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Toronto Star
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
College tennis facing threats of cuts at same time many of its alums are starring in pro ranks
FILE - Oliver Tarvet of Britain returns the ball to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in his second round men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) TH FA flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
College tennis facing threats of cuts at same time many of its alums are starring in pro ranks
This should be an exhilarating moment for college tennis. Wimbledon featured a record 26 current or former college players in men's singles and nine more in the women's draw. TCU's Jack Pinnington Jones and San Diego's Oliver Tarvet, who reached the second round, played for their college teams just this spring. Ben Shelton, a 2022 NCAA singles champion at Florida, reached the quarterfinals. All of this is occurring as the threat of elimination faces numerous tennis programs. According to the International Tennis Association, which governs college tennis, schools dropping tennis since 2024 includes Central Arkansas (women), Eastern Illinois (men and women), Lindenwood (men), Louisiana-Monroe (women), Radford (men and women), St. Francis College (men and women), San Francisco (men and women), Seattle (men) and UTEP (women). Former San Francisco men's player Asaf Friedler noted the Dons hadn't even finished the 2024 season when the athletic director emailed about a meeting the following day, where they learned the program would be dropped in a matter of weeks. Friedler remembers players crying at practice later that day. He said a recruit had committed to San Francisco just a couple of days before the announcement, a sign that even coaches were caught off guard. 'We were all like in shock,' Friedler said. 'We didn't know what to say. We looked at each other and we were very confused.' On the line During the pandemic, nearly two dozen men's or women's tennis programs were eliminated. But the latest cuts come as colleges across the country deal with the hard choices and financial realities of the $2.8 billion House settlement. Revenue sharing tends to favor football and basketball, and there are roster caps. The calculations are different for each school. David Mullins, CEO of the ITA, says college tennis is a great pathway to the pros. 'Our position within the tennis industry has never been better,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we're dealing with all these things happening with the NCAA model. Probably the challenges that we're facing from the collegiate side domestically have never been greater.' Louisiana-Monroe athletic director John Hartwell noted schools opting into the settlement must sponsor at least 16 sports. Louisiana-Monroe had 17 sports before eliminating women's tennis. 'Probably a factor for some folks is the squad size, that probably has something to do with it,' Hartwell said. 'Facilities are a challenge, too. I think those are probably key components. But I also think a lot of these schools that have more than required 16 sports are analyzing everything cost-wise.' Cutting tennis saved Louisiana-Monroe about $250,000. Hartwell said the scholarship funds that went to tennis now will be directed toward the school's other women's teams. Roster size also leaves tennis vulnerable. Dropping a different sport with more team members leaves more athletes disappointed. 'When you're cutting a sport, it's not a fun position to be in,' Central Arkansas athletic director Matt Whiting said. 'You have to factor in numbers in those situations. (Tennis) certainly has a smaller roster.' Schools that eliminate tennis programs generally allow players to remain on scholarship throughout their time at the school. Many choose to transfer, searching for a new school while adjusting to a new country. Mullins estimates about 60% of the players on Division I teams generally come from outside the U.S. Alex Aldaz, who is from Spain and played for Eastern Illinois this year, said his team got the news after the season already had ended and many of them were already back in their home countries. 'Their faces were like they didn't know how to react,' Aldaz said. 'They were lost... sad and angry.' Aldaz is now at Mercer. Friedler, who is from Israel, played for Tulane this past season. Many of their former teammates at their original schools weren't as fortunate. Searching for solutions Many college tennis programs don't have facilities on campus, forcing them to rent local courts. Whiting said Central Arkansas had a facility on campus that required an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million in repairs. Hartwell said Louisiana-Monroe's tennis facility needed about $750,000 in improvements. Mullins said the U.S. Tennis Association has offered grants to colleges opening full-service tennis centers to foster the sport's growth in their communities. Those schools then can make money by renting out their courts when their teams aren't using them. South Carolina is the latest school to attempt this, hiring Dainyell Fox as the Carolina Tennis Center's operations manager within the past year. Fox has started organizing tennis lessons and classes while also exploring other potential revenue options. 'Our goal isn't going to necessarily put us completely in the black, but it reduces the financial footprint of men's and women's tennis,' South Carolina deputy athletic director Judy Van Horn said. The list of former Gamecocks includes Francisco Cerundolo, who is in the top 25 of the ATP rankings. Just as a growing number of former major-conference players succeed on the pro circuit, the struggle to survive is real for plenty of smaller programs. 'Our position is strengthened with each passing Grand Slam,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we have all these challenges here domestically that we're not able to control.' ___ AP tennis:
