@TennisUitgever
During nearly four seasons at Columbia University, Michael Zheng has had countless highlights in his competitive tennis career.
The Montville, New Jersey native won back-to-back NCAA singles titles in the fall edition of the tournament in 2024 and 2025 after finishing second in singles as a sophomore in 2023. The 2026 Australian Open marked his debut not only in a main draw at a Grand Slam event, but also his first ever appearance at the main draw level on the ATP Tour.
However, one highlight that almost every tennis player who competes at the professional level never forgets is when they earn a pro ranking point for the first time. For Zheng, he earned his first ATP ranking point at the 2021 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships $15,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Vero Beach, Florida.
Following his historic 2025 NCAA singles title at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida, Zheng recalled the tournament where he first entered the ATP Tour singles rankings.
“I can’t remember the specific match point, but I think I played against Reece Falck,” Zheng said. “I think it was two sets, maybe 75 63, or something like that. But yeah, of course I remember.”
For the record, Zheng defeated Falck, a qualifier from New Zealand with an ATP singles ranking of No. 1,758, by a margin of 7-5, 6-1. Zheng gained entry into the event as a USTA wildcard. He lost in the second round to fellow countryman Zeke Clark.
“It’s your first ATP points, the kind of starting block of your professional career, and then you get the chance to play the professional tournaments,” Zheng said of the importance of earning that first ATP ranking point. “But yes, it was a great tournament. It was a great place to get my first ATP point and start a kind of professional career.”
#Michael #Zheng #earned #ATP #ranking #point