Michael Zheng achieved a sport shaking win at the Australian Open this year, by winning three qualifying draw matches and then clobbering Sebastian Korda in five sets in the first round. Yes, the same Sebastian Korda who just won the Delray Beach Open.
So what does Zheng do next? Zheng dropped back down to college matches and has since lost to two players nobody has ever heard of. He also played Dallas Open and lost a close two set rematch with Korda in the first round.
Zheng is 22 years old now and ranked 149 ATP. He has made a name for himself as a hot young prospect to watch and is on the verge of accomplishing big things. But his momentum from Melbourne has been stalled by playing irrelevant NCAA matches. Instead of fine tuning his ATP World Tour skills and learning what it’s like to play people like Korda, Moutet, Medvedev, Ruud, and other elite ATP champions, Zheng is wasting valuable time playing college matches. Every college match he plays is a step backwards.
Without a doubt, any honest tennis expert knows Zheng has graduated from college tennis where he has already won two NCAA singles titles. It’s perplexing why the Columbia coaching staff does not thank Zheng for what he has done for the program and tell him it’s time to move on and focus all his energies and talents on learning how to conquer the ATP World Tour. Is Columbia Tennis putting it’s own interests ahead of Zheng’s interests?
Playing college matches at this point will not do anything to improve Zheng as a player. He should be in Acapulco battling with the top 100 ATP or a Challenger to accelerate his ranking into top 100.
Korda is ranked 40 in the world after winning Delray Beach Open where he beat Cobolli, McDonald, Michelsen, Ruud and Tommy Paul in the final. If Zheng can beat Korda in five sets in a Grand Slam, he can surely beat all the guys Korda is beating right now. And that is what he should be trying to do instead of playing meaningless college matches with a few dozen fans watching.
Who pays the price if Zheng blows out a knee or shoulder playing these irrelevant college matches? Who pays the price if Zheng hurts his foot or wrist in practice?
Whoever is manipulating or influencing Michael Zheng to stay in college right now needs to explain the secret plan. Or is it Zheng himself who is making this absolutely ridiculous career choice?
One can only wonder what would have happened to the professional careers of McEnroe, Blake, Quinn, Nakashima if they opted to play all four years of college tennis?
Australian Open · Columbia University · Michael Zheng · Sebastian Korda