Division I tennis has been seen differently than the major collegiate sports of football and basketball. For many high school stars, college hoops and the FBS are the required stepping stones to make it to the big leagues. The old train of thought for tennis players was to be schooled and trained in special academies or the USTA centers until they were ready to become professionals.
In the past decade or so, the transition has been altered for young American stars. We are starting to see more players take time to develop their game at the collegiate level. We currently have a decent amount of Top 100 players from around the world who have played on the Division I courts. Today, I will highlight two top Americans who played college tennis in the past five years.
#1: Ben Shelton
The young American sensation currently sits at #16 in the ATP rankings after a phenomenal 2023 professional season. Shelton played two seasons (2020-2022) at the University of Florida. His father Bryan Shelton was the head coach (and now his head coach on the tour). In his freshman season, he didn't hit the top level he wanted. However, the consolation prize of a national team title was granted after Ben helped the Gators win the final against Baylor. Things changed individually for Shelton in the 2021-22 season. He went 37-5 in singles and 17-1 in tournament format. He won an unfathomable amount of awards such as the 2022 SEC tournament MVP, 2022 SEC Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC, 2022 ITA Player of the Year Award, and of course the 2022 NCAA men's singles title. This season for the ages landed Ben the #1 ranking spot at the end of the season (#5 in doubles to top that off).
Shortly after the 2022 NCAA season, the Sheltons left Gainesville to test out the pro level full-time. The 2022 pro season saw Ben winning three challenger titles on American indoor hard courts and ended the season in the top 100. 2023 became his first full season on the ATP tour, and it started with a bang at the Australian Open as he made it to the quarterfinal round. Ben shined again at the next hard court major; the US Open in New York. There he beat two of the best American players Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe to make the semi-finals (where he would ultimately lose in straight sets against Novak Djokovic). Ben also recorded the fastest serve of the tournament during the fortnight at 149 miles per hour. A few weeks later, during the Asian Swing in mid-October, Shelton got his first taste of ATP success when he lifted his first title in Tokyo (ATP 500 event). With the upcoming Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and Miami Masters coming up in a few weeks, Ben Shelton will be looking to cement his spot as a top 20 tennis player in the world.
#2: Brandon Nakashima
The University of Virginia alum is currently sitting at number 90 in the world and 88 in the live ranking. Even though Brandon Nakashima is 22 years old, he played his only collegiate season back in 2019 as he graduated high school early to attend UVA. That decision ended up being a great one, as he won ACC Player of the Week less than a month into his college debut. Nakashima went 17-5 in singles that season (3-0 in NCAAs) and 20-3 in doubles (4-0 in NCAA team tournament and 8-0 ACC). Brandon went on to win the ITA Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year, ACC Freshman of the Year, and All-ACC First Team. He did this while maintaining his duties as a student-athlete, and earned a spot on the All-ACC academic team as well.
Brandon got his first foothold in the tour ranks in 2020 with an ITF title and a challenger title. In 2021, he won two challenger titles on French Indoor Hard. 2022 was his breakout season as he went 41-26 and won the biggest titles of his career almost back to back in San Diego (ATP 250 event) and the Next Gen Finals in Milan. 2023 was a season to forget for the young American as he went 21-26 and fell out of the top 100.
This season needs to be a comeback season for the former top-50 player. It has started on a good note as Nakashima won a challenger event in Tenerife Spain in late January, which has already placed him back into the top 100. American tennis is in great hands for years to come with these young talents and talents that will look up to them for going the collegiate route in some form as well.
Image Credit: Virginia Sports/Florida Gators
