watching him walk into that arena and get the reception that he got, knowing what it meant to him to get back to that moment — you could just see it on his face. It was so authentic,” Krug said. “I've learned so much from him over the last three years. Just life lessons. He’s one of the biggest role models in my life and my inspirations. To see him get back to what he loves doing most in life. I mean, he’s in his upper 80s, and he's still going strong. He's going to work. To see somebody have so much passion for what they do, and to see what they're willing to overcome is extremely powerful.”
Krug also recognizes a similarity between his grandfather’s bout with cancer and the one-on-one nature of the game he chose to pursue so many years ago. Though he had also excelled in the sport of baseball as a child, Krug ultimately chose the path of tennis because of the competitive realities of the sport.
While baseball allows for a player to rely not only on themselves, but also the other players in the lineup, the sport of tennis, especially in singles play, provided a more solitary experience — the opportunity to test one’s fortitude in ways the game of baseball did not.
“It’s you versus the other guy and it’s about as isolating as it gets,” Krug said. “You are tested throughout a match and you have to come up with the answers from within. No one is coming to help you. It developed me as a competitor a lot more than baseball did. It was kind of like a boxing match in a way. Obviously, you're not hitting each other physically, but you are still throwing punches, trying to beat each other physically.”
Back to that long list of sporting celebrities that influenced a young Connor Krug’s life and which one left the biggest impact. Was it Kobe Bryant? Perhaps Peyton Manning? Or even Derek Jeter? Which athlete was it that led Krug to tell his parents Thomas and Sherri — both of whom were student-athletes at Notre Dame — that he wanted to pursue the sport of tennis? A path that ultimately led to his time at Duke.
Once again, enter Mr. Federer.
“After watching (Federer) at Wimbledon when I was 11 years old, that’s when I decided this is what I wanted to do,” Krug said. “Watching him play and his footwork, it’s like he’s walking on water. He plays so violently and so aggressively, but at the same time calm and smooth. It was just beautiful. I’ll never forget it.
“It changed everything for me.”
This story originally appeared in the 16.7 issue of GoDuke The Magazine – March 2025. Dedicated to sharing the stories of Duke student-athletes, present and past, GoDuke The Magazine is published for Duke Athletics by LEARFIELD with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707. To subscribe, join the Iron Dukes or call (336) 831-0767.