Associated Press
04-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
College tennis facing threats of cuts at same time many of its alums are starring in pro ranks
This should be an exhilarating moment for college tennis. Wimbledon featured a record 26 current or former college players in men's singles and nine more in the women's draw. TCU's Jack Pinnington Jones and San Diego's Oliver Tarvet, who reached the second round, played for their college teams just this spring. Ben Shelton, a 2022 NCAA singles champion at Florida, reached the quarterfinals. All of this is occurring as the threat of elimination faces numerous tennis programs. According to the International Tennis Association, which governs college tennis, schools dropping tennis since 2024 includes Central Arkansas (women), Eastern Illinois (men and women), Lindenwood (men), Louisiana-Monroe (women), Radford (men and women), St. Francis College (men and women), San Francisco (men and women), Seattle (men) and UTEP (women). Former San Francisco men's player Asaf Friedler noted the Dons hadn't even finished the 2024 season when the athletic director emailed about a meeting the following day, where they learned the program would be dropped in a matter of weeks. Friedler remembers players crying at practice later that day. He said a recruit had committed to San Francisco just a couple of days before the announcement, a sign that even coaches were caught off guard. 'We were all like in shock,' Friedler said. 'We didn't know what to say. We looked at each other and we were very confused.' On the line During the pandemic, nearly two dozen men's or women's tennis programs were eliminated. But the latest cuts come as colleges across the country deal with the hard choices and financial realities of the $2.8 billion House settlement. Revenue sharing tends to favor football and basketball, and there are roster caps. The calculations are different for each school. David Mullins, CEO of the ITA, says college tennis is a great pathway to the pros. 'Our position within the tennis industry has never been better,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we're dealing with all these things happening with the NCAA model. Probably the challenges that we're facing from the collegiate side domestically have never been greater.' Louisiana-Monroe athletic director John Hartwell noted schools opting into the settlement must sponsor at least 16 sports. Louisiana-Monroe had 17 sports before eliminating women's tennis. 'Probably a factor for some folks is the squad size, that probably has something to do with it,' Hartwell said. 'Facilities are a challenge, too. I think those are probably key components. But I also think a lot of these schools that have more than required 16 sports are analyzing everything cost-wise.' Cutting tennis saved Louisiana-Monroe about $250,000. Hartwell said the scholarship funds that went to tennis now will be directed toward the school's other women's teams. Roster size also leaves tennis vulnerable. Dropping a different sport with more team members leaves more athletes disappointed. 'When you're cutting a sport, it's not a fun position to be in,' Central Arkansas athletic director Matt Whiting said. 'You have to factor in numbers in those situations. (Tennis) certainly has a smaller roster.' Schools that eliminate tennis programs generally allow players to remain on scholarship throughout their time at the school. Many choose to transfer, searching for a new school while adjusting to a new country. Mullins estimates about 60% of the players on Division I teams generally come from outside the U.S. Alex Aldaz, who is from Spain and played for Eastern Illinois this year, said his team got the news after the season already had ended and many of them were already back in their home countries. 'Their faces were like they didn't know how to react,' Aldaz said. 'They were lost... sad and angry.' Aldaz is now at Mercer. Friedler, who is from Israel, played for Tulane this past season. Many of their former teammates at their original schools weren't as fortunate. Searching for solutions Many college tennis programs don't have facilities on campus, forcing them to rent local courts. Whiting said Central Arkansas had a facility on campus that required an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million in repairs. Hartwell said Louisiana-Monroe's tennis facility needed about $750,000 in improvements. Mullins said the U.S. Tennis Association has offered grants to colleges opening full-service tennis centers to foster the sport's growth in their communities. Those schools then can make money by renting out their courts when their teams aren't using them. South Carolina is the latest school to attempt this, hiring Dainyell Fox as the Carolina Tennis Center's operations manager within the past year. Fox has started organizing tennis lessons and classes while also exploring other potential revenue options. 'Our goal isn't going to necessarily put us completely in the black, but it reduces the financial footprint of men's and women's tennis,' South Carolina deputy athletic director Judy Van Horn said. The list of former Gamecocks includes Francisco Cerundolo, who is in the top 25 of the ATP rankings. Just as a growing number of former major-conference players succeed on the pro circuit, the struggle to survive is real for plenty of smaller programs. 'Our position is strengthened with each passing Grand Slam,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we have all these challenges here domestically that we're not able to control.' ___ AP tennis:
