Men's Tennis | 4/15/2026 4:07:00 PM
FAIRFAX, Va. – Rodrigo Alves of the North Carolina Central men's tennis team has been named a finalist for the 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year, as announced by the EDU Ledger. A special edition highlighting the honorees will be published this summer.
"The edition is part of our decades-long tradition of recognizing outstanding young men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic, athletic and civic pursuits," as stated in the EDU Ledger.
Alves is one of 10 male student-athletes selected as finalists, representing sports including soccer, football, basketball, track and field, cross country and golf. An additional 10 female finalists were also chosen from a pool of more than 900 nominated scholar-athletes.
To be considered for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honor, student-athletes must hold at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and be at least a sophomore academically. Selection also emphasizes community service and athletic achievement.
A native of Porto, Portugal, Alves has spent the past two seasons at NC Central after transferring from Chicago State. Last season, he earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors and was named to the All-MEAC Second Team, MEAC All-Academic Team, CSC Academic All-District Team and ITA All-Academic Team. He is a business administration major.
With one regular-season match remaining, Alves holds a 10-6 singles record this spring, primarily competing at the No. 2 position. The senior has recorded wins over Campbell, Davidson, UNC Asheville, Fairfield, Morgan State and Norfolk State. He also helped lead NCCU to the HBCU National Tennis Championship title last fall.
Off the court, Alves is active in community service alongside his teammates. The Eagles host Tennis Daze annually, giving local residents, students and staff an opportunity to learn tennis skills. The program also participates in recognizing the Teachers of the Month in the area and has worked with the Emily K Center.
NC Central has previously had multiple student-athletes recognized by the EDU Ledger, including Christine Alcox (volleyball) and Bhrandi Crenshaw (track and field) in 2021, as well as Brooks Campbell (men's tennis), Rodneysha Martin (women's basketball) and Miriam Duen (softball) in 2019. Campbell advanced to the national semifinalist stage for the award.
The EDU Ledger's special report edition will be released June 4, with semifinalists and winners from each sport category announced in advance.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.