Twenty-five men and nine women from the US collegiate system are competing in singles at AO 2026 – that’s the most men since 2009 and 24 more players in total here than there were ten years ago.
MORE: All the scores from AO 2026
Why has college tennis become such an attractive pathway to the pro tour? McCartney Kessler says the answer “is a super personal thing,” shaped by each player’s journey and unique circumstances.
According to former world No.4 Tim Henman, the shift in the physical demands of the modern game – moving away from serve and volley towards longer baseline rallies – places an added emphasis on building resilient, well-conditioned bodies – an area where the college system has appeal, offering access to elite infrastructure without financial burden.
“I went to Stanford University while I was there for the Laver Cup,” Henman said. “Incredible facilities with not only good indoor and outdoor tennis courts, but also gyms, nutrition and all the other athletes who train alongside you.”
Ben Shelton, an alumnus of the University of Florida, where he was the (NCAA) national college singles champion in 2022, and now the highest-ranked former college player on tour, says the college system is helpful in sharpening a player’s mental edge.
“When you're a college player, you'd better keep your grades up in school, or you're not going to be eligible," he said. "You've got other teammates who you’ve got to uplift. And the coach isn't just thinking about you, he's thinking about all ten guys.”
Time to mature
Another player is Learner Tien, a three-time five-set winner at the AO since his main-draw debut in 2025.
“I was young, and I didn't really mentally feel ready," Tien said. “Tennis-wise, I wasn't fully there yet either. I think some time to mature and just to feel like I was fully committed to playing professional tennis, I think that was probably good for me. "
Tien left the University of Southern California after his sophomore year, and at AO 2026 is seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam at No. 25.
Time has always been a significant factor in athlete development. In the past, tennis players bypassed collegiate pathways to maximise their professional careers at a young age – a concern that is now less pronounced according to Columbia University men’s tennis coach Howard Endelman.
“The average age of the top 100 is higher than it’s ever been. Players are competing until they are 35 or 36,” Endelman said. “It used to be that someone still playing at 30 was considered old.
“The game now takes much longer to mature physically and mentally on tour, so spending some of those formative years at university, from 18 to 22, is a compelling option.”
International development
With 35 per cent of the Australian Open’s collegiate competitors coming from outside the US, the system also gives international players the chance to develop.
Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, who left his hometown of Buenos Aires to attend the University of South Carolina in 2017, described the experience as formative in his rise to a seeding of 18 at AO 2026.
“I went there not knowing anyone from the team, and no one spoke Spanish,” he said. “I had to improve a lot of my English. I had to play for seven to eight months on hard courts, so I developed my game a lot.
“At the time, I wasn’t good enough to turn pro, I didn’t believe in myself, and I didn’t want to be a coach,” Cerundolo added. “I wanted another option in my life - a degree - so that was the reason I went there.”
Shelton won the NCAA team title in 2021, the season before his individual success, while Michael Zheng took back-to-back individual titles in 2024 and 2025.
“I think the NCAAs definitely prepared me for moments like these,” Zheng said, following his first-round defeat of former world No.15 Sebastian Korda - on his Grand Slam main draw debut.
Playing in front of a packed stadium can be daunting for a young professional, but for Zheng – a senior at Columbia University – it’s been a relatively seamless transition.
College tennis matches often draw 500+ fans, with major matches attracting up to 2500 spectators.
“I feel like when you are playing for college, you're playing for something bigger than yourself,” he said. “There are a lot of people supporting you. You really want to win for yourself, but also for your school.”
‘Greatest triumph’
In the women’s game, Peyton Stearns, Diana Schnaider, Emma Navarro and Danielle Collins have all blazed a trail. Collins, a former world No.7 and AO22 finalist, said winning two NCAA singles titles for the University of Virginia remains one of the greatest triumphs of her career.
Each success story has broadened the pathway, giving players who do not break through immediately on the ITF circuit time to develop before turning professional.
“I think there are just so many examples now of guys who have broken through – not just barely inside the top 100, but into the top 10,” Shelton said.
Shelton's father Bryan was head coach at the Florida programme.
“My dad was handing me sheets in college showing Cameron Norrie’s progression, how he made it in three years after leaving college and established himself in the top 100.
“Then, obviously, I’m an example people can look at… It used to be that if you went to college, your tennis career was dead. Now it’s a stepping stone.”