Michael Zheng first college player to qualify for all four Grand Slams in one academic year

A record set between exams and airports

Michael Zheng, a 22-year-old senior at Columbia University, has become the first college player to qualify for all four Grand Slams in the span of a single academic year, according to The New York Times. The milestone was confirmed after he won through Wimbledon qualifying at Roehampton in southwest London and advanced to the round of 32 at the All England Club, where he was scheduled to meet No. 3 seed Félix Auger-Aliassime of Canada on Centre Court.

Zheng’s run required him to balance a full Ivy League course load in psychology with the travel demands of the professional tour. The New York Times reported that in January 2026, after winning a second consecutive NCAA singles title, he qualified for the Australian Open and upset compatriot Sebastian Korda in five sets in the first round. That trip caused him to miss the start of his final semester at Columbia.

Paris, a cap and gown, and a tight schedule

The scheduling conflict peaked in May and June. Zheng had to choose between walking in Columbia’s graduation ceremony and playing the French Open. According to the New York Times, he packed his cap and gown before leaving for Paris and, after surviving qualifying, slipped into a light blue gown for photographs between matches. “If I lost my first-round qualifying match, I would have time to fly back, but then I ended up winning,” he told the paper after his Wimbledon first-round win.

The same month, free of academic obligations for the first time since preschool in New Jersey, Zheng won his way into the Wimbledon main draw. The Times identified him as the first player from Columbia to win an NCAA singles title since 1906, and noted he is currently ranked world No. 144.

Five-set upset, then a Centre Court appointment

At Wimbledon, Zheng opened with a five-set win over Cameron Norrie, the highest-ranked British man this year, prevailing in a match-deciding fifth-set tiebreak. He then beat Nicolás Mejía of Colombia to set up the meeting with Auger-Aliassime. The New York Times live blog reported that Auger-Aliassime took the first set of that third-round match 7-6(1), firing six aces and winning 88 percent of his first-serve points.

Auger-Aliassime addressed the unusual nature of the matchup before it began. “Very interesting path. I like how he plays. He’s very tricky, he’s got a great tennis IQ, got great ball control. It’s going to be a tough one. It’s not a surprise he’s in the third round,” he said, according to The New York Times.

Coaching team built across continents

Zheng’s development has been shaped by three coaches working in different locations. According to the Times, his primary coach is Ruan Roelofse, a South African based in Delray Beach, Florida, who previously worked with Chris Eubanks when the American reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Zheng flies from New York to Florida on weekends to train, doing academic work on the planes.

At Columbia, his college coach Howie Endelman has been in his player box at Wimbledon. “Composure when things go wrong. Courage to trust himself and go for his shots in big moments. Serving with confidence when down break points,” Endelman told The New York Times of Zheng’s strengths. Les Smith, a New Jersey junior coach from where Zheng grew up, rounds out the team.

No agent, no endorsements yet

Zheng remains without a professional agent. The Times reported that inquiries came in after his win over Korda in Australia, but he shelved the matter to avoid violating NCAA rules while still competing collegiately. “There’s been some conversations the past month, some narrowing down, but no decisions as of yet,” he said.

Zheng was characteristically understated about his commercial future. “I don’t feel like I’m in a situation where that would affect me, I’m not like a huge superstar. It’s just focusing about the tennis right now. And then I think all the money and endorsements will come later on if I end up reaching that level,” he told The New York Times.

A family story behind the baseline

The Times noted that Zheng’s parents immigrated to the United States to pursue advanced degrees before he was born and never left. He grew up in New Jersey and has at least one cousin living locally who secured a ticket to Wimbledon. The paper described him as a “wispy 6-foot-2” whose serve is improving but is still described as “just a few clicks more than a point-starter.”

What to watch at Wimbledon and beyond

Zheng’s third-round match against Auger-Aliassime will conclude on Centre Court. The result will determine whether he advances to the round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. Separately, the question of his representation is expected to be resolved in the weeks after the tournament, when NCAA eligibility restrictions no longer apply.

Other notable results from Day 5 at Wimbledon, per the Times live blog: top seed Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff (7), Jessica Pegula (4), Iva Jović (17), Aryna Sabalenka (1), Naomi Osaka (14), and Novak Djokovic (7) all advanced; Tommy Paul (21) was eliminated. Gauff booked a round-of-16 meeting with Belinda Bencic (11), a rematch of their Miami Open quarterfinal this year.