This year, the Dwight community celebrated Global Online students and alumni, who delivered outstanding performances at the Wimbledon Championships.

“Wimbledon is an extraordinary stage, and we’re incredibly proud to see Dwight Global students and alumni pursuing their Spark of Genius at the very highest level. Their achievements embody the spirit of our community,” said Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn. 

With the sun beaming on the tennis court, Dwight Global alumni and students Michael Zheng ’22, Kai Thompson ’26, Olivia Traynor ’26, Tanishk Konduri ’27, and Carrie-Anne Hoo ’27, reached unbelievable heights at this year’s Wimbledon. Representatives from our Dwight leadership, alumni, family, and friends (all longtime fans!) uplifted Michael and the students from the stands. 

Vice Chancellor Dr. Blake Spahn ’89, Dwight Global Head of Partnerships Mark Clemente ’04, Dwight Advisor on AI Initiatives and Google Gemini Product Manager James Rubin ’13, and VP of School Development Rian Pandole traveled to London from around the globe to support the players throughout the tournament.

Michael, who graduated from Columbia in May of 2026 as a two-time NCAA champion, beat British No. 1 and former Top 10 in the world Cameron Norrie in a four hour first round match at Wimbledon, in front of a heavily pro-Norrie crowd. Our community members sat at the edge of their seats when Michael forced the deciding tiebreak with a backhand volley winner in the fifth, and then took seven of the last nine points to close it out. That moment, along with a diving forehand volley in his second round match, went viral on Wimbledon social media channels. Michael went on to face the No. 3 seed Felix Auger Aliassime in the third round on tennis’ most revered stage: Centre Court Wimbledon. He won over the British crowd with “Let’s go Michael!” chants breaking out multiple times throughout the match. “To hear the crowd rally around him like that was remarkable. Hearing your name ring out on Centre Court is what every young player dreams of, and seeing it happen for someone who has left such a mark on Dwight and Columbia is very special,” said James. Blake, Mark, and James graduated from both Dwight and Columbia, and Blake, Mark, and Rian were all captains of the Columbia Men’s Tennis Team. These connections made watching Michael that much more meaningful.

During the Wimbledon Juniors event, the Dwight community was mesmerized by Dwight Global students and alumni, with Tanishk winning two rounds, including one while battling a hip injury sustained mid-match, Olivia, upsetting the fifth-seeded player in the draw, Carrie-Anne defeating a British player while competing on home ground, and Kai drawing a seeded opponent immediately in the first round. It was truly an amazing moment for the Dwight Global community — and especially for our players. 

Kai said, “Wimbledon is a special place for tennis players, it was an honor to play there, on grass for the first time, with such history, it was truly memorable.”

The journey to Wimbledon demanded hard work and dedication, and Dwight Global Online School ensured that students were accommodated. During a recent Spark Talk, Michael discussed how the balanced schedule provided by Dwight Global gave him the opportunity to have the best of both worlds: preparing to play professionally and excelling academically. Michael has previously discussed Dwight Global’s impact, saying, “The flexibility and support that I have received from Dwight Global has allowed me to play freely and without stress when I'm on the tennis court.”  

Rian said that Dwight Global has always helped student athletes in navigating and pursuing their passion, especially those that are so time consuming. He said, “This is exactly what Dwight Global was built for. The ability to provide our amazing students with rigorous academics that fit around elite training. World class education and world class ambition don’t have to be a trade off.” Mark added, “To see Dwight Global students experience their dreams become a reality at Wimbledon is nothing short of inspiring.”

This magical moment at Wimbledon proved Dwight Global is always there for their students — not only online, but everywhere their students might be — in so many other arenas, stages, and institutions, reinforcing what Dwight Global has long championed and made possible: dreaming big and limitless possibilities.

Congratulations to our students for playing remarkably on one of tennis’s biggest stages!

And now onward to the next big stage: Keep your eye out for Dwight Global students and alumni at the U.S. Open running August 23 to September 13. Let’s show the U.S. Open crowd that Flushing Meadows is Lions territory!