Liam Draxl was named the first ITA National Player of the Year in program history after finishing atop the final ITA Division I Men's Singles Rankings on June 2nd, 2021.
Draxl becomes the eighth different ITA Player of the Year from a Southeastern Conference institution and the first honoree since back-to-back winner Matias Boeker of Georgia in 2002, while Kentucky becomes the fifth SEC school to produce an ITA Player of the Year award recipient.
The ITA final rankings comprise the full year's body of work and are determined by an algorithm based upon record, best wins and quality of opponent. Liam has held the No. 1 spot since April 11, ending his season with a 25-3 record after falling to eventual national champion Sam Riffice of Florida—who finished No. 2 in the top 125—in the NCAA Championship semifinals. Liam recorded a perfect 2-0 record against the nation's top-ranked players at the time, amassing wins against the Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9, 17, 18, 24, 28, 31, 38, 52, 58, 63, 64, 73 and 87 players in the final rankings and falling only to Nos. 2, 4 and 5 away from home.
Liam Draxl's first full collegiate season came to an end in the semifinals of singles competition at the 2021 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships.
The top-seeded Kentucky sophomore fell 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-1 to No. 6 seed Sam Riffice of Florida on Thursday, May 28th at the USTA National Campus. Draxl finishes with a record of 25-3 after dropping a third set for the first time all season. The Newmarket, Ontario, native is the first Wildcat to reach the Final Four since Eric Quigley in 2012.
Draxl has held the No. 1 spot in the ITA Singles Rankings since April 14. The 19-year-old posted a 2-0 record against the nation's No. 1 ranked players at the time, including a 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 straight-set victory over South Carolina's Daniel Rodrigues on April 2.