ZooTennis

My Eight Intriguing Questions for 2026; Jovic Posts First Top 10 Win; Australian Open Juniors Begin Saturday with Six Americans in Action; Ayrault Defeats Newman at Costa Rica J300; Clemson Advances to Team Indoor

My annual look at some of the big picture questions in college and junior tennis is up today at Tennis Recruiting Network. I consider the NCAA on court and in court, Electronic Line Calling for the juniors, the departure of FILA from the junior scene and several other questions I hope to have answers to in 2026.After a noticeable lack of teenagers at the top of the women's game a couple of years

about 11 hours ago | 0 reads

Quinn and Spizzirri Join Five Other American Men in Australian Open Third Round; Harding Qualifies for Australian Open Junior Championships; ITA Kickoff Weekend Starts with Loss for Host South Carolina

Of the seven US men who have advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, four of them competed in college, all in the past five years.While Ben Shelton(Florida) and Learner Tien(USC) are seeded and expected to be in round three, Eliot Spizzirri(Texas) and Ethan Quinn(Georgia) have both eliminated seeds and looked good doing it.Spizzirri won his first five-set match Thursday, beating the

1 day ago | 0 reads

Six Americans Reach Third Round at Australian Open; Guto Migel, Sun Claim ITF J300 Traralgon Titles; Five US Girls Advance to ITF J300 Coffee Bowl Quarterfinals; Virginia Men Move to No. 2 in Latest D-I Poll

Three US women and three US men advanced to the Australian Open third round with wins Wednesday, including 18-year-old Iva Jovic, who will be appearing in the third round of a major for the first time.Jovic defeated Australian wild card Priscilla Hon 6-1, 6-2, winning the final six games of the late night match, to advance to a third meeting with Jasmine Paolini of Italy. Although Jovic's pro

2 days ago | 0 reads

23 Americans Reach Second Round of Australian Open; Qualifying for Australian Open Junior Championships Begins Wednesday; ITF J300 Traralgon Finals Set; Qualifying Complete at USTA Pro Circuit W35 in Weston FL

Seven more Americans won their matches Tuesday, the third and last day of first round competition at the Australian Open, bringing the total number of US players in the second round to 23.Two former collegiate stars pulled off upsets, with Eliot Spizzirri(Texas) running his record against Joao Fonseca of Brazil to 2-0 with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over the No. 28 seed. Spizzirri had beaten

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3 days ago | 0 reads

Eleven Americans Advance at Australian Open; Hance Reaches Semifinals at ITF J300 in Traralgon; Top Six Seeds at J300 in Costa Rica are US Girls; Arora Claims J200 Title in India

Eight US women and three US men reached won their first round matches Monday at the Australian Open, with the last nine of the 40 Americans competing in the singles main draws on Tuesday's schedule(Monday night in the United States).Monday's first round Australian Open results of Americans:Coco Gauff[3] d. Kamilla Rakhimova(UZB) 6-2, 6-3Amanda Anisimova[4] d Simona Waltert(SUI) 6-3, 6-2Jessica

4 days ago | 0 reads

Zheng Upsets Korda at Australian Open, 20 Americans in Action Monday; Shick Sweeps Titles at M25 in Winston-Salem; Andreescu Ends Wolff's Winning Streak in Bradenton; Virginia Men Start Season with Two Top Five Victories

Columbia senior Michael Zheng had never faced an ATP Top 100 player, had never competed in an ATP-level main draw match and had, obviously, never played a five-set match.The two-time NCAA singles champion crossed all three of those items off his bucket list Sunday in Melbourne, defeating ATP No. 51 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(0), 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open.Zheng, who

5 days ago | 0 reads

Vandecasteele and Shick Advance to M25 Winston-Salem Final; Wolff's USTA Pro Circuit Winning Streak Reaches Nine in Bradenton W35; Three US Juniors in Round of 16 at Traralgon J300; Ten Americans Begin Australian Open Play Sunday

Quinn Vandecasteele ended the ITF World Tennis Tour winning streak of Keegan Smith(UCLA) today at the M25 in Winston-Salem, knocking out last week's M25 Winston-Salem champion to earn a spot in his fourth Pro Circuit final.The unseeded 22-year-old former University of Oregon standout defeated No. 4 seed Smith, who had won an M15 in New Zealand last month, 7-6(5), 6-4. Vandecasteele, who had lost

6 days ago | 0 reads

Big Upgrades to ITF Junior Circuit in US; Smith's ITF Winning Streak Reaches 13 in Winston-Salem M25; Three Americans and Andreescu Advance to W35 Bradenton Semis; Jovic Plays for Hobart Title

As I mentioned earlier this month, I had an opportunity to speak with the USTA's Dan Holman and Tracy Davies about the newly regionalized ITF Junior Circuit here in the United States and the five new J200s, in Las Vegas, Sumter, Nashville, Cincinnati and Delray Beach, that are part of that restructuring.I wrote this article for the Tennis Recruiting Network about the philosophy behind this

