No. 1 Dylan Dietrich (Virginia) has been lighting it up on the challenger scene as of late, winning titles in Columbus in late September and Sioux Falls this weekend.
Dietrich’s absence in college tennis has been felt as he has not appeared in an ITA event, and will miss the NCAA Championships this fall after winning the doubles title and team title last season.
Nearing top-200 status in the ATP rankings, the possibility of Dietrich playing himself out of college tennis seemed to grow through the fall. But after his 6-2, 7-5 win versus former Buckeye, No. 210 JJ Wolf in the Sioux Falls quarterfinal, he reassured college tennis fans in an interview with Alex Gruskin from Cracked Racquets.
“There’s just no world now [that I don’t come back],” Dietrich said. “Many people now, especially back home, are telling me ‘why wouldn’t you go pro, why wouldn’t you use this momentum?’ But if you think about it, from where I started at UVA, how much I’ve improved, how much I’ve matured, I should be looking at it almost the other way. I’ve improved so much, let’s squeeze everything possible out this last year, out of the coaches, out of Igdar, our fitness coach, out of Rosalind, our athletic trainer, because they certainly helped me come here and play in the semis of this 100 Challenger. So I’m looking at it that way, that I’m trying to make the best out of this last year, learn as much as possible and have a good time with the guys as well. It is truly a special time.”
By that same logic, he should take advantage of the new 5-in-5 eligibility framework which allows him to play another year of college tennis, and stick around for the 2027-28 season as well. Though that assertion may be a bit cavalier. Logic tells you to assume this is Dietrich’s last season.
In an earlier interview at the Market Beat Open (Sioux Falls Challenger) with Alex Gruskin, Dietrich told the Cracked Racquets Editor-in-Chief he planned to take an internship in New York City in the summer of ‘25 and eventually work there post-college tennis. He didn’t start to truly go after the pro route until last fall, but once he did, he was all in.
“Last fall, I was telling the coaches I’m all in, ‘I really want to go for it,’” Dietrich said. “And it’s a sport where the margins are so small, if you’re not really fully committed, you’re not going to have a chance. Like, it doesn’t matter how talented you are because you need to play 30 weeks a year. You need to travel so much, you need to wake up every day like it’s a 9-to-5 job. You go out there and give your best every day. Doesn’t matter how you feel, if you’re tired, and then it’s tough as well. So, you really need to be fully committed to it, and I am at the moment.”
His pro career is taking hold, but still expect Dietrich to stick around to try and lead his stacked Virginia squad to another team title this spring.
