Season Preview: Men's Tennis Embarks on Second Season Under Bruce-Burgess

ORLANDO -  After welcoming head Coach Llloyd Bruce-Burgess in 2024, the UCF men's tennis team boasted a final ITA ranking of 28 following a historic opening campaign. The Knights made their inaugural appearance in the Big 12, marking a momentous year for the squad. The Black and Gold finished 4th within the Big 12 and gave an impressive performance at the NCAA Tournament, taking down No. 23 Florida in the first round. 

Many of the previous season's top performers are set to return for the 2025 slate, where the Knights aim to improve upon their admirable debut within the Big 12. Juniors Mehdi Benchakroun and Santiago Giamichelle are returning after their standout performances last year, which resulted in the two landing on the final ITA rankings. 

Benchakroun was ranked No. 95 following a stellar performance in the NCAA tournament where he defeated Florida’s Kevin Edengren on court six, resulting in the Knights’ first win over the Gators in program history. In doubles, Giamichelle and former Knight Lleyton Cronje secured a spot as the 20th-best tandem in the country after being crowned ITA Southeast Regional Doubles Champion in the fall of 2023.

Also returning is junior Paul Colin who had an inspiring season last year, leading the Knights in win percentage (.846%). Colin is joined by teammate Yassine Dlimi, who made a name for himself last year after a standout 12-match unbeaten stretch which included nine consecutive wins from Jan. 21 to Mar. 14. Rounding out the junior class are Emilio Sanchez and Luca Hotze who are looking to build upon prior performances, with the former showing growth in his doubles game.

Fifth year Liam Branger garnered double-digit wins in singles for the second-consecutive season in 2024 and aims to continue the pattern in 2025. After redshirting their freshman year, Walid Ahouda and Simeon Terziev are back, as both were signed under head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess and assistant Kareem Allaf during their inaugural signing class. 

Two freshmen are set to make their debut for the Black and Gold this season. Adriano Dzhenev hails from Haskovo, Bulgaria, and was one of the first players Bruce-Burgess signed to the team. Dzhenev was previously 13th in the world in the ITF junior rankings following a dominating title at the J200 Haskovo in April of 2024. 

Dzhenev is joined by newcomer Nicolas Oliveira from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before signing with UCF, Oliveira attained a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 47 in the January of 2024.

The Knights are set to make their 2025 debut on Jan. 11 as they welcome both Louisiana and Elon for a doubleheader at the USTA National Campus.