Michael Zheng continues to make history.

The Columbia senior and Delbarton product won his second-straight NCAA Singles Tournament title a week ago on Nov. 23.

Zheng defeated SMU’s Trevor Svajda in the final, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 for his 19th all-time tournament win, surpassing Somdev Devvarman of Virginia who finished with 18 career wins in 2008.

The 2021 NJSIAA state singles tournament winner, Zheng cemented his legacy as one of the top collegiate men’s tennis players of all time as he became the ninth male to repeat as an NCAA champion. The last to do it was USC’s Steve Johnson in 2011-12.

Zheng is the 10th player overall to win multiple championships. With his run, he also became the first four-time All-American in Ivy League men’s tennis history.

The tournament was held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

“It’s definitely an amazing accomplishment, it’s definitely something I wouldn’t have thought about in my freshman year,” Zheng told USTA.com. “Obviously it’s not something you see every day, so it just feels amazing to make history for myself and for Columbia as well.”

Zheng won his last three matches in the tournament in three sets. He defeated Michigan State’s Ozan Baris in the quarterfinals in comeback fashion after the two met in the final last November.

Zheng’s back-to-back NCAA singles title came after a strong summer where he won three Challenger titles in Tiburon, Columbus and Chicago. He also won his opening round match in the Qualifying Rounds of the U.S. Open.

With his singles title, Zheng qualifies for the Collegiate Player Wild Card Playoffs in June. The winner of the four-player bracket will get an automatic bid to the Main Draw of the U.S. Open.

Zheng has a current live ATP pro ranking of No. 190.

On the women’s side, Harvard’s Stephanie Yakoff won her opening round match, but fell in three sets in the second round. Yakoff won the NJSIAA state singles tournament three times during her career at Fort Lee.

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Team USA was announced recently as well for the 18th edition of the Master’U BNP Paribas Championship from Dec. 5-7 in Reims, France.

Of the six men and women representing the red, white and blue, two are from New Jersey in Columbia’s Nicolas Kotzen and Stanford’s Samir Banerjee.

Kotzen was an All-State performer and team state champion at Newark Academy. Banerjee played just his freshman of high school tennis at Ridge, but he still managed to earn All-State honors as well.

Zheng’s 2025 NCAA Singles Tournament

First Round

Zheng, def. Hugo Car, South Florida, 6-4, 6-2.

Second Round

Zheng, def. Sebastian Eriksson, Texas, 6-3, 6-3.

Quarterfinals

Zheng, def. Ozan Baris, Michigan State, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Semifinals

Zheng, def. Paul Ichauspe, Princeton, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.

Final

Zheng, def. Trevor Svajda, SMU, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

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