2025 NCAA Singles Champs: Brantmeier and Zheng

2025 NCAA Singles Champs: Brantmeier and Zheng

The 2025 NCAA tennis season closed with two standout champions: Reese Brantmeier from UNC and Michael Zheng from Columbia. Both players bring a mix of competitive experience and academic focus that continues to define the modern college athlete.

Reese Brantmeier: Closing Out on Top

Reese Brantmeier won the NCAA women’s singles title with a 6–3, 6–3 win over Berta Passola Folch (UC Berkeley). Now in her senior year at the University of North Carolina, Brantmeier has consistently been one of the top-ranked players in the college circuit.

She’s completing a double major in exercise science and studio art, along with a minor in global cinema, and plans to finish the season playing team events for UNC.

Michael Zheng: Defends His Title

Michael Zheng became a rare two-time NCAA men’s singles champion with a hard-fought 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 victory over Trevor Svajda (SMU). Despite being unseeded this year—largely due to limited appearances in college events while playing on the ATP Challenger Tour—Zheng performed consistently throughout the tournament.

He’s finishing his psychology degree at Columbia and is expected to compete in Challenger events and Australian Open qualifying in the coming months, before returning for spring semester college team matches.

Looking Ahead

Both players have shown a clear ability to balance academics with high-level competition. Their achievements point to the evolving nature of NCAA tennis, where players often split time between college matches and professional events.