7 days ago | 0 reads

Five Qualifiers Among 38 Americans in Australian Open Draws; Baker's Dozen of US Juniors Begin ITF Australian Swing in Traralgon; Kudla Joins Coaching Staff at JTCC

Qualifying for the Australian Open concluded Thursday in Melbourne, with four US men and one US woman advancing to the main draw.Columbia's two-time NCAA champion Michael Zheng had to save a match point after taking a 7-1 lead in the third set tiebreaker against Lukas Klein of Slovakia, but the 21-year-old from New Jersey will make his ATP and slam main draw debut after a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(10)

8 days ago | 0 reads

Eleven Americans Advance to Final Round of Australian Open Qualifying; Smith Continues Winning Ways at Winston-Salem M25; USTA's Lake Nona Campus Expansion Plans Approved

Twenty-four Americans were in the Australian Open qualifying draws when the week began, and nearly half have made the final round, which begins in a few hours Thursday(tonight in the USA) in Melbourne.Six of the nine US men and five of the seven US women in action Wednesday in the second round advanced, with Nishesh Basavareddy(Stanford) having the most dramatic win. Basavareddy, whose ATP

9 days ago | 0 reads

Winter Nats Champion Nguyen Posts First W35 Win in Bradenton; Sixteen Americans Reach Australian Open Qualifying Second Round; Two US Juniors in ITF J300 Traralgon Qualifying

The first women's USTA Pro Circuit tournament of the year is a W35 at the Inspiration Academy in Bradenton Florida, with qualifying concluding today and four first round matches played.USTA Winter Nationals 18s champion Kenzie Nguyen didn't miss a beat after her title in Lake Nona earlier this month, receiving a wild card into this event and beating Victoria Hu(Princeton) 6-3, 7-6(5). Although Hu

10 days ago | 1 read

Malacek Sweeps Titles at Costa Rica's ITF J60; US Men Go 6-0 on First Day of Australian Open Qualifying, Stoiana Saves Match Points in Women's AO Qualifying

Last week's ITF J60 in Costa Rica, the first of three events in that country that will conclude with the J300 Coffee Bowl, produced three titles for Americans, including a sweep for Orange Bowl 16s finalist Daniel Malacek. The tournament used the ITF's new format, with results in round eight round robin groups determining the quarterfinalists. American boys won six of those groups, and

11 days ago | 1 read

Orange Bowl Gallery; Smith Claims Second M25 Title in Winston-Salem; Australian Open Qualifying Begins with 12 US Men and 12 US Women Competing for Main Draw

The last entry in my review of last month's Orange Bowl is my Tennis Recruiting Network photo gallery of the 16s tournament. It features all the players from the United States (plus a couple who train here but compete for other countries) who won a round in the singles event. I focus on the 16s for this tournament in order to feature some new faces; many of those playing the 18s appeared in the

12 days ago | 1 read

Mitsui and Smith Reach Winston-Salem M25 Final; 14-Year-Old Dotsenko Claims First ITF J300 Title in India; Nakashima in Brisbane Final; Americans Claim Challenger Doubles Titles; Hannah Klugman Feature

Recent University of Tennessee graduate Shunsuke Mitsui of Japan advanced to his first M25 final with a 6-1, 6-3 win over 17-year-old wild card Jack Kennedy, who was seeking his first Pro Circuit final after losses in three M15 semifinals last year. The 23-year-old Mitsui, who has two M15 titles, will face No. 5 seed Keegan Smith, a former UCLA All-American, who defeated wild card Luca Pow, a

13 days ago | 1 read

Kennedy Reaches First M25 Semifinal in Winston-Salem; Four US Men Reach ATP 250 Semifinals, Jovic Advances in Auckland; Former USTA Florida Executive Director Arrested

Wild card Jack Kennedy has advanced to his fourth USTA Pro Circuit semifinal and his first at the M25 level, with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2 win over Stefan Dostanic(USC, Wake Forest), the 2025 NCAA Team Championships' Most Outstanding Player, in Winston-Salem.Kennedy will face unseeded Shunsuke Mitsui of Japan, a former University of Tennessee All-American, who beat No. 7 seed and 2025 ITA All-American

14 days ago | 1 read

Reddy Reaches ITF J300 Semifinal in India; Kennedy Advances to Quarterfinals at Winston-Salem M25; Jodar and Zheng Make Challenger Semifinals; TRN's Recap of Winter Nationals 18s; USA into United Cup Semifinals

Vihaan Reddy withdrew from the ITF J300 in Traralgon Australia on Monday, although he couldn't have known then that he would be getting plenty of matches prior to the Australian Open Junior Championships later this month, where he is still entered.Today the 16-year-old from Northern California reached his second ITF J300 semifinal in the past two months, with the sixth-seeded Reddy beating No. 3

15 days ago | 1 read

NCAA Champions Georgia and Wake Forest Top First ITA Coaches Poll; Reddy and Santhosh Reach ITF J300 Quarterfinals in India; TRN's Winter National Recaps for 14s and 16s; Schick Beats Top Seed Andrade at M25 Winston-Salem

