ORLANDO –As the Big 12 Tournament approaches on home courts at the USTA National Campus, the UCF men’s tennis team has jumped up one spot to No. 14 in this week’s ITA rankings.
The Knights have remained inside the top 15 all season, reaching a program‑best No. 8 on April 19. Their current stretch of 13 consecutive weeks in the top 15 marks the longest such run in program history.
The latest ranking comes after a road trip to Arizona, where UCF split the road bout against then No. 10 Arizona and No. 27 Arizona State. The Knights fell 4-1 to the Wildcats in Tucson, with Paul Colin earning the team’s lone point, collecting his 15th singles win of the year.
UCF closed the trip with a 4-3 win over Arizona State in Tempe. Nicolas Oliveira and Luca Hotze secured the doubles point, sending the Knights into singles play with the advantage. After the Sun Devils claimed three singles courts, Wissam Abderrahman clawed his way to clinching the match in a three‑set finish.
Individually, senior Yassine Dlimi remains in the top 100 of the singles rankings, coming in at No. 78 this week.
Of the six teams competing in Orlando later this week, five appear in the top 30. The Knights sit behind No. 3 TCU and No. 9 Arizona, both of which earned byes in the tournament. Baylor joins UCF in the top 15 at No. 11, while first‑round opponent Arizona State enters at No. 30.
The lone unranked squad entering the conference tournament comes out of the Utah Utes who are the six seed in this year’s competition.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICSUCF 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.