When four American women squared off in the semifinals of the United States Open, it signaled a resurgence of women’s tennis in this country. And Kevin Anderson’s appearance in the men’s singles final is giving a boost to college tennis.

Anderson, 31, from South Africa, spent three years at the University of Illinois and turned professional 10 years ago. When he beat Pablo Carreño Busta in the semifinals on Friday, he became the first former college player to reach the U.S. Open final since Todd Martin of Northwestern in 1999.

Stanford’s John McEnroe, in 1984, was the last former college player to win the Open.

College is rarely seen as a direct path to the top in tennis, the way it is in football or basketball. But some see it as the right approach, even if players leave after one or two years to turn pro.

“Look at Anderson,” McEnroe said. “He went to college and is in the finals of the U.S. Open. That should send a message to a lot of kids that are rushing it.”

McEnroe also pointed to John Isner (University of Georgia) and Steve Johnson (University of Southern California) as examples of American players who improved their game at the collegiate level, matured, and were better prepared for the professional ranks.

Since 2014, a collegiate invitational featuring the 16 top college players has been held during the U.S. Open.

On Saturday, Francesca Di Lorenzo of Ohio State won a collegiate invitational that is part of the U.S. Open. She plans to make a decision soon on whether to turn professional. CreditSteve Luciano/Associated Press

In the men’s final Saturday, Tom Fawcett of Stanford defeated Michael Redlicki of Arkansas, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-4. In the women’s event, Francesca Di Lorenzo of Ohio State came from 3-0 down in the third set to beat Ingrid Neel of Florida, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

No prize money is attached to the events, but there is a reward. The winners get a wild card into the qualifying draw or main draw of next year’s U.S. Open, depending on their rankings. That equates to a minimum of $8,000 for a first-round appearance in the qualifying rounds or $50,000 for a first-round appearance in the main draw.

In 2006, Anderson won the N.C.A.A. doubles title for the Illini alongside Ryan Rowe. Likewise, Di Lorenzo, a sophomore, won the N.C.A.A. women’s doubles championship this year with Miho Kowase, and earned the No. 1 ranking in women’s college tennis. She was also named Ohio State’s female athlete of the year.

Di Lorenzo lived in a dorm, even though her family is from just outside Columbus, and she said she loved the college experience. But having gone 74-7 in two years, she may be ready for the next challenge.

She will play the Pro Circuit, a minor league of professional tennis, in the next month. Based on that experience, she will make a decision about whether to turn professional.

Her father, Dr. Carlo Di Lorenzo, is a physician in Columbus. He watched his daughter’s victory in a red Ohio State jacket, then caught a plane back home a few hours later to see a Buckeyes football game. Being an Ohio State fan, he may be biased, but he said his daughter’s decision to go to the university was the right one.

“Unless you are No. 15 or 20, it is the best thing to do,” he said. “The pro life can be tough. College gives you a chance to mature and develop the whole person.”

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Francesca Di Lorenzo noted how Nicole Gibbs, a former star at Stanford, had progressed this year, reaching the third round of the Australian Open and the second round of the U.S. Open. She saw Jennifer Brady of U.C.L.A. reach the fourth round at the Australian Open and the U.S. Open this year.

“That gives us a lot of hope for all of us college players that one day we can be doing the same thing they are doing,” she said.

After losing to No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round of the U.S. Open, Brady said that if she had to make the decision again, she would go back to U.C.L.A. because it helped her develop, and not just as a tennis player.

“I learned a lot on court and off court. I matured a lot,” she said. “I had to do things for myself. I had to take ownership of things off court.”

She stayed two years at U.C.L.A. and turned pro. Neel, who played Di Lorenzo on Saturday, said that she decided to turn pro after one year at Florida.

“It was great,” she said of her brief college experience. “It highlighted what I really wanted, and that’s to pursue tennis. I’m going to focus on being a pro athlete, and when I’m done, I’ll go back and pursue a degree of my choice.”

McEnroe also left college after one year, but even that one season, he said, helped prepare him for the rigors of playing on center court against the likes of Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors.

“It was one of the best decisions I ever made professionally, even if it was only one year,” he said. “When I was a junior, people were coming after me. I was the hunted instead of the hunter. Giving myself a year in college to get ready for the pro tour was really helpful for me. More kids should look at it.”

Article from New York Times

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