Good luck to alumni Jared Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic, along with our current Fighting Illini competing this week!

Good luck to alumni Jared Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic, along with our current Fighting Illini competing this week!

Former JSM Challenger Competitor Stars Where are they now? Kevin Anderson - 2005-2009 Current Ranking: 6 Highest World Ranking: 5 Best Grand Slam Finish: 2018 Wimbledon Finalist ATP Tour Titles: 6 (5 singles, 1 doubles) Age: 32 Turned Pro: 2007 Career Record: 316-218 Through the years of 2005-2007 Kevin Anderson competed for the Fighting Illini Men s Tennis program where he helped lead the team to the NCAA Title match in 2007 and captured the NCAA Doubles title in 2006. Since departing Champaign and beginning his professional career, Anderson has ascended in the tennis world including many stops at the JSM Challenger. In 2006 he reached the quarterfinals. The following year, in 2007 he lost to fellow Illini Rajeev Ram before taking home the title in 2008. Anderson has had a historical run the past few years, finishing as a finalist at the 2017 US Open and 2018 Wimbledon. Due to his extraordinary run at Wimbledon, Anderson reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in July and currently sits at No. 8 in the world. As of late, Anderson earned his highest career-title of the season, winning the ATP World Tour 500-level event, Erste Bank Open (Vienna) against Japan s Kei Nishikori. Rajeev Ram - 2003-2009, 2013-2014 Current Ranking: 21 Highest World Ranking: 11 Best Grand Slam Finish: 2016 Wimbledon Semifinalist; 2014 & 2016 US Open Semifinalist ATP Tour Titles: 19 (17 doubles, 2 singles) Age: 34 Turned Pro: 2004 Career Record: 255-219 As part of the Fighting Illinois for one season (2002-2003), Rajeev Ram led Illinois through their most historic season in program history. Ram helped the Illini complete a perfect season with a 32-0 record and claimed the program s first NCAA title. With partner Brian Wilson, Ram also claimed the 2003 NCAA Doubles title. Since leaving Champaign and begining his professional career, Ram has ascended in the tennis world in doubles play including several stops at the JSM Challenger. Ram won three doubles titles (2004-2005, 2008) at the JSM Challenger including back-to-back titles in 2004-2005. He also had success in singles play, reaching semifinals where he fell to former Illini Amer Delic. 2016 proved to be a historical year for Ram in doubles play. Ram and partner Coco Vandeweghe (USA) finished as finalists at the prestigious US Open. The former Illini All-American also became the first former player in program history to participate in the Olympic Games. During the Rio Olympics, he earned a silver medal in the mixed pairs with partner Venus Williams. The following year (2017), he had a career-high ATP Tour ranking in doubles play at No. 11. and currently sits at No. 37 in the world.

Former JSM Challenger Competitor Stars Where are they now? Amer Delic - 2004-2008, 2010, 2011 Current Ranking: Retired Highest World Ranking: 60 Best Grand Slam Finish: 2009 Australian Open - 3rd Round Age: 36 Turned Pro: 2003 Career Record: 209-177 As part of the Fighting Illinois from 2001-2003, Amer Delic led the Illinois through some of the most historic seasons collegiate tennis has ever seen. Delic played #1 singles for the 2003 team that completed the perfect season; 32-0 record and claimed the program s first NCAA title. Delic continued on to claim the 2003 NCAA Singles title. Delic went on to compete professionally after the 2003 season. His professional career included many visits to the JSM Challenger. He reached the semifinals in 2004 and the quarterfinals in 2005 before he was crowned the 2006 JSM Challenger Champion. In 2010 he defeated the No. 1 seed Kei Nishikori en-route to the final where he lost to Alex Bogomolov Jr in three sets. Since retiring in 2012 Delic has served as the Bosnia & Herzegovina Davis Cup Team Captain. Jared Hiltzik - 2013-Present Current Ranking: 415 Highest World Ranking: 339 ITF Futures Titles: 6 (2 singles, 1 doubles) Age: 24 Turned Pro: 2016 Playing the majority of his career at the No. 1 singles position for the University of Illinois, Jared helped lead the team to a Big Ten Title in 2015, and finished as a three time singles All-American. Since leaving Champaign and beginnning his professional career, Jared has steadily climbed the ATP Tour rankings, reaching a career-high at No. 339 and currently ranked at No. 408. Hiltzik s highest finish at the JSM Challenger came in 2014 during doubles play when he and current Illini Gui Gomes finished as quarterfinalists. In his rising career, Hiltzik has earned 6 Futures titles (four doubles and two singles). Last month, Hiltzik won the Houston F27 Futures titles and is looking to take it to the next level on the Challenger circuit. Watch for Jared in action during the 2018 JSM Challenger.

Former JSM Challenger Competitor Stars Where are they now? Kei Nishikori - 2010 Current Ranking: 9 Highest World Ranking: 4 Best Grand Slam Finish: 2014 US Open ATP Tour Titles: 11 (singles) Age: 28 Turned Pro: 2007 Career Record: 373-174 Nishikori won his first title in 2008, Delray Beach, as and an 18 years old. In 2010, Kei Nishikori was the No. 1 seed in the $50,000 JSM Challenger at the Atkins Tennis Center. At the time he was ranked No. 120 in the ATP Rankings, but had an early exit in the second round, losing to former Illini Amer Delic. Delic went on to win the tournament that year. Since his appearance in Champaign, Kei has become the highest ranked Asian in ATP history and became the first Asian in a Grand Slam men s single final (2014 US Open). At the 2012 London Olympics, Nishikori became the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals since Takeichi Harada in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Although, his run ended when No. 8 seed Juan Martin del Porto (Argentina) defeated him. Fresh off his 2016 Rogers Cup finals appearance, Nishikori was a fourth seed entering the 2016 Rio Olympics. He lost the semifinal to Great Britain s Andy Murray. but defeated Tennis great Rafael Nadal of Spain in three tight sets in the Bronze medal match. The bronze medal was the first tennis medal for Japan in 96 years. Bob and Mike Bryan (The Bryan Brothers) 1999 Bob Bryan Mike Bryan Current Rank (Doubles) 12 1 Highest Singles ATP Ranking 116 246 Highest Doubles ATP Ranking 1 1 Best Grand Slam Finish Finish: Champions at all 4 Grand Slams and Olympic Gold Medalists ATP Tour Titles 116 120 Age 38 38 Turned Pro 1998 1998 Career Record 1068-340 1105-353 Since turning pro in 1998, Bob and Mike Bryan have taken over the doubles stage in the open era. They have finished as the top ranked doubles team 10 times is the past 13 years. They are the winningest doubles team or singles player in the Open Era, capturing 116 titles in 174 finals. From 2005-2006, they set an Open Era record by competing in seven consecutive men s doubles Grand Slam finals. In addition, they are the winningest doubles team in U.S. Davis Cup history and were part of the Championship team in 2007. On the road to the No. 1 ranking, Bob and Mike made a run through Champaign. In 1999, the duo lost in an epic three set battle to fellow Americans Paul Goldstein and Jim Thomas. Bob made a solo appearance in 2000 without Mike.