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21-year-old rising star achieves impressive American tennis record last managed over a decade ago

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Michael Zheng has made American tennis history on the national collegiate ranks, which hasn’t been achieved since 2012.

American tennis is enjoying a revival of late, with several stars impressing for their nation across the different tours.

The WTA Finals featured four American women, while Learner Tien won his first ATP title in his debut season.

On the American college circuit, Zheng is making more history for American tennis as the future looks incredibly bright.

Michael Zheng of the Columbia Lions competes against Ozan Baris of the Michigan State Spartans during the Division I Mens Tennis Championship held at The Hurd Tennis Center on November 24, 2024 in Waco, Texas.
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Michael Zheng wins back-to-back NCAA championships

Zheng is yet to truly assert himself as a professional on the main ATP Tour, but he continues to impress for Columbia University.

The star has just achieved his second NCAA individual championship in back-to-back years, after first winning the title in 2024.

Zheng defended his title by defeating Trevor Svajda,, who was representing Southern Methodist University, in the final of the tournament.

Zheng is the first star to defend the title for over a decade, when Steve Johnson managed the feat in 2011 and 2012.

Johnson was unstoppable in college tennis, and managed to forge a decent ATP Tour career after he graduated.

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The star reached a career high of world number 21 and won four singles tournaments between 2016 and 2018.

Zheng will be hoping to emulate the American star when he makes the jump up to the professional circuit.

Michael Zheng has already shown promising signs on the ATP Tour

As well as performing for Columbia University, Zheng has also appeared at a number of Challenger events throughout 2025.

The star has won events in Tiburon and Columbus, as well as picking up victories against established stars such as Dan Evans, Martin Damm, and Rafael Jodar.

The American has already garnered $106,910 this year alone, and he has achieved a ranking high of world number 180.

While plenty can happen to young players, Zheng looks like another promising young American to join the impressive production line in tennis.