Smith, NCAA champion Zheng among college players to qualify for ATP Next Gen Accelerator

Accelerator Programme

Smith, NCAA champion Zheng among college players to qualify for ATP Next Gen Accelerator

Opportunities available from 1 July for a period of 12 months

Peter Staples/ATP Tour Colton Smith competed in an ATP Tour event for the first time in March at Indian Wells. By ATP Staff

Colton Smith and NCAA men's singles champion Michael Zheng are among 22 college players who will benefit from direct entry into ATP Challenger Tour events as part of the third year of the ATP Next Gen Accelerator.

This initative between ATP and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) was created to increase the development pathway for top players in the American collegiate system. Following the NCAA Championships in May, players qualified based on their year-end ranking and/or performance in the NCAA Championships.

Four of the 22 qualifiers — Jack Pinnington Jones, Zheng, Oliver Tarvet and Smith — are multiple-time qualifiers for the Accelerator.

Smith made his ATP Tour debut this year at Indian Wells, where he qualified and defeated Flavio Cobolli in the main draw. The American then advanced to his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Houston.

Rafael Jodar, who was a freshman at the University of Virginia, won the 2024 US Open boys’ singles title. Samir Banerjee, the 2021 Wimbledon boys’ singles champion, was a junior at Stanford University.

Pinnington Jones, a repeat qualifier from Texas Christian University, defeated Cameron Norrie at an ATP Challenger Tour event last year in Nottingham.

Players ranked in the Top 20 of the ITA final singles rankings who have finished their education are granted up to eight Accelerator Spots at Challenger 50 and 75 tournaments, with opportunities split between main draw (for Top 10 ITA-ranked players) and qualifying (11-20).

Players who reach the quarter-finals or better of the individual NCAA Division I Championships also qualify for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator if not already eligible through their ITA ranking. These opportunities are available from 7 July 2025 for a period of 12 months.

Accelerator qualifiers who will continue their education will receive six opportunities over six months (July–December), enabling them to benefit from the programme during their college offseason and parts of their fall season.

ATP Next Gen Accelerator Qualifiers

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