Graduation Year

2024

Date of Submission

4-2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

Reader 1

Professor Ricardo Fernholz

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Ian J Freer

Abstract

Our study examines the influence of college attendance on the professional tennis careers of the 502 American male players who earned a ranking point between 2014 and 2023. Initial analysis suggests that attending college may lower a player’s career-high ranking by 159 spots. However, after controlling for career length, we observe a significant improvement of 214 spots among players with similar junior rankings. Our analysis of career trajectories reveals that college players often start their professional careers at higher rankings and achieve their career-high rankings earlier than non-college players. Additionally, the career-high rankings of the most promising juniors tend to improve by forgoing college, but worsen for those with lower junior rankings. These findings underscore the complex relationship between college attendance and professional tennis success, providing valuable insights for aspiring professional tennis players and the tennis community.

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