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Evan Sharygin (WTN: 12.9) had a simple motivation when he was younger and just starting to play tournaments.

“I love trophies,” he said. “It didn't really matter if it was consolation or third or fourth place, I just love collecting trophies. That kind of drove me to compete.”

As he’s aged, Sharygin has gained more of an appreciation for practicing and refining his skills on the court. It’s helped elevate him into one of the top young players in the country.

The blue chip junior from Newburgh, Indiana recently committed to Harvard. Sharygin’s older brother, Daniel, played for MIT and Sharygin was very familiar with the Boston area. He spoke with the Harvard coaches on the first day they could contact recruits.

“When I visited Harvard, I felt connected to the school, the team and the coaches right away,” Sharygin said. “Everyone was super nice and welcoming, and the history of the school was really cool. I really like the combination of its tennis team and its education. Everyone is super focused on and off the tennis court. That's just kind of an environment I could see myself in.”

If it’s not already obvious by the brothers’ choice of schools, a quality education is of great value to the family.

“It's always been a pretty high priority, up with tennis,” Sharygin said. “Academics is just as important as tennis in my family, so I've always been staying on top of it.”

Sharygin grew up in Newburgh, and started tennis when he was 5 because his brother played. It was only for a day or two a week for the first few years. Once he turned 14, Sharygin got more serious and started training at Kass Tennis Academy in Columbus, Ohio.

From the beginning, he knew he wanted to pursue the sport in college.

“I think I really wanted to play because I was always really excited to be part of a team,” said Sharygin, who lives primarily in Ohio for tennis. “Once you're committed to college, you're not only playing for yourself, but you're playing for your team. You don't want to let them down, and I feel like being part of that environment pushes you.”

As a junior, Sharygin still had plenty of time to decide on a school. But he didn’t want to drag out the process more than necessary.

“I wanted to commit sooner rather than later, just because I feel like the timeline wouldn't matter as much for me in committing in the fall,” he said. “I feel like it will just be better. I really didn't want to have to think about the recruiting process for my senior year. I think that was just a better timeline for me.”

In his spare time, Sharygin likes to play chess (his dad competed in chess and taught his sons the game) and he began dabbling in photography a few years ago.

“It's mostly nature photography. Any scenic nature I like to capture. Not people or plants or animals or anything, just mostly scenic photos.”

Sharygin is thinking about majoring in economics at Harvard. He knows the balance between tennis and academics will be intense, but he’s confident his teammates and coaches can help him learn the ropes.

As far as his tennis goes, Sharygin has no plans to slow down before he arrives in Cambridge.

“I’m still trying to work and to put in all the effort,” he said. “But I feel a little bit better just having a school I really picked out. I really don't have to worry about the recruiting process, which kind of relieves some stress. But my mentality is still to try to get as good as possible before I head to college.”

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About Rhiannon Potkey

Rhiannon Potkey is a veteran sportswriter with more than two decades of experience in journalism. Potkey has covered many sports at many levels and has a passion for finding great stories. Potkey has covered the U.S. Open, junior sectional and national events, college conference championships and Davis Cup matches. Potkey is currently Content Strategist for Tennis Recruiting. You can reach Rhiannon by email at [email protected].