North Carolina Central University Athletics

2024-25: MEAC All-Academic Team... Awarded the Chancellor's Award (highest GPA), Eagle Excellence Academic Award and the Debra Saunders-White Leadership award for men's tennis... Won the 2025 Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award for the ITA Carolina Region... 5-5 singles record, 0-1 in MEAC action... 15-9 doubles record, 5-0 in conference... Non-conference victories: Campbell, Davidson, Findlay... Non-conference doubles wins versus UNC Greensboro (ranked 79th by ITA at the time), North Carolina and Duke

2023-24: MEAC All-Academic Team selection… Debra Saunders-White Leadership Award winner by NCCU Athletics… Named team captain... Competed at No.5 Singles and No.1 Doubles… 8-8 Singles record… 6-9 Doubles record… Non-conference singles wins over Hampton, Johnson C. Smith and UNC Greensboro.

2022-23: MEAC All-Academic honors... Selected the Debra Saunders-White Leadership Award and Eagle Excellence Academic Award winner by NCCU Athletics for men's tennis... ITA Scholar Athlete... Competed in No.2 Singles and No.1 Doubles... 2-17 Singles record... 6-10 Doubles record.

2021-22: ITA Scholar-Athlete ... Picked up six dual-match singles victories -- all at No. 4 singles -- as a rookie, including wins against Hampton, Mississippi Valley State, Coppin State (x2), Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T ... Partnered with junior Sebastian Pino for a team-best nine doubles wins (all at No. 2 doubles)

HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time U21 national doubles champion (2021, 2020) ... U18 national championships singles finalist (2020) ... Represented Finland in several junior team European championships ... Earned an ITF junior ranking as high as 887 at the age of 16 before the pandemic.... Two-Time ITF junior grade 4 dobules finalist (2019, 2018)

PERSONAL: Originally from Germany ... Son of Ilkka and Kati Saarinen and has two little sisters .. Speaks five languages ... Plans to major in business administration at NCCU ... Started playing tennis at the age of four and played soccer when he was younger ... Enjoys listening to music, spending time with friends and watching sports on TV