NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt men’s tennis head coach Scott Brown announced Friday that Henry Ruger has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the program in the fall.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to join the team at Vanderbilt,” Ruger said. “I can’t wait to get to work and contribute in any way I can toward the growth of this program.”
Ruger, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, joins Vanderbilt from Columbia as a graduate pursuing a master’s degree in the pre-medical track.
As a senior, Ruger competed primarily at the No. 6 position in singles, going 19-9 and in doubles posted an 18-6 record with partners Alex Kotzen and Ishaan Ravichander. The No. 8 Lions had a historic season, earning their first-ever Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and boasting an overall record of 23-4. His junior year, Ruger went 5-1 in Ivy League singles, primarily playing the No. 5 and No. 6 spots. Additionally, he defeated Saint Francis College’s Lucas Foix Sotos, 6-0, 6-0 to help Columbia advance to the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Sophomore year saw Ruger compete mainly at line 3 and 4 and record a 20-15 record in singles. He also notched a three-set win over his Notre Dame opponent to help Columbia advance to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. His freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his junior years, the five-star recruit was ranked 23rd by the Tennis Recruiting Network for the Boys’ Class of 2020 and was the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania. In addition to earning second-round victories and advancing to the quarterfinals at the International Grass Court Championships and the J4 Burlington, Ruger advanced to the semifinals at the J4 Haverford in Pennsylvania earlier in the 2019 season.
“We are thrilled to have Henry joining us this upcoming season and wearing the Black and Gold,” Brown said. “He brings a lot of valuable experience from playing at the highest level of collegiate tennis during his four years at Columbia and being a direct contributor to their success. More importantly, he represents everything our culture is about with his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to excellence—both in the classroom and on the tennis court. We cannot wait to get started with Henry!”
