EAST LANSING, Mich. – MSU sophomore Ozan Baris was named to the highly touted and selective ATP Next Gen Accelerator and USTA Collegiate Summer Team, also being awarded two ITA Midwest Region awards on Wednesday.
That. Guy.
Ozan is one of six players to be selected to the ATP Next Gen Accelerator and USTA Collegiate Summer Team professional development programs!#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/LeyAEXfKep
— Michigan State Men’s Tennis (@MSU_MTennis) June 12, 2024
The Okemos, Mich. native garners the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Region Player to Watch award unanimously as well as the region’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship honor. The decorations come following a season that saw him individually finish in the NCAA Singles Championships semifinal after leading MSU to its winningest team season and first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
The most elusive of the awards are the two professional development team selections, particularly the USTA Collegiate Summer Team in which he is one of just six men in college tennis selected. The training program is designed to help America’s premier college players assimilate to professional tennis in a team-oriented environment via USTA Player Development. Players on the team are eligible to receive a grant for travel to USTA Pro Circuit events and coaching support over the summer.
Similarly, the ATP Next Gen Accelerator program was developed to increase the development pathway for top players in the American Collegiate system. Baris is one of 21 players nationally that will be granted up to eight Accelerator Spots at ATP Challenger Tour 50 and 75 tournaments, getting main draw opportunities as the ITA No. 5, in pro tournaments during the collegiate off-season and parts of the fall season.
In the past, the professional development programs have been proven to boost college tennis standouts into the PIF ATP top-500 world rankings. Baris is the first Spartan to ever to be selected to either program.
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