The first coaches poll of the 2026 dual match season is less significant than ever after the ITA changed its ranking procedure for 2026. These rankings used to be a starting point for the computer rankings later in the season, but they no longer serve that purpose, with a new system in place that puts all teams on the same level when results are calculated.Yet for college tennis fans, there is

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16 days ago | 1 read

Kennedy and Arseneault Post Wins at 2026's First USTA Pro Circuit Tournament in Winston-Salem; Zampardo Signs with UNC, Exsted Joins USC; Jovic Reaches Quarterfinals at WTA 250 in Auckland

The first tournament of the year on the USTA Pro Circuit is an M25 in Winston-Salem North Carolina, with qualifying concluding today and four first round matches played. Seventeen-year-old Jack Kennedy, the ITF junior No. 3, will be playing primarily on the ITF men's and ATP Challenger tour in his last year of junior eligibility, as he prepares to begin his collegiate career in the fall at

17 days ago | 2 reads

Arora Beats No. 2 Seed at First ITF J300 of 2026; Ten US Juniors in ITF Top 20s in Year's First Rankings; TRN's Winter Nats 12s Recap; Quinn and Nava Named to USA's February Davis Cup Team

The first of the 39 ITF J300 tournaments scheduled for 2026 is underway in New Delhi India, with four Americans advancing to the second round with victories today and another aiming to join them with a win Tuesday.Fourteen-year-old Anya Arora, 367 in the first ITF junior rankings of the year, defeated 15-year-old Alisa Terentyeva of Russia, 73 in the new rankings, 6-2, 6-0 in the first round

18 days ago | 2 reads

ITF Junior Circuit Rule Changes in 2026 Include Guidelines for New Round Robin Events, More Generous Coaching Parameters, Live Streaming and Scoring for J500s

Last month the ITF released a summary of the changes in its Junior Circuit regulations for 2026, which includes requirements for some substantial upgrades for the seven J500 tournaments.I'll start with the new regulations for 2026, the majority of which are related to the introduction of early rounds of robin robin play in selected J30s and J60s.This ITF article from last fall gives an overview

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19 days ago | 4 reads

Karki and Nguyen Win 18s Titles, Ung and Selvan Claim Gold Balls in 16s at USTA Winter National Championships in Orlando; Quijada and Zerres Sweep 14s, Top Seeds Claim 12s Titles in San Antonio

The first champions of 2026 have been crowned, with the USTA Winter National Championships concluding today in Orlando Florida and San Antonio Texas.Just one of the eight finals played today went three sets, with the boys 18s title claimed by No. 2 seed Ronit Karki after he dropped the first set. The 2025 Wimbledon boys finalist defeated No. 17 seed Andrew Li 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in more than two and a

20 days ago | 1 read

December Aces; USTA Winter National Championships Finals Set, Doubles Champions Crowned; United States Begins Title Defense at United Cup as ATP/WTA Season Begins

My monthly Tennis Recruiting Network column on December's top performances focuses primarily on the winners of the three major junior events in Florida, which makes it a great way to catch up if you weren't able to follow my daily coverage. But the IMG Academy, Orange Bowl and Junior Orange Bowl champions weren't the only players to pick up titles as the year came to a close, with juniors and

21 days ago | 1 read

Happy New Year! Top Seeds Fall in USTA Winter National Quarterfinals; Acceptances for This Month's Traralgon and Coffee Bowl ITF J300s

 2026 didn't start the way that four of the seven No. 1 seeds remaining in contention for the USTA Winter Nationals would have liked, with girls 18s top seed Carlota Moreno the only one to post a quarterfinal victory today in Orlando.Boys 18s top seed and defending champion Shaan Patel saw his winning streak end at 11 matches, with No. 13 seed Noble Renfrow posting a convincing 6-0, 6-1

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22 days ago | 1 read

Quarterfinals Set for USTA Winter Nationals, Unseeded Lee Ousts Top Seed Zavala in B14s; Jodar Will Not Return to Virginia as He Begins Pro Career

The quarterfinals are set for the USTA Winter National Championships on New Year's Day, with seven of the eight No. 1 seeds still in the hunt for a gold ball. The boys 14s lost their top seed in today's round of 16, with unseeded Nathan Lee, the younger brother of Tyler Lee, defeating Sebastian Zavala 6-1, 6-3.The quarterfinal matchups in singles:B18s:Shaan Patel[1] v Noble Renfrow[13]Michael

23 days ago | 1 read

2025 Honor Roll

JanuaryMax D Smith, USTA Winter Nationals 12sDavid Bender and Gabriel Marino, USTA Winter Nationals 12s (dbls)Jacqueline Nick, USTA Winter Nationals 12sLucy Dupere and Christina Li, USTA Winter Nationals 12s (dbls)Eli Kaminski, USTA Winter Nationals 14sRafael Pawar and Zesen Wang, USTA Winter Nationals 14s (dbls)London Evans, USTA Winter Nationals 14sAnna Scott Laney and Michelle Lee, USTA Winter

24 days ago | 0 reads