ORLANDO - On the back of the program’s third top-10 win of the season, the UCF men’s tennis team has once again made an emphatic jump in the latest ITA rankings, slotting in at No. 11 for the second time this campaign.
The placement comes days after the Knights (15-5, 1-1) capped off their conference-opening weekend with a dramatic 4-3 victory over then No. 10 Arizona, their second over the Wildcats this season. A similar scoreline in Tucson to send the squad to the ITA Indoor Championship preceded Sunday’s winner-take-all tiebreak decider.
While the win over No. 6 Arizona at the ITA Kickoff Weekend marked the first for the program over a top-10 opponent, the Knights have since tallied two more to their name, with their second triumph over the Wildcats joining a 4-2 victory over No. 4 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes now sit third in the nation, just one spot ahead of reigning national champions and Big 12 leaders, TCU, who defeated UCF Friday night in a back-and-forth bout.
Slotting in at 11th for the second time this season and sixth time in program history, the Black and Gold are the second-highest ranked team in the Big 12, trailing the aforementioned Horned Frogs while leading No. 15 Arizona and No. 17 Baylor in the top-25.
Mehdi Benchakroun’s three-set triumph over ninth-ranked Jay Friend, the highest singles win for a Knight since 2021, propelled the junior into his best career placement at No. 69. Dlimi remained among the top 100 as the Moroccan currently sits at No. 90.
UP NEXT
The squad’s second trip out west will see UCF meet with BYU and No. 52 Utah, a difficult test for the Knights at altitude and a much-awaited rematch with the Cougars after a thrilling 4-3 triumph in Orlando last season.