Hi, my name is Michael Zheng.

Michael Zheng is a Columbia University senior and an ATP Tour rookie ranked 149th. Two months into 2026 he has already travelled to New Caledonia, Melbourne, Charlottesville, Chapel Hill, Ann Arbor, Dallas and Princeton, and marked his 22nd birthday along the way. This spring his objectives are straightforward: earn his degree, help Columbia back into the NCAAs final eight, and launch his professional career full time.

Zheng’s family story is part of that trajectory. His parents, Joe and Mei, emigrated from Hubei, China, to the U.S. in the early 2000s. He was born in Chesapeake, Va., in 2004, spent three months back in China with his aunt, then moved to Montville, N.J., around age two. Both parents work in IT. His father, a self-taught player who picked up tennis in his mid-20s, named him for Michael Chang and Michael Jordan and pushed the tennis dream; Zheng remembers the milestone of finally beating his father at 13.

On court, Zheng combined a successful junior career, including a run to the Wimbledon boys’ final in 2022, with a decision to attend Columbia. He chose the Ivy League school in part because of coach Howie Endelman’s record of improving players. Columbia’s program delivered team success, winning the Ivies twice, while Zheng won two NCAA singles titles. Zheng also became the first man from an Ivy League school to win a singles title in 102 years. He is a psychology major living in a dorm in New York City, balancing classes, papers and team practice with professional ambitions.

The opening months of 2026 raised the stakes. Zheng won three matches to qualify for the Australian Open and then his first main-draw match against Sebastian Korda. He suffered an adductor injury in Australia, and Korda beat him in Dallas. “So I was like, you know, why not? Why can’t I have a run here?” he said, reflecting on the confidence those wins brought. He also acknowledged areas to improve: serve and return, and adapting to the solitary grind of life on tour compared with the built-in support of college team tennis. Winning, he says, makes the travel easier and provides the motivation to stay in draws as long as possible.

Destanee Aiava has announced she will step away from professional tennis at the end of the 2026 season, publishing a blunt open letter this week in which she accused the sport of fostering a hostile environment. The 25-year-old said she will make 2026 her final year on tour and offered a searing assessment of the game she once pursued as a career.

Aiava recalled the early elevation of her career, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 147 as a 17-year-old in 2017 and becoming the first player born after the year 2000 to win a WTA main-draw match when she beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands at that year’s Brisbane International. She called that moment a turning point and admitted she was “unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people.”

She detailed five years of uneven results and mental-health struggles after that breakthrough, saying she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2022 following panic attacks and a suicide attempt. Aiava noted a brief resurgence last Australian summer, when she won a match at the Australian Open for the first time, contested a dramatic three-set match against Danielle Collins, and later qualified for the US Open. After rising to No. 148 last spring — one place shy of her career best — she is currently ranked No. 258.

In her letter she directed anger at those who made her feel diminished, delivering what she called a “ginormous [sic] f— you” to people who sent death threats and mocked her body and career. “Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit its mould,” Aiava added. “Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half assed. My ultimate goal is to be able to wake up everyday and genuinely say I love what I do–which I think everyone deserves the chance at.”

“I’m 25, turning 26 this year and I feel so far behind everyone [else], like I’m starting from scratch,” she wrote. “I’m also scared. But that’s better than living a life that’s misaligned, or being around constant comparison and losing yourself.” Aiava received a wave of support in her comments, including from Sloane Stephens, and closed her letter saying she looks forward to a life led by “purpose, creativity, and passion.”

Zeynep Sonmez has announced the end of her sponsorship with Turkish Airlines. The Turkiye No. 1 singles player posted on social media Friday that negotiations over the 2026 season had concluded without a renewal.

“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.

She added a statement of thanks linking her work with the carrier to the opening events of 2026. “I was honored to represent Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.

“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”

The decision has attracted attention coming after Sonmez’s breakthrough results in 2025. The 23-year-old became the first player representing Turkiye to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2025, a milestone she matched at this year’s Australian Open as a qualifier. She was also instrumental in Turkiye’s upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.

Sonmez entered the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. At present, no other Turkish player — male or female — is ranked inside the Top 300 of the WTA or ATP listings.

The announcement follows Turkish Airlines’ unveiling of Zheng Qinwen as a global brand ambassador on Feb. 7. The airline, which says it flies to more countries than any other, described the move as part of a strategy to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. Turkish Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur stated : “As we continue to strengthen our presence across the Asia-Pacific region, this partnership reflects our commitment to connecting the region with the world while supporting excellence in sport and cultural exchange.”

The draft also notes Zheng’s commercial profile and recent return from elbow surgery, and the wider trend of major carriers naming high-profile tennis ambassadors in 2026.