Tulane University’s men’s tennis team concluded its 2026 season on April 17 with a 4-1 defeat against Rice University in the opening round of the American Conference Championships held in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The match marked the end of Tulane’s campaign, finishing with an overall record of eight wins and eleven losses. Rice, ranked No. 49 nationally and seeded first in the tournament, improved its season record to fourteen wins and seven losses.
Daniel Phillips secured Tulane’s only point by winning his singles match at the top position over Petro Kuzemenok, who is ranked No. 53. The final score for Phillips was 6-1, 6-2. In doubles play, Rice took an early lead after their No. 57-ranked pair of Kuzmenok and Santiago Navarro defeated Tulane’s Daniel Phillips and Lance Nisbet at the top spot with a score of 6-4. Rice also won at No. 3 doubles by a margin of 6-3.
The singles matches saw further victories for Rice as Santiago Navarro defeated Asaf Friedler (6-2, 6-2), Rafael Botran beat Alec Gaudin (6-2, 6-3), and Tommy Czaplinski overcame Steven Rice (6-2, 6-4). Two matches were left unfinished as they were abandoned before completion.
With this result, Tulane wraps up its current season but plans to return for competition in fall for the upcoming academic year; specific dates will be announced later.
