Go to school, children.
It’s a good idea no matter what your circumstances are, of course, but it becomes a better and better idea if you’re a professional tennis player.
College tennis used to be a safe haven for young players who didn’t have enough skill to make the jump to the pros — and who likely wouldn’t make it to the next level. They can continue to play tennis for four or more years while receiving an education before entering the “real world.”
Not anymore – and not yet. Over the past decade, in particular, college tennis has become a legitimate pipeline to the ATP and WTA Tours. The college game has always been character building; Now, the depth of the sport and the quality of the competition are also creating elite tennis skill-sets.
The kind of skill sets that not only get you on the professional journey, but also for success.
Look no further than the 2026 Australian Open to confirm that you can go from the relative obscurity of the college ranks to a bona fide player on tennis’s major stages. Heading into the third round match at Melbourne Park, the eight men still alive in the competition have college connections. That’s 25 percent, of those counted. Four of them — Ben Shelton (Florida), Student Tien (USC), Eliot Spizzirri (Texas), and Ethan Quinn (Georgia) — were in school as recently as 2023. A little further back, Francisco Cerundolo (South Carolina), Cameron Norrie (TCU), Valentin Vacherot (Texas A&M), and Nuno Borges (Mississippis State at the college level).
Of those eight, five were planted in Melbourne. Three others have already been seeded (Spizzirri upset Joao Fonseca, Borges got the best of Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Quinn made quick work of Tallon Griekspoor).
They’re just kicking butt – and they’re not apologetic about it, either.
“I think college players are dogs for the most part,” seventh-seeded Shelton said during a press conference after beating Ugo Humbert 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) in the opening round. “I don’t feel like I belong there [are] that most college players who come on tour do it and are soft. I think you have to get used to a lot of things when you’re in college.”
Quinn, ranked 80th, still has a ways to go before reaching Shelton’s level. But the 21-year-old sees some college-bred similarities between himself and the NCAA singles champion.
“Ben’s locker is right next to mine, and most of the time he and I talk a lot — we’re very loud,” Quinn explained after destroying Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1 on Thursday. “I think that’s really a factor [college players] be. You know, we’re willing to go out and get it. I think that’s something you have to learn when you go to college. [There are] 10 of you in a group – 12 of you in a group…. Coaches won’t do everything for you, so you have to make sure you go out and do things yourself. [College players] they are willing to go out and take it. And they will cry a lot when they get it.”
They certainly find it Down Under.
More than eight in the third round, Michael Zheng (Columbia) and Raphael Jodar (Virginia) reached the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time in their careers. Zheng, a two-time NCAA singles champion who plays for Columbia, beat Sebastian Korda in the first round. Yannick Hanfmann (USC), Arthur Fery (Stanford), Nishesh Basavareddy (Stanford), and Rinky Hijikata (North Carolina) also advanced to the second round.
“I think the NCAAs prepared me for times like this,” Zheng commented following his five-set loss to Korda. “I feel like when you play for college, you play for something bigger than yourself…. You really want to win for yourself, but also for your school.
“I actually felt more nervous going into the NCAA finals than this match, surprisingly. But, yeah, I think it shows that college tennis is a real path to the pros.”
Of course, it’s not just about raising; it’s natural, too. Going to college doesn’t threaten a gift—a professional career. Most collegiate athletes – tennis and otherwise – don’t excel. But this current team has something special.
“I think for the most part it’s a good group of guys,” Spizzirri said after his first five-set win over Yibing Wu on Thursday. “There’s a good relationship between us. I feel like we really want to win with each other. And when I see other college guys doing well, it gives me confidence. And I think the other guys say the same.
“According to the signs, [every college player] true, true, hard working, tough, selfless. They’ve done it all – just because you’ve been around the club for so long.
“The standard has gone up in college,” Spizzirri continued. “I don’t really know why – maybe it’s good training; the resources are unbelievable. When I went to college, I said to myself, ‘Listen, I get top 10, 20 in the world in resources for four years as a 17, 18-year-old. So you really have an opportunity to increase your strength. I don’t really know if 5 or 2 years ago I looked at that, or 20 think that guys (now) look at it as a stepping stone to the professional tour.”
And maybe even a stepping stone to the final rounds of a Grand Slam.
