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Andrew Orban gained his sense of adventure through college tennis. Having teammates at the University of Maryland from different countries made Orban interested in exploring the world.

Andrew Orban Loves To Travel to Different Countries

Orban had never traveled outside the United States when he arrived to play for the Terrapins in 2005.

But after graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in math and a minor in astronomy, Orban spent five years traveling abroad. The Fayetteville, North Carolina native worked teaching tennis for 60-70 hours a week in the summer and then spent six months traveling to various countries.

Orban backpacked through Southeast Asia and went scuba diving in Australia. He visited New Zealand and Japan and explored various islands. He stayed in hostels, dorms and guest houses.

“I would say Maryland was the best thing that happened to me on and off the court. I grew up in a small town, and we had eight foreign kids on our team. We had guys that spoke French and some were from Denmark and Israel. I had never been exposed to the world and it really opened my eyes and inspired me to want to go visit these friends in other places and see other countries they were talking about,” said Orban, the No. 4-ranked boy in TRN’s 2005 class. “Being able to experience other cultures and the way people did things was very enriching. It took me to a whole other level and taught me to be more accepting.”

Orban, 31, lives in the Washington D.C. area and is the head tennis pro at Edgemoor Racquet Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Although his travel schedule has slowed a bit, he still makes it a priority to navigate other countries. Tennis remains a vehicle to inspire his exploration. He is a member of the United States International Club, and has played events in Buenos Aires, Berlin and Mexico City among others.

“It is really fun. They get a lot pros and guys from that level across the world that still want to play and keep the camaraderie going,” Orban said. “I try to play one or two events a year. It’s a great excuse to travel and get to play in all these clubs across the world. It’s a great organization.”