Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus North Carolina on April 11, 2026 at 1 p.m.
/
1 p.m.
Men's Tennis
vs North Carolina
Student-Athlete Spotlight: Michael Heller
6/9/2020 12:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. – Although his first season in a Blue Devil uniform was shortened, freshman Michael Heller earned 10 wins in both singles and doubles play.
Heller had a strong showing in the fall, earning an 8-4 record in singles while going 7-2 in doubles. The Florida native appeared in two matches for Duke in the spring (2-0), registering his first collegiate win on Jan. 18 against North Carolina A&T and gritted out a victory over Campbell on Jan. 24 in a super tiebreaker.
In doubles action, Heller posted a 10-3 record on the year while going 3-1 in the spring. Paired up with fellow freshman Andrew Zhang, the duo reached as high as No. 22 in the Oracle/ITA rankings and finished the year at No. 46. Heller played most of his doubles matches on court three for the Blue Devils.
Get to know more about Michael.
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite TV Show: The Office
Favorite Movie: Catch Me If You Can
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Hobby: Snowboarding
Favorite Sport: Tennis
Beach or Lake: Beach
What was your favorite memory from this season?
"My favorite memory was definitely our home match against Illinois. It was our first big match of the season and the atmosphere was absolutely unreal."
How was the transition coming to Duke – both academically and athletically?
"The transition to Duke was much easier than I thought it'd be thanks to the support of the other guys on the team and our athletics staff."
Who served as a mentor for you this year? How did they help you?
"Samir Agadi was a great mentor for me this year. He gave me advice whenever I needed and was a great role model on and off the court. He helped me grow a lot, both as a player and as a person."
Who is your favorite all-time tennis player and why?
"Diego Schwartzman is my all-time favorite tennis player, because he's the biggest fighter on tour."
What do you look forward to most next year?
"I'm excited to see all the guys on the team next year back at Duke."
Do you have any fun summer plans?
"Hoping to travel and play some professional tournaments assuming COVID-19 allows it."
For more information on Duke men's tennis, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#GoDuke
Â
Â
Heller had a strong showing in the fall, earning an 8-4 record in singles while going 7-2 in doubles. The Florida native appeared in two matches for Duke in the spring (2-0), registering his first collegiate win on Jan. 18 against North Carolina A&T and gritted out a victory over Campbell on Jan. 24 in a super tiebreaker.
In doubles action, Heller posted a 10-3 record on the year while going 3-1 in the spring. Paired up with fellow freshman Andrew Zhang, the duo reached as high as No. 22 in the Oracle/ITA rankings and finished the year at No. 46. Heller played most of his doubles matches on court three for the Blue Devils.
Get to know more about Michael.
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite TV Show: The Office
Favorite Movie: Catch Me If You Can
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Hobby: Snowboarding
Favorite Sport: Tennis
Beach or Lake: Beach
What was your favorite memory from this season?
"My favorite memory was definitely our home match against Illinois. It was our first big match of the season and the atmosphere was absolutely unreal."
How was the transition coming to Duke – both academically and athletically?
"The transition to Duke was much easier than I thought it'd be thanks to the support of the other guys on the team and our athletics staff."
Who served as a mentor for you this year? How did they help you?
"Samir Agadi was a great mentor for me this year. He gave me advice whenever I needed and was a great role model on and off the court. He helped me grow a lot, both as a player and as a person."
Who is your favorite all-time tennis player and why?
"Diego Schwartzman is my all-time favorite tennis player, because he's the biggest fighter on tour."
What do you look forward to most next year?
"I'm excited to see all the guys on the team next year back at Duke."
Do you have any fun summer plans?
"Hoping to travel and play some professional tournaments assuming COVID-19 allows it."
For more information on Duke men's tennis, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#GoDuke
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
Coach Ramsey win vs NCState ACC Tourney 4/18/25
Friday, April 18
Coach Ramsey Win vs UND ACC Tournament 4/17/25
Thursday, April 17
Duke vs. Virginia: Coach Smith Post-Match Interview
Saturday, March 01
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
