The Australian Open is in full swing, and the first week has already delivered plenty of surprises. A few seeded players have retired, and a few shock exits have raised the tension around Melbourne Park. Just like that, for Michael Zheng, the opening round turned into a dream start as he faced former quarter-finalist Sebastian Korda. Yet there’s one thing still keeping the young gun from taking the full bag home.

On Sunday, 21-year-old Zheng pulled off a thrilling five-set win over Korda in the first round at Melbourne Park. The young American held his nerve through wild momentum swings to seal the victory 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 6-3—his longest stay yet at the Australian Open. According to the prize money breakdown, coming through qualifying and the opening round should earn him $150,000 (£112,000). But under college tennis rules, Zheng can only take home $10,000 (£5,000).

A senior at Columbia University, Zheng is finishing his final semester even as his tennis career takes off. The Montville, N.J., native made waves last season by lifting three ATP Challenger Tour titles in Chicago, Columbus, and Tiburon and breaking into the Top 200. He also etched his name in history as the ninth man to win back-to-back NCAA titles, cementing his place as one of college tennis’s brightest young stars.

And though he can’t pocket the full prize money yet, Zheng is all smiles. Although the moment feels almost unreal for a college athlete now living his dream on one of the biggest stages in tennis.

“I feel like it’s gotten blurrier than it used to be in some ways in terms of the line between turning pro and staying in college,” he said after the match. “I still have one more semester at Columbia, which I do intend to finish. So whenever my run here is done, I’m going back to school.”

What a debut for Columbia men’s tennis senior Michael Zheng! In his first-ever main draw appearance at a major tournament, Zheng stunned fellow American Sebastian Korda in a five-set thriller, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 6-3, to open his Australian Open campaign in style.

Michael powered through qualifying with three straight wins to book his spot in the main draw, then came out blazing against the more experienced Korda. He snatched the first two sets 6-4 and showed remarkable poise for a first-timer on tennis’s biggest stage. Sebastian mounted a comeback, claiming the third set and edging out a tense tiebreak in the fourth, but the young star stayed steady when it counted most and sealed the deciding set.

Only a year ago, Zheng held the NCAA men’s singles crown but found himself outside the Top 700 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now, he’s the 2025 Academic All-American and Rafael Osuna National Sportsmanship Award recipient, and this win at Melbourne Park proves he can compete with the best players in the world. And that’s his goal.

Michael Zheng eyes a big fish at the Australian Open

Right now, the 21-year-old has one main focus, and that is staying in school. Tennis can wait, at least for now. He plans to finish his studies at the University before deciding what comes next in his tennis journey. But there’s one player that could change everything: Carlos Alcaraz.

“If I manage to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the third round, maybe I’ll consider turning professional,” he said after his match over Korda.

“I think the NCAA definitely prepared me for moments like this. When you play for a university, you’re playing for something bigger than yourself. You don’t just want to win for you, but also for your school,” he added.

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Born in New Jersey, Zheng will begin his final semester of a Psychology degree on January 20, one day before his second-round match against Corentin Moutet. He has already informed his Ivy League university that he will miss the first few weeks, choosing to focus on his matches for now. There are still a few things he needs to sort out before classes begin.

“I’ll talk to my coach to figure it out, because I’ve heard rumours that I might be able to take it since it’s my final semester, but I want to make sure I check everything properly,” he explained.

For now, everything comes down to how he carries his form into that next match against the Frenchman. Can he push through and earn a shot at the World No. 1 at the Australian Open? Share your thoughts in the comments below!