Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Saye-ving The Best For Last
4/24/2026 2:23:00 PM | Men's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Last fall, Michigan State men's tennis player David Saye captured the Big Ten Individual singles tennis title, the first Spartan to do so since 1971. It was a huge achievement, showing both the growth of MSU tennis since he arrived in East Lansing, and his own development.
"When I got here, we weren't quite as good," Saye, a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, said. "We were towards the bottom of the Big Ten, and (MSU head coach) Harry (Jadun) had a goal and a vision of bringing this program to the top three in the Big Ten, Top 25. I was really excited when I came because I wanted to be a part of that and wanted to be a part of growing something from the bottom. And we did a great job of that, finishing in the Top 25 the past couple of years, as well as top of the Big Ten."
Saye's senior season is a well-decorated one, as he helped Michigan State win a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship, as Saye and his teammates were the first Spartan men's tennis players to hoist the conference trophy since 1967.
The journey for Saye, from first arriving on campus to celebrating and lifting the conference trophy, capped the growth and development for him both on and off the court.
He was a five-star recruit ranked third in North Carolina before deciding to bring his talents to East Lansing to continue his tennis career. Saye's first year as a Spartan was a major success, earning 14 overall singles wins and eight doubles wins, along with advancing to the quarterfinals of the ITA Midwest Regionals in the fall.
The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree was after much more than a successful rookie season, planting a goal in his mind from the moment he stepped into the MSU Tennis Center.
MSU head coach Harry Jadun accepted his position the same year Saye joined the team in 2022, and has gotten a first-hand look at the type of player he is and has grown into.
"David is a very rational human being, and that's been a lot of fun to deal with because I think with 18 to 21-year-old guys, there's a lot of emotions involved with everything," Jadun said. "With him, he's been very steady, and that's been a lot of fun to work on things, but also he's just someone that's consistent throughout every single day, so you know what you're going to get out of him. You know he's going to give his best every single practice, every single match. For a coach, you can't ask for more than that."
Saye earned the doubles title with sophomore Mitchell Sheldon this past fall, securing a dominant 4-0 victory run on the way to the doubles title at the Big Ten Individuals Championship, earning the Spartans their first doubles title since 1967.
Saye, now playing in the twilight of his collegiate career, has attributed knowing the end is near to being able to display some of his best tennis performances.
"I'm definitely playing a little bit more freely on the court, just focusing more on having fun and enjoying it," Saye said. "I'm trying to finish it with no regrets. This is going to be it. Just staying loose on the court, I definitely think more this year than other years."
Jadun understands the emotions Saye may be feeling as he's nearing the finish line.
"This is the last mile, right?" Jadun said. "So after he's done playing here, he's going to go out into the working world, and it's not as much fun, and it's maybe not as competitive, not as physical, all that stuff. The time for pacing himself is over. This is the time where he's going to make his mark and leave this program in a better spot than he found it."
Since Saye joined the program, the men's tennis team has won 60 regular-season matches over those four years, restoring success after a stretch of tough years.
Saye has had time to soak in his final moments of tennis, as his post-college plans may not involve the game he has played since he was six years old.
"I know some of the other guys have plans of playing after school, but this is going to be it for me," Saye said. "It's definitely a little bit sad coming to the end here. I'm just trying to enjoy being around the team, enjoy being out on the court competing."
The Big Ten men's tennis fall singles champion has attributed his career success to his coaches and the relationship he built with Jadun, which only strengthened his love for Michigan State.
"The coaches have done a great job," Saye said. "I think that was one of the main reasons I decided to choose Michigan State, because I trusted what they had and the vision they had and the goals they had for us. I've still loved tennis just as much as when I came in, which is a very difficult part since we're playing so much."
