If you don’t know the name Michael Zheng, you will by the end of 2026.
The current Columbia Lion is the top-ranked college player and is coming off the singles title at the ITA National Fall Championships. The 21-year-old debated returning to Columbia this offseason, but it seems he will give it one last run at the collegiate level.
In May, Zheng will commit to a full-time professional schedule, only strengthening the recent uptick in college-to-professional tennis success stories.
Michael Zheng: The College to Professional Pipeline
Junior Career
Hailing from Montville, New Jersey, Zheng began playing tennis at age six. A few years later, he started training in the USTA’s junior development program at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. At 15, he won the USTA National Indoor Championships, establishing himself as one of the top juniors in the country.
In the summer of 2022, Zheng reached the Boys’ Singles final at Wimbledon as an unseeded player, setting the stage for what has turned into an incredible collegiate career at Columbia University.
Columbia Career
As a freshman, Zheng recorded one of the most successful individual seasons in Columbia history, posting a 32-9 overall record in singles play while playing court No. 1. He became the first men’s tennis player in Ivy League history to be named Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Ivy in singles and doubles in the same season.
Zheng kept on pace during his sophomore campaign, becoming the first player in Columbia history to reach the NCAA Singles Championship. He also became the first player in program history to be named an All-American as a first-year and sophomore, finishing the season ranked No. 10 in the ITA singles rankings.
As a junior, Zheng finally reached the mountaintop of college tennis, becoming Columbia’s first NCAA singles champion of the modern era. He posted a 37-5 overall singles record and became the first Columbia player to earn ITA All-American honors three times. Zheng also won the ITA National Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award and finished the year ranked No. 2.
In the fall of 2025, he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest collegiate men’s tennis players of all time by winning his second consecutive national championship. With the win, Zheng secured his 19th career NCAA individual tournament win, the most in NCAA history. He also became the first men’s player to win back-to-back titles since USC’s Steve Johnson did it in 2011 and 2012.
It is unclear how many college matches Zheng will play in the spring. However, in what has unarguably been a phenomenal collegiate career, one thing alludes him: a team national title.
Early Professional Results
Zheng has played in professional events throughout most of his collegiate career, with his first pro appearance at the age of 17 at the M15 Weston in June 2021. He played sparingly on the professional circuit in 2021 and 2022 but picked up a full-time schedule in the summer of 2023.
In his third tournament of the summer, Zheng advanced out of qualifying to reach the final of the Palmas Del Mar Challenger, where he fell to Kei Nishikori. The result vaulted his ranking over 500 spots to No. 558 in the world. He finished the summer with a 12-10 record throughout all competitions.
Zheng captured his first professional title at the M25 Southaven in August of 2024, but other than that, his 2024 summer was uneventful. However, his real professional breakthrough came in the summer of 2025.
He played in 10 Challenger events from May through October. In those events, he posted a 24-7 record and captured three consecutive titles in Chicago, Columbus, and Tiburon.
During that streak of three titles, Zheng dropped just four sets in 15 matches, and seven of his wins came against opponents ranked higher than him. It was the end of a terrific summer that saw Zheng’s ranking rise from No. 723 to No. 181 in the world. Considering he played in just 10 events, there is no telling what Zheng can do while playing a full schedule.
What’s Next?
Zheng will close out his esteemed collegiate career in the spring of 2026, though I would not expect him to play a full schedule.
The ITA No. 1 must play in six singles matches in the spring to be eligible for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championships in May. I would venture to guess that Columbia would cede to Zheng in which duals he wants to compete in, opening up his spring schedule for Challenger Tour events. The Challenger Tour hosts seven events in the United States from January through April.
Following the NCAA Championships in May, Zheng will graduate from Columbia and begin his full-time professional career. Expect a packed summer filled with Challenger events in June and July, with a hope for qualifying success or wildcard entries at ATP events during the North American hardcourt swing.
The 21-year-old Zheng is only scratching the surface of his potential, something the tennis world will be privy to in just a few short months.
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran – USA TODAY Sports