No. 1 Freshman in the Nation, Cooper Williams, Joins Duke Tennis – Duke University

DURHAM – Duke men’s tennis head coach Ramsey Smith officially announced the addition of Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American Cooper Williams to the Blue Devils’ 2024-25 recruiting class on Thursday.
 
Williams, a New York, N.Y., native transfers to Duke after spending one season (2023-24) at Harvard University where he earned All-America honors and concluded the year ranked No. 14 in singles action and No. 21 in doubles play. For his efforts throughout the year, he was listed as the only rookie in the top-15 final rankings and one of just two freshmen nationally to be tabbed an All-American.
 
“I am thrilled that Cooper has chosen to continue his collegiate career at Duke,” Smith said. “His competitiveness and pursuit of excellence as a student-athlete is a perfect fit for Duke and I believe he will feel right at home within our tennis program and campus. Cooper arrives at Duke already an accomplished student-athlete and my coaching staff and I are really looking forward to spearheading his ongoing development and progress throughout the next three years. We are excited about Cooper’s tennis, as he ranks as one of the most accomplished players to ever join the program. Additionally, we are equally excited about his character and the leadership he will bring to Duke University on and off the tennis court. I’m grateful to Cooper and his parents for their trust in our program and the momentum we are building within Duke Tennis.”
 
During his first year at the collegiate level, Williams led Harvard to its highest ranking in program history at No. 6, before helping the Crimson finish the year ranked No. 12 nationally. Additionally, Harvard made its first appearance in program history at ITA National Indoor Championships and its second-straight showing in the NCAA Super Regional round.
 
As a freshman, Williams recorded a 17-10 overall singles record and played on the Crimson’s top court, posting an 8-6 ledger in dual action while finishing with 10 wins against nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles play, Williams garnered a mark of 25-13 and tallied three victories over ranked foes. He broke into the collegiate rankings after the fall season, reaching a career-high mark of No. 9 in singles and No. 4 in doubles with teammate Daniel Milavsky. Williams was selected as a unanimous First Team All-Ivy League singles selection and a First Team All-Ivy League doubles recipient.
 
Williams also earned a ticket to both the singles and doubles 2024 NCAA Individual Championship, registering a seed of 9-16 in singles action to make him Harvard’s first freshman All-American since James Blake achieved the honor in 1998. Williams advanced to the NCAA singles quarterfinals to become the first Crimson player to do so since 2014. For his efforts during the postseason tournament, Williams earned a coveted spot in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) accelerator program, which is a collaboration between the ATP and ITA that sees ATP Challenger Tour playing opportunities allocated to the highest-ranked ITA college players.
 
Prior to his time at Harvard, the right-hander and Blue Chip prospect reached a career-high International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking of No. 3 in August 2023 and held an ATP rank of 986 for singles and 524 for doubles. In 2023, Williams claimed the Australian Open Junior Doubles title with teammate Learner Tien after the duo defeated Alexander Blockx (Belgium) and Joao Fonseca (Brazil) in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
 
He was also a semifinalist in singles and a quarterfinalist in doubles at Wimbeldon Juniors and a quarterfinalist in both singles and doubles at Roland Garros Juniors and the US Open Junior Championships. Additionally, Williams earned the 2019 Les Petit As Doubles Crown and the 2019 USTA Boys Hardcourt Singles title. Throughout his junior career, he collected 10 USTA Gold, Silver, and Bronze balls at super nationals.
 
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