With conference play just a month away, Texas men’s tennis found its stride as the spring season unfolds. The Longhorns sit at 2-2 overall and No. 4 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
Texas opened the spring on Jan. 10 with a 7-0 sweep against Abilene Christian and followed with a dominant 6-1 win over the University of the Incarnate Word. The undefeated run ended when Texas faced top-five competition, losing to No. 5 Virginia, 4-1, and top-ranked Wake Forest, 4-2.
Head coach Bruce Berque begins his eighth season leading Texas men’s tennis, continuing a legacy of national success since taking over the program in 2019. Last year, the Longhorns reached the NCAA Final Four, making them the sole program to do so five times in the last six seasons.
Another factor to consider this season is a tipped balance between veterans and fresh faces as Texas welcomes five new players to team play. Freshmen Mariano Dedura-Palomero and Lucas Marionneau have been with the program since the summer and competed with the program throughout the fall, while freshmen January additions Jeremiah Braswell, Abel Forger of the Netherlands and Kalin Ivanovski of North Macedonia bolster the season’s lineup for the spring.
As new players attempt to acclimate, Texas turns to the steady leadership of senior Sebastian Gorzny and sophomore Sebastian Eriksson, both nationally ranked following the 2025 NCAA Singles Championships. Gorzny rose to No. 39 after a quarterfinal run at the ITA All-American Championships, while Eriksson earned a No. 54 ranking after finishing as a finalist at the ITA Texas Regionals.
“It gives me confidence, knowing that I can beat these good players and I’m right there with them, so hopefully I can keep going and take this match into the rest of the season,” Gorzny said.
With the spring season underway, the focus shifts from individual to team competition.
For the 2025-2026 season, the ITA adjusted the structure of Kick-Off Weekend to align with changes to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. With the championship field reduced to 14 teams, the number of Kick-Off Weekend regional sites—each awarding one berth—was also reduced from 15 to 14.
Texas will host ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Texas Tennis Center, serving as one of the regional sites. The Longhorns will open play Friday against UNC Wilmington and the winner between the two will face the winner of South Florida vs. Washington.
The four-day event will feature 56 of the nation’s top teams competing for 14 berths in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. Only regional site winners will advance.
Following the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, Texas men’s tennis will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State for the first time since the Longhorns defeated the Buckeyes 5-2 at the Texas Tennis Center during the 2023-2024 season.
With conference play still weeks away, Texas’ immediate focus is securing a berth in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. A strong showing there could help shape the trajectory of the season, so it is important that the Longhorns first get their