McDonald to Turn Professional
June 16, 2016 | Men's Tennis
LOS ANGELES - UCLA men's tennis player Mackenzie McDonald, a recent winner in both singles and doubles at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla., has decided to forego his final season of eligibility and turn professional, head coach Billy Martin announced on Thursday. McDonald, a junior from Piedmont, Calif., ended the season as the No. 1 ranked player in the nation in both singles and doubles.
"It goes without saying that we are sorry to see Mackie leave, as he has meant so much to this program the last three years," said Martin, who himself left UCLA early after winning the NCAA singles title as a freshman in 1975. "Our philosophy at UCLA in recruiting top junior players like Mackie is to prepare them for professional tennis so we are excited when they get this opportunity. All of us at UCLA wish him the best of luck. He will certainly be missed this up and coming season but we look forward to following his success on the professional tour."
McDonald recently became the first player since 2001 to claim NCAA titles in both singles and doubles in the same season. In the NCAA singles final, McDonald upset top-seeded Mikael Torpegaard of Ohio State, 6-3, 6-3 to become the Bruins' 12th singles champion in school history. Later in the day, he teamed with Martin Redlicki to claim the NCAA doubles title, as the Bruin duo downed Texas A&M's Arthur Rinderknech and Jackson Withrow, 6-4, 6-1 in the final.
An All-American in both singles and doubles, McDonald was recently named the Men's College Player of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). He was also named the Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second straight season, finishing the year with a 22-1 overall singles record. He was also 19-1 against ranked opponents, with his lone loss coming against 2015 NCAA singles champion Ryan Shane of Virginia. McDonald and Redlicki finished the season at 19-6 overall, earning Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year honors.
"It was a difficult decision, but at this time I feel more ready than ever to be turning professional," said McDonald, who has signed a representation agreement with global sports and entertainment leader Octagon. "The last three years of college tennis have been filled with amazing experiences that I will never forget and take with me. I do wish to one day finish my UCLA degree, but until then I will be working on my professional career."
McDonald is the fourth UCLA player since 2011 to leave school early for the pro tour, joining Daniel Kosakowski (2011), Dennis Novikov (2013) and Marcos Giron (2014). Like McDonald, Giron played three seasons at UCLA and left after winning the NCAA singles title as a junior.
"I am a firm believer that college tennis is a terrific platform and stepping stone for the professional tour having taken this route myself," added Martin. "We never want to feel like we are holding a player back from their dream of pro tennis, so the players who have left here receive our full support. Mackie is a tremendous player and someone who I believe can make an impact on the professional tour."
Players Mentioned