Washington Post
04-08-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
College tennis facing threats of cuts at same time many of its alums are starring in pro ranks
This should be an exhilarating moment for college tennis. Wimbledon featured a record 26 current or former college players in men's singles and nine more in the women's draw. TCU's Jack Pinnington Jones and San Diego's Oliver Tarvet, who reached the second round, played for their college teams just this spring. Ben Shelton, a 2022 NCAA singles champion at Florida, reached the quarterfinals. All of this is occurring as the threat of elimination faces numerous tennis programs. According to the International Tennis Association, which governs college tennis, schools dropping tennis since 2024 includes Central Arkansas (women), Eastern Illinois (men and women), Lindenwood (men), Louisiana-Monroe (women), Radford (men and women), St. Francis College (men and women), San Francisco (men and women), Seattle (men) and UTEP (women). Former San Francisco men's player Asaf Friedler noted the Dons hadn't even finished the 2024 season when the athletic director emailed about a meeting the following day, where they learned the program would be dropped in a matter of weeks. Friedler remembers players crying at practice later that day. He said a recruit had committed to San Francisco just a couple of days before the announcement, a sign that even coaches were caught off guard. 'We were all like in shock,' Friedler said. 'We didn't know what to say. We looked at each other and we were very confused.' During the pandemic, nearly two dozen men's or women's tennis programs were eliminated. But the latest cuts come as colleges across the country deal with the hard choices and financial realities of the $2.8 billion House settlement. Revenue sharing tends to favor football and basketball, and there are roster caps. The calculations are different for each school. David Mullins, CEO of the ITA, says college tennis is a great pathway to the pros. 'Our position within the tennis industry has never been better,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we're dealing with all these things happening with the NCAA model. Probably the challenges that we're facing from the collegiate side domestically have never been greater.' Louisiana-Monroe athletic director John Hartwell noted schools opting into the settlement must sponsor at least 16 sports. Louisiana-Monroe had 17 sports before eliminating women's tennis. 'Probably a factor for some folks is the squad size, that probably has something to do with it,' Hartwell said. 'Facilities are a challenge, too. I think those are probably key components. But I also think a lot of these schools that have more than required 16 sports are analyzing everything cost-wise.' Cutting tennis saved Louisiana-Monroe about $250,000. Hartwell said the scholarship funds that went to tennis now will be directed toward the school's other women's teams. Roster size also leaves tennis vulnerable. Dropping a different sport with more team members leaves more athletes disappointed. 'When you're cutting a sport, it's not a fun position to be in,' Central Arkansas athletic director Matt Whiting said. 'You have to factor in numbers in those situations. (Tennis) certainly has a smaller roster.' Schools that eliminate tennis programs generally allow players to remain on scholarship throughout their time at the school. Many choose to transfer, searching for a new school while adjusting to a new country. Mullins estimates about 60% of the players on Division I teams generally come from outside the U.S. Alex Aldaz, who is from Spain and played for Eastern Illinois this year, said his team got the news after the season already had ended and many of them were already back in their home countries. 'Their faces were like they didn't know how to react,' Aldaz said. 'They were lost... sad and angry.' Aldaz is now at Mercer. Friedler, who is from Israel, played for Tulane this past season. Many of their former teammates at their original schools weren't as fortunate. Many college tennis programs don't have facilities on campus, forcing them to rent local courts. Whiting said Central Arkansas had a facility on campus that required an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million in repairs. Hartwell said Louisiana-Monroe's tennis facility needed about $750,000 in improvements. Mullins said the U.S. Tennis Association has offered grants to colleges opening full-service tennis centers to foster the sport's growth in their communities. Those schools then can make money by renting out their courts when their teams aren't using them. South Carolina is the latest school to attempt this, hiring Dainyell Fox as the Carolina Tennis Center's operations manager within the past year. Fox has started organizing tennis lessons and classes while also exploring other potential revenue options. 