Rajeev Ram helped the Fighting Illini to the 2003 NCAA National Championship, going a combined 6-0 in the NCAA postseason. That same year, he and teammate Brian Wilson claimed the NCAA Doubles Championship. He has enjoyed a 15-year professional career, having posted a combined record of 304-247 with 20 titles nearly $5.5 million in career winnings. He is currently the No. 9 ranked doubles player in the world after winning the 2020 Australian Open doubles championship with partner Joe Salisbury, his first career Grand Slam title.

Hey everyone,

This is Rajeev Ram.  After leaving the U of I in 2004 I have been on the ATP tour for the past 15 years.  I have been lucky to play for this amount of time and hope to keep going for a bit longer as I truly love the game.  I always appreciate everyone's support so thank you for that.

Favorite memories of your pro career:

2 singles titles, winning a silver medal in Rio for America, winning the Australian open doubles title

I chose Illinois because:

Couldn't really find anything wrong with it.  Great team, great coaches, great school, close to home.  Ticked a lot of boxes that I was looking for.

Favorite team memory: 

Tough to say anything other than winning the NCAA team championships.

Favorite spot on campus: 

Atkins Tennis Center

How did the University of Illinois prepare you for your career? 

I felt like I developed the foundation for my tennis there which allowed me to compete at the next level.

What were some valuable lessons you learned from your time at Illinois? 

The importance of setting goals and putting the right steps in place to achieve them.

How did the U of I help you grow during your college journey (golf, academics, personal)? 

It was just a great place to have that experience.  Everyone I came in contact with was so helpful and seemed like they wanted the best for me

How would you describe your relationship with your teammates and coaches at Illinois? 

We were all Americans except for our coach (Craig Tiley) but I think that really helped because we had previous relationships with each other and so it was quite seamless.

What skills did you gain/develop by being an Illini student-athlete? 

Time management was the biggest thing.  You have to be good at that to be a good student athlete.

What is special about Illinois to you? 

I feel like I started my tennis career there, so it will always be a special place.

What advice would you like to share with our current team members? 

Enjoy.  There is nothing in life that youll do that will be the same.  It really is true.

Top item on my bucket list: 

Im lucky that I get to play the sport I love for a living so just enjoying that to its fullest right now.