India Houghton Roars Back from Injury to Lift Florida Women’s Tennis

In 2019, India Houghton sent a text to Pepperdine University women’s tennis coach Per Nilsson shortly after committing to Stanford University. The routine message showed thanks for the staff’s recruitment and foreshadowed her future.

“It was great getting to know each other,” Houghton wrote. “Maybe one day I’ll get to be coached by you.”

Six years later, that day came. Shortly after Nilsson took over the Gators tennis program to replace Roland Thornqvist, Houghton arrived in Gainesville as an integral piece of Nilsson’s program. She stepped into a roster built almost from scratch nine months ago, with one player remaining from the 2024-25 season. Now, the women’s team boasts a full eight-player roster, with the fifth-year senior naturally taking the lead in Gators’ pursuit of an SEC doubles championship.

Despite a singles loss against Arkansas in the second round of the SEC Tournament, she and teammate Lucie Pawlak earned a 6-0 win, helping secure Florida’s 4-0 sweep and advance to the next round.

After entering the transfer portal in the offseason, Nilsson unexpectedly noticed Houghton’s name.

“When she was in high school, I recruited her to Pepperdine, and she ended up at Stanford. And I thought that would be the end of it,” he said. “When I saw her in the portal, it was kind of like, ‘Wait a minute, this might be meant to be.’”

For Houghton, the feeling was mutual. The California native said she knew Florida would be the right fit before her plane even landed. That sentiment only grew as she settled into the program, Nilsson’s coaching style and teammates she now calls her best friends.

Even so, her path hasn’t been without challenges.

Before Florida, Houghton spent four years at Stanford, just an hour from her hometown in Tiburon, Cali. In many ways, it was a dream school and her acceptance ruled out any other option.

However, she battled multiple injuries in Stanford, moving in and out of the lineup and often competing in lower court positions while never completing a full season. After graduating with a year of eligibility remaining, she made the decision to leave.

Houghton spent last summer rehabbing her Achilles, an injury she suffered all of last year, and not touching a racket as she worked through recovery. Leaning on Florida’s training and medical staff, she rehabbed in the fall with treatment multiple times a week while slowly rebuilding strength and confidence in her body. That structured rehab session continues three times a week during this season, helping her stay active since returning to the lineup at the ITA Indoor Championships in January.

Despite a rocky start, she has begun to make clear strides in both her recovery and performance as the postseason ramps up.

“If you look a month and a half ago to where she is now, it’s two different people,” Nilsson said. “I see now what I thought she was going to do a long time ago.”

Houghton opened the spring with a string of singles losses at the ITA Championships and in matches against NC State and Auburn. By late March, those results began to shift. She went unfinished in matches against Alabama, Mississippi State and Texas A&M, all of which went to a third set, showing a resilience that had been built through years of persistent recovery.

In Florida’s 4-0 win against Vanderbilt, she earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 6 Bridget Stammel. She carried that momentum into the Gators’ regular season finale against Missouri, where she defeated Gian Octa in a commanding 6-0, 6-0 performance.

“She’s getting tougher, and I think she realizes that,” Nilsson said.

Part of that growth, he added, has come from a technical adjustment to embrace her left-handed game and open new depth in her play.

Nilsson sees the potential he originally sought to materialize.

“She has a little bit of a way to go,” Nilsson said. “But if she can get there, it’s scary how good she can be.”

Florida’s No. 14 women’s tennis is heading to Michigan where it will take on Toledo for the NCAA tournament first-round match Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. The host Wolverines square off against Illinois State in the other first-round match, with the winners playing Sunday for the right to advance.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Tennis, NCAA, SEC, Tennis