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UPDATE! Former ATP 136 DOES NOT Plays USTA 4.0 League
12 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
You never know who you may run into at a tennis tournament or league. Former ATP 136 Michael Sell plays in a USTA 4.0 league in Delaware.
The man who played at University of Georgia – as a four time All American – and at all four Grand Slams – is just a weekend hacker now like many of us.
As a senior player now, this year the 53 year old Sell has a 2-1 record playing first singles in a Delaware USTA 4.0 over 18 league. He’s also 0-1 in tournament play losing first round at an Open tournament in Upper Dublin, PA to a guy named Ilya Kulik.
Sell has coached Monica Seles, Serena Williams, Reilly Opelka, Tommy Paul, Donald Young and John Isner. He also coached the women’s team at Louisiana State.
The winner of 14 ATP Challenger titles – three in singles, eleven in doubles – Sell achieved career singles wins vs Nicolas Escude and Mark Woodforde and also reached the second round at all four Grand Slams in doubles. He also played doubles with Gustavo Kuerten at 1998 Australian Open. He earned close to $300,000 as an ATP player for five years.
It’s very rare that a former Grand Slam tennis player actually plays in USTA leagues or tournaments. Rick Leach and Gigi Fernandez are two other notable USTA players.
Update! As you will see in the comments, against all odds, there are actually two tennis playing Michael Sells based in South Carolina with roots in the Delaware, Philly, South Jersey area.
ATP · Michael Sell · US Open · USTA
Sam · May 21, 2026 at 1:54 am
In that photo at least, Sell kinda looks like Don Henley. 😏
Scoop Malinowski · May 21, 2026 at 8:25 am
Sam I was thinking someone else but it still hasn’t hit me yet who, maybe a blend of two.
Jack Frierson · May 21, 2026 at 1:20 pm
There may be a Michael Sell playing in a 4.0 USTA league in Delaware, but I believe that he is a different one from the Michael Sell in the photo above. Michael Sell, who played for the University of Georgia and then on the ATP Tour, currently lives with his family near Charleston, South Carolina, and heads up a high performance tennis academy.
Scoop Malinowski · May 21, 2026 at 4:39 pm
Jack, thanks for your info. You could be right but then again, Sell is from the South Jersey outer Philly area. His usta profile page for the Delaware results says he is based in South Carolina so it has to be the same guy. Maybe he moves back and forth to S Carolina from Delaware area for work? How many tennis playing Michael Sells can there be? )
Scoop Malinowski · May 21, 2026 at 4:40 pm
Actually he reminds me of Paul Thomas, a former hockey pro player with Colorado Rockies, who I sometimes play tennis with in Longboat Key.
Wade mcguire · May 22, 2026 at 8:25 am
Hey scoop, this is Wade Mcguire another one of Mike Sell’s teammates at the University of Georgia that is a picture of Michael Sell but Mike Sell is not playing in the Delaware 4.0+ league you can let your readers know that you made a mistake.
Thanks have a great Memorial Day weekend!!!
Manuel Diaz · May 22, 2026 at 8:57 am
This is makes for a great story but you’ve got the wrong Mike Sell.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2026 at 9:21 am
Hi Wade and Manny, thanks for your comments. You are probably right but I’m still not convinced. Because 4.0 Michael Sell’s USTA profile page shows he’s based in Hilton Head SC so that matches up.
Michael Sell
Male | Hilton Head Island, SC
https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/player-search/profile.html#uaid=2017306866&tab=tournaments
I know it seems improbable that a great player like Michael Sell, former ATP 136 would be playing 4.0 but I recently played a former Duke no. 1 Scott Suhrer in a St Pete National Level 2 and he was also playing 4.0 leagues. Hopefully someone can connect to Mike and we can close this deal )
Section: Southern | District: South Carolina | Nationality: USA
Michael Sell · May 22, 2026 at 12:37 pm
Scoop – I appreciate all your coverage & promotion of Tennis over the years. You are also a tough person to convince – since a couple of my teammates & Hall of Fame College coach told you that you have the right name but the wrong person and still that wasn’t good enough. 🙂
Amazingly, there is another Michael Sell in South Carolina who travels up to Delaware to play in a tennis league. That is a tremendous effort but that is definitely not me.
I did play for the Delaware Smash WTT Team for 3 years in the late 1990’s but that is the extent of my Delaware playing time. I haven’t competed in 20+ years.
I hope that finally clears this up. I did have a laugh on the Don Henley comment – just wish I could play tennis like he could the guitar!
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2026 at 12:53 pm
Michael Sell, the real Michael Sell, fully apologize for this error but I hope it’s an understandable assumption error ). That is Twilight Zone stuff that there are two tennis playing Michael Sells with roots in both S. Carolina and the Delaware Valley area ) Maybe fellow Bulldog alum Randy Walker can give the two Michael Sells wildcards into next year’s Vero Beach ITF $15k qualis draw and we can finally put this issue to rest ) Just kidding.
Jack Frierson · May 22, 2026 at 1:26 pm
Scoop, we appreciate your Bulldog tenacity in sticking to your story through and through. Our best wishes to you.
(Mike Sell’s teammates at the University of Georgia)
Scoop Malinowski · May 23, 2026 at 11:47 am
Thanks Jack. It almost was the story of the year even if there is not a third Mike Sell tennis player ) At least we got an excellent Mike Sell Biofile out of it.