Saye capped his Spartan senior season in not only helping Michigan State share the Big Ten regular-season championship, but he was also the recipient of MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, recognizing his leadership, integrity and commitment to the values of being a Spartan. Saye has been a key contributor throughout his career and exemplifies the culture of the Michigan State program both on and off the court, leaving the program in a much better and more succesful place from when he first arrived,
"When I got here, we weren't quite as good," Saye, a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, said. "We were towards the bottom of the Big Ten, and (MSU head coach) Harry (Jadun) had a goal and a vision of bringing this program to the top three in the Big Ten, Top 25. I was really excited when I came because I wanted to be a part of that and wanted to be a part of growing something from the bottom. And we did a great job of that, finishing in the Top 25 the past couple of years, as well as top of the Big Ten."
Saye's senior season is a well-decorated one, as he helped Michigan State win a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship, as Saye and his teammates were the first Spartan men's tennis players to hoist the conference trophy since 1967.
The journey for Saye, from first arriving on campus to celebrating and lifting the conference trophy, capped the growth and development for him both on and off the court.
He was a five-star recruit ranked third in North Carolina before deciding to bring his talents to East Lansing to continue his tennis career. Saye's first year as a Spartan was a major success, earning 14 overall singles wins and eight doubles wins, along with advancing to the quarterfinals of the ITA Midwest Regionals in the fall.
The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree was after much more than a successful rookie season, planting a goal in his mind from the moment he stepped into the MSU Tennis Center.
MSU head coach Harry Jadun accepted his position the same year Saye joined the team in 2022, and has gotten a first-hand look at the type of player he is and has grown into.
"David is a very rational human being, and that's been a lot of fun to deal with because I think with 18 to 21-year-old guys, there's a lot of emotions involved with everything," Jadun said. "With him, he's been very steady, and that's been a lot of fun to work on things, but also he's just someone that's consistent throughout every single day, so you know what you're going to get out of him. You know he's going to give his best every single practice, every single match. For a coach, you can't ask for more than that."
Saye earned the doubles title with sophomore Mitchell Sheldon this past fall, securing a dominant 4-0 victory run on the way to the doubles title at the Big Ten Individuals Championship, earning the Spartans their first doubles title since 1967.
Saye, now playing in the twilight of his collegiate career, has attributed knowing the end is near to being able to display some of his best tennis performances.
"I'm definitely playing a little bit more freely on the court, just focusing more on having fun and enjoying it," Saye said. "I'm trying to finish it with no regrets. This is going to be it. Just staying loose on the court, I definitely think more this year than other years."
Jadun understands the emotions Saye may be feeling as he's nearing the finish line.
"This is the last mile, right?" Jadun said. "So after he's done playing here, he's going to go out into the working world, and it's not as much fun, and it's maybe not as competitive, not as physical, all that stuff. The time for pacing himself is over. This is the time where he's going to make his mark and leave this program in a better spot than he found it."
Since Saye joined the program, the men's tennis team has won 60 regular-season matches over those four years, restoring success after a stretch of tough years.
Saye has had time to soak in his final moments of tennis, as his post-college plans may not involve the game he has played since he was six years old.
"I know some of the other guys have plans of playing after school, but this is going to be it for me," Saye said. "It's definitely a little bit sad coming to the end here. I'm just trying to enjoy being around the team, enjoy being out on the court competing."
The Big Ten men's tennis fall singles champion has attributed his career success to his coaches and the relationship he built with Jadun, which only strengthened his love for Michigan State.
"The coaches have done a great job," Saye said. "I think that was one of the main reasons I decided to choose Michigan State, because I trusted what they had and the vision they had and the goals they had for us. I've still loved tennis just as much as when I came in, which is a very difficult part since we're playing so much."
Saye capped his Spartan senior season in not only helping Michigan State share the Big Ten regular-season championship, but he was also the recipient of MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, recognizing his leadership, integrity and commitment to the values of being a Spartan. Saye has been a key contributor throughout his career and exemplifies the culture of the Michigan State program both on and off the court, leaving the program in a much better and more succesful place from when he first arrived,
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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