The UCLA men’s tennis team, ranked No. 24 nationally, is set to continue its homestand with matches against No. 30 Wisconsin on March 20 and No. 45 Nebraska on March 22 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
These upcoming matches are significant as the Bruins have built momentum with four consecutive wins and victories in seven of their last eight contests. The team currently holds a record of 9-3 overall and remains undefeated in Big Ten Conference play at 3-0.
Fans can follow both matches through live scoring and streaming provided by UCLA Athletics, while updates will also be available on the team’s X account. Historically, UCLA has dominated both opponents, leading the series against Wisconsin 6-0 and Nebraska 1-0. The most recent meetings saw UCLA defeating Wisconsin 4-0 and Nebraska 4-1 in April of the previous year.
In their last outing, Spencer Johnson played a pivotal role as UCLA defeated crosstown rival USC in Big Ten play. Johnson secured his 100th career win during this match, contributing alongside teammates Andy Nguyen and Aadarsh Tripathi who also won their singles matches.
Several Bruins are featured in national rankings released on March 17: Emon van Loben Sels is ranked No. 33 in singles, Spencer Johnson is No. 66, and Rudy Quan is No. 119. In doubles, Johnson/van Loben Sels are ranked No. 32, Quan/Tripathi are No. 39, and Johnson/Tripathi are No. 73.
Looking back at last season, UCLA captured its first-ever Big Ten Tournament championship by defeating Ohio State in a dramatic final that ended the Buckeyes’ long home winning streak dating back to 2021. Emon van Loben Sels was named Most Outstanding Player for his performance throughout the tournament.
The Bruins return several key players from last year’s squad including All-Americans Spencer Johnson and Aadarsh Tripathi as well as Big Ten Freshman of the Year Rudy Quan. New additions to the roster include Cassius Chinlund, Andy Nguyen (a transfer from UC Irvine), Bengt Reinhard from Germany, and Will Steinberg from Santa Barbara.
Head coach Billy Martin enters his thirty-third season leading the program with an all-time record of 685-178 (.794). Under Martin’s leadership, UCLA has claimed numerous conference titles and produced several NCAA individual champions.
