Season Preview: No. 14 Men's Tennis Primed for Dual Match PlaySeason Preview: No. 14 Men's Tennis Primed for Dual Match Play
Conor Kvatek / UCF Athletics

Season Preview: No. 14 Men's Tennis Primed for Dual Match Play

by Franki Noble

ORLANDO – With a perfect split of five newcomers and five returning Knights, the men’s tennis team is set to embark on quite the season. Coming off its second year in the Bruce-Burgess era which saw a season final ranking within the top 20, drawing the eyes of the college tennis world to the Black and Gold.

The Knights enter the season carrying significant momentum, earning a spot inside the top 15 of the ITA preseason poll at No. 14.

With a well-rounded roster that spans all four classes, represents six countries and includes experienced returners with impact transfers and true freshmen, the Knights are positioned to chase major goals throughout the dual match season.

 

RETURNING KNIGHTS

This year’s captains make up two of five returners this season. The Moroccan tandem of Mehdi Benchakroun and Yassine Dlimi will once again return to the courts with a “C” stitched onto their chests as seniors.

Men's Tennis_CK_4348_011125_1210517820 (1)

Dlimi boasted an overall record of 20-15, with 14 of those wins coming from court one at USTA National Campus. In his junior season, Dlimi garnered several honors including Big 12 Player of the Week as well as being named to All-Big 12 Singles First Team.

The Casablanca native secured himself a season-high and career-high ITA singles ranking of No. 52 to close out the stellar season Dlimi had.

For the fall, Dlimi has been on the pro circuit, participating in ITF professional tournaments consistently since June. Dlimi advanced to a handful of final matches within the tournaments with the most recent coming from the M15 Antalya.

Benchakroun has firmly established himself as a standout Knight, closing last season with an impressive 17-5 overall record, including a 10-5 mark on court two and a flawless 7-0 run on court three. He shared captaincy duties with Dlimi, mirroring the leadership structure entering this season.

His strong play earned him significant recognition throughout the season. Benchakroun was selected to the All-Big 12 Singles First Team and the Big 12 All-Tournament Doubles Team, and he collected back-to-back Big 12 Player of the Week honors on January 21 and 28.

Rounding out the senior class are Saint Barts native Paul Colin and native Floridian Luca Hotze. Colin posted a 13-8 doubles record during the 2025-26 campaign, with most of those victories coming from the top court. As a junior, he put together a notable 10-match unbeaten streak, highlighted by six wins.

Sophomore Nicolas Oliveira completes the group of returners, entering the season with a professional tournament title already to his name from the fall. As a freshman, the Rio de Janeiro native delivered a standout 23-11 singles record and clinched three matches for the Knights. His most prominent clinch came in the Big 12 semifinals, where he secured the decisive point in UCF’s highest-ranked win in program history, a dramatic 3-0 comeback upset over then No. 2 TCU, defeating Filip Apltauer to seal the victory.

 

MT_EF_0276_051025_1420482600Paul Colin | Photo by: Edward Finan
MT_MO_030725_110549Luca Hotze | Photo by: Michael O'Sullivan
MT_EF_0276_040625_1421171100Nicolas Oliveira | Photo by: Edward Finan

NEW KNIGHTS

The Knights introduce a strong group of newcomers to the roster this season, highlighted by three experienced transfers and two highly regarded freshmen beginning their collegiate careers in Orlando. Together, they bring a blend of proven results, international experience, and long‑term potential to the program.

This year’s transfer class features Wissam Abderrahman, who arrives after two seasons at Clemson, along with Clement Lemire and Kai‑Luca Ampaw, who each spent their freshman campaigns at Oregon and Gonzaga, respectively.

Abderrahman joins UCF following two years competing in the ACC, where he compiled a 31-23 singles record and a 33-18 doubles mark with the Tigers. The Paris native earned his first conference honor on March 19, 2024, when he was named ACC Freshman of the Week, and he holds a career‑high ITA singles ranking of No. 75.

Lemire comes to Orlando after a standout freshman season at Oregon. He posted a 10-7 singles record while competing primarily on the middle courts. Lemire earned league recognition when he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on February 12, 2025.

Ampaw rounds out the transfer group after a promising first year at Gonzaga. The London native led the entire Gonzaga squad in singles wins in his first collegiate season competing on each of the three front courts.

Men's Tennis_MM_5428_100125_1105259350Wissam Abderraahman | Photo by: Maddie McGinty
Men's Tennis_MM_5428_100125_1138088050Clement Lemire | Photo by: Maddie McGinty
Men's Tennis_MM_5428_100125_1221553610Kai-Luca Ampaw | Photo by: Maddie McGinty

To complete the 2025-26 roster, head coach Lloyd Bruce‑Burgess adds two true freshmen with impressive international resumes. Fadi Bidan joins the Knights as Lebanon’s top junior and the nation’s third‑highest ranked player. His junior career includes notable wins over former junior world No. 1 Gilles Arnaud Bailly, Texas A&M’s then No. 30‑ranked Theo Papamalamis, and then world No. 198 Aziz Dougaz.

The final newcomer, Pedro Rodrigues, arrives from Brazil with an accomplished background on both the junior and professional circuits. Rodrigues has a career‑high ATP ranking of 562 and reached No. 21 in the junior ITF rankings. He has competed on some of the sport’s biggest stages, including the junior French Open and Wimbledon. Ahead of his debut season, Rodrigues was ranked No. 4 on the ITA Newcomers list, signaling his potential to be a key contributor for the Knights.

 

ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.