How the Top Men’s Singles Collegiate Tennis Player Nationwide Succeeds On and Off the Court

Michael Zheng, Dwight Global Online School 2022 graduate and Columbia junior, won the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Tennis Single Championship November 24, in Waco, Texas, making him the top collegiate player in the United States.  

A three-time All American, Zheng beat Michigan State’s Ozan Baris 6-2,4-6,6-2 to claim the singles crown. Zheng is the first men's singles champion from an Ivy League school since Yale’s Lucien Williams won a title in 1922.

"Honestly, it's a huge relief," said Zheng, who is from Montville, New Jersey. "It feels amazing to finally get it done and get the title for myself and Columbia."

As a senior at Dwight Global, Zheng had time to travel internationally for tennis, as well as maintain his strong engagement in a top academic program, a priority for him. His combination of academic and tennis success made him a blue-chip recruit when applying to colleges. 

As a freshman on Columbia University’s Men’s Tennis Team, Zheng had a record-breaking rookie season, with a 32-9 overall record in single play. That same year, 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. Prior to Columbia, Zheng advanced to the 2022 Wimbledon Boys Singles Finals.

In his sophomore year at Columbia, Zheng continued his tennis success, finishing as runner-up in the NCAA Singles Championship, and posting a 31-10 overall singles record. In the fall of 2024, Zheng and his doubles partner Hugo Hashimoto achieved an ITA nationals doubles ranking of No.18.

Combining Tennis and Rigorous Academics

An outstanding student at Columbia, Zheng also excelled in high school at Dwight Global. He said he selected Dwight Global for its scheduling flexibility after missing many days away from his brick and mortar school his junior year of high school. 

“I highly recommend going to Dwight,” said Zheng.  “It prepared me well for college.” 

Columbia’s Head Coach of Men’s Tennis and Director of Tennis Operations Howard Endelman said Zheng could have gone to any school in the country for college, including large universities with hefty budgets and athletic scholarships. 

“When a student succeeds at athletics, everything gets better,” said Endelman in an August, 2024 Dwight Global Spark Talk.  “Academics, athletics, and character are most important, and a belief that you can improve. It’s all about persistence, grit, and character– and physical and mental training on and off the court.” 

The hour-long Spark Talk discussion was moderated by Head of Dwight Global Louisa Childs and Dwight School Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn, also a former Columbia tennis player, and captain of the undefeated 1994 Ivy League Champion Columbia University Men’s Tennis team. 

Endelman’s methods clearly work for Zheng. 

“I chose Columbia because I liked Coach Endelman, his coaching philosophy, and the culture of the team. I knew some of the players on the team, and had played with them previously,” said Zheng, who is majoring in psychology at Columbia. 

Zheng said his path to the Ivy League was also encouraged and supported by the College Counseling team at Dwight Global. 

“Ms. Appleton, my counselor at Dwight, helped me a lot. I wasn’t sure how to go about the process since it was my first time, and the college counseling support was very helpful to me.” 

Personalized Coaching and Personalized Education  

At Columbia, Coach Endelman enthusiastically endorses the power of combined success in athletics and in academics, and the importance of meeting each player where they are and moving them to the highest level possible. 

“We personalize our tennis coaching for each player,” said Endelman. “What works with one player doesn’t work with another, and it takes trust and time to build up a relationship. That personalization is what Dwight Global is doing with education, too,” said Endelman.

Dwight Global’s personalized education is precisely what drew Zheng to his respected online high school. To improve at tennis, Zheng wanted and needed more time to attend tournaments than his traditional school would allow. Once at Dwight Global, Zheng had the flexibility he needed to advance in school and in tennis.

“Looking back, I see now that my class schedule at Dwight Global was very similar to my current college schedule,” said Zheng, who maximized his days at Dwight Global to accommodate classes, study, tennis training, tournaments, and sleep. “I had a great time at Dwight Global, enjoyed my classes, and built relationships.” 

College Admissions Success

Coach Endelman said Dwight Global’s reputation is well known among college admissions teams.

“Every time I meet with Admissions, there are a few schools that are viewed with the highest level of prestige and respect, whether brick and mortar or online, of every school in the world,” said Endleman.  

“And it has been proven by the guys who have come here–they are so well prepared academically. If they come from one of these top high schools, Dwight Global being one of them, it is a lot easier conversation with Admissions.”

Dr. Spahn said scholastics are also a point of pride on Columbia’s men’s tennis team, and gives credits to Coach Endelman’s comprehensive training and inspirational motivation. The men’s tennis team has the highest combined GPA–more than a 3.7–among all of Columbia’s 31 Division 1 varsity sports teams. 

Endelman has led the Columbia men’s team to a top-10 ranking in five of the past six years, and was named Ivy League Head Coach of the Year in both 2024 and 2023. His team finished with its highest national ranking ever (#8) and became the first Ivy League School ever to reach the NCAA Team Championship Final 8. 

Prior to coaching full time at Columbia, Endelman worked on Wall Street in investment banking, founded his own private equity firm, and received a law degree. After 12 years of business success, he left to pursue his love of working with student athletes. 

Endelman applies his own strategies and life lessons to inspire and motivate his players, and he is committed to encouraging his players to believe they can achieve their dreams. He takes pride in his players’ success after they graduate from college, for as long as they continue in tennis and when they move to other professions and occupations.

“Even for the best players, full-time tennis is temporary,” said Endelman. “Many of our best players and graduates are now in business or law, or in medical school and doing great.” 

Advice from a Rising Tennis Star 

What is Zheng’s advice for up-and-coming tennis players who hope to play at the college level and dream of going pro one day as he does?  

“Just keep at it,” he said. “Work hard every day. Commitment to the sport is important and so is an experienced coach.  Take that step with academics, too. My high school experience at Dwight Global prepared me for college classes. If you are ready to take that step with rigorous academics, you won’t fall behind. If you are working hard, eventually the results are going to show.” 

“Be on top of your time [management], and familiarize yourself with Zoom during any transition from a brick and mortar school,” Zheng said. “The teachers at Dwight Global are very helpful, and you can schedule meetings with them anytime. I enjoyed my time there, and the workload,” he said. “It is totally manageable.” 

 Since 2023, Dwight Global has been an official education partner with the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour Juniors, providing the best young tennis players with outstanding online academic programs and scheduling flexibility. The online school also offers students in grades 6-12 an opportunity to join the Dwight Global travel tennis team for national and international tournament participation.

For more information, visit Dwight Global Admissions.

By Caroline Crosson Gilpin