'Our goal isn't going to necessarily put us completely in the black, but it reduces the financial footprint of men's and women's tennis,' South Carolina deputy athletic director Judy Van Horn said. The list of former Gamecocks includes Francisco Cerundolo, who is in the top 25 of the ATP rankings. Just as a growing number of former major-conference players succeed on the pro circuit, the struggle to survive is real for plenty of smaller programs. 'Our position is strengthened with each passing Grand Slam,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we have all these challenges here domestically that we're not able to control.' ___ AP tennis:
Japan Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka sidestep rash of upsets at Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz ended Oliver Tarvet's Wimbledon adventure on Wednesday, seeing off the British amateur in straight sets to reach the third round as last year's women's runner-up, Jasmine Paolini, joined the procession of stars players exiting the tournament early. A record-breaking number of top seeds crashed out at the All England Club in the first round, but Alcaraz and women's world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka avoided second-round upsets on Centre Court. Defending champion Alcaraz needed 2 hours, 17 minutes to subdue world No. 733 Tarvet, who produced flashes of his emerging talent to delight the partisan crowd. "First of all I have to give big praise to Oliver," the Spaniard said after his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win. "In his second match on the tour, I just loved his game to be honest. "I knew I had to play my best tennis. I was really happy with my performance but big praise to him as well." Alcaraz has won his past 20 matches, a blistering streak that has brought him titles at the Rome Masters, the French Open and Queen's Club. The 22-year-old, who beat Jannik Sinner in the final at Roland Garros last month, has won 31 of his 34 Tour-level matches on grass — his last defeat at Wimbledon came against Sinner in the fourth round in 2022. The No. 2 seed hopes to become the fifth man in the Open era to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In stark contrast, the unheralded Tarvet is just starting his tennis career and cannot even collect all of his Wimbledon prize money. As a student at the University of San Diego, the 21-year-old has to maintain amateur status and must give up most of his earnings. While Alcaraz is a five-time Grand Slam champion, Tarvet was playing just his second major main draw match after coming through three qualifiers and beating Leandro Riedi in the opening round. "It was just really special," he said. "It's not every day that you get to play against maybe the best player in the world. I did a pretty good job of enjoying the moment and trying to play some good tennis." In the first two days, eight of the top 10 seeded players across the men's and women's singles draws were eliminated, a record for a Grand Slam in the Open era. No. 2 seed Coco Gauff, third-seeded Jessica Pegula and No. 5 seed Zheng Qinwen all lost in the first round. Paolini, the No. 4 seed, was next to stumble in the second round on Wednesday. Paolini, who lost to Barbora Krejcikova in the 2024 Wimbledon final, slumped to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat against Russian world No. 62 Kamilla Rakhimova. Sabalenka bucked the trend, outdueling 48th-ranked Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in a heavy-hitting contest. The Belarusian, who suffered painful defeats in the finals of both the Australian Open and the French Open this year, lashed an impressive 41 winners in a match that lasted 1 hour, 35 minutes. "Honestly, it's very sad to see so many top players losing, but you better focus on yourself," the three-time Grand Slam winner said. "I hope it's no upsets anymore in this tournament, if you know what I mean!" Sabalenka's next opponent is Britain's Emma Raducanu, the former U.S. Open champion who beat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3. Sixth seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys also advanced, making short work of Serbia's Olga Danilovic in a 6-4, 6-2 win. On the men's side, 13 seeded players lost in the first round, breaking the previous tournament record of 11 and tying the 2004 Australian Open for the most at a Grand Slam. American No. 12 seed Frances Tiafoe was the latest to suffer the agony of an early defeat, going down 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 against British world No. 61 Cameron Norrie. But fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz avoided the same fate, winning a second successive five-set marathon under the Court One roof against Gabriel Diallo. The Eastbourne champion, who has played on all three days of the tournament so far, was pushed all the way by the Canadian but earned a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 6-3 win. "That's an incredibly hard match... tomorrow is going to be a very light hit," the American said.
