The UCLA men’s tennis team, ranked 15th nationally, is set to host UNLV at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Sunday, February 15, at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The match was moved up from its original date due to expected rain and marks the Bruins’ first home appearance since January 24. Admission is free for fans, and those unable to attend can follow live scoring and streaming via the official UCLA website.
UCLA has a strong history against UNLV, holding a 19-0 record in previous meetings. The most recent contest between the teams took place on March 2, 2021, when UCLA secured a 6-1 victory.
In their last outing, the Bruins defeated No. 24 Pepperdine with a score of 4-2 at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center. Rudy Quan clinched both the deciding singles and doubles matches. Other singles wins came from Cassius Chinlund and Spencer Johnson. Earlier this month, Emon van Loben Sels completed a comeback for UCLA in a close match against California.
Current rankings place UCLA at No. 15 as of February 4. Individually, Emon van Loben Sels holds the No. 35 spot in singles, followed by Rudy Quan at No. 111 and Spencer Johnson at No. 118. In doubles rankings, Johnson/van Loben Sels are listed at No. 52 and Quan/Aadarsh Tripathi at No. 57.
Emon van Loben Sels has gained recognition for his ability to secure victories in critical moments for the team, including pivotal wins that ended significant streaks by opponents such as Ohio State during the Big Ten Tournament championship match last year.
Several players are nearing career milestones: Spencer Johnson stands five wins away from reaching a combined total of 100 victories across singles and doubles matches; Aadarsh Tripathi has accumulated 84; Emon van Loben Sels sits at 93.
Recent accolades include Rudy Quan being named Men’s Tennis Player to Watch in the Big Ten on January 9 and Spencer Johnson earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors on October 22, 2025.
During fall competition, four Bruins qualified for NCAA Championship individual draws in both singles and doubles categories.
In the previous season (2024-25), UCLA posted a record of 19-9 overall and went deep into postseason play by capturing its first Big Ten Tournament title—snapping Ohio State’s lengthy home winning streak—and advancing to its inaugural NCAA Championship quarterfinal round after defeating USC.
On April 27, 2025, UCLA claimed its first Big Ten Conference championship by defeating top-seeded Ohio State in Columbus—a win that ended Ohio State’s home dominance dating back to 2021 against conference opponents.
Returning athletes include key contributors such as Emon van Loben Sels (who led with a combined singles/doubles record of nearly .700), All-Americans Spencer Johnson and Aadarsh Tripathi, as well as Gianluca Ballotta and reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Rudy Quan.
New additions this season are Cassius Chinlund (a former USTA junior national champion), Andy Nguyen (transferring from UC Irvine after earning all-conference honors), and Bengt Reinhard (a German junior national champion).
Former Bruins continue to compete professionally: Marcos Giron recently won his first ATP title; Mackenzie McDonald reached new career highs following significant tournament performances; Jean-Julien Rojer collected his fourth Grand Slam doubles title; Maxime Cressy earned an ATP Tour championship before stepping away due to injury in 2025.
Head coach Billy Martin enters his thirty-third year leading UCLA men’s tennis with a career coaching record of over .790 winning percentage and numerous conference titles—including guiding three NCAA singles champions during his tenure.
