Former Case Western Reserve University men's tennis player James Hopper, a 2023 graduate, claimed the first tournament victory of his professional tennis career, winning the International Tennis Federation M15 Monastir in Tunisia on Sunday, July 20.

Hopper teamed with Ben Jones of Great Britain to win the doubles draw of the tournament. The duo won four matches during the event, including a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 10-4 win over Billy and Freddy Blaydes of Great Britain in the championship.

Hopper ended his career as the most accomplished player in program history, winning the NCAA Division III Doubles Championship in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, while leading the Spartans to the NCAA Division III Team Championship in 2023, the first team title by any team in CWRU Athletics history. Playing at no. 1 singles and doubles throughout his four-year career as a Spartan, he finished his time on the team with a program-record 128 doubles wins and a .908 doubles winning percentage, while his 82-19 singles record over his career marked the sixth-most wins and fifth-best winning percentage (.812) in team history.

"My experiences at CWRU helped implement both the physical and mental skills needed to maximize my success on the court," said Hopper. "I wouldn't be in the position I am today without the discipline that was ingrained on a daily basis at CWRU. That was one of the missing pieces for me before I arrived at CWRU, but it's definitely something I left with. Taking care of all the little details is what separates the good from the great, and I think that drive and motivation to check every single box was something that I really developed and enhanced during my time at CWRU."

Hopper went on to use his final two seasons of athletic eligibility at the University of Virginia, where he earned ITA NCAA DI Doubles All-America and All-ACC Doubles Third Team honors.

The Spartans placed second at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2024-25, marking the fourth time in the last five years that the Spartans have reached the National Championship match. CWRU won its second UAA Championship in program history in 2025 and finished the year with a 29-6 record, the second-most wins in a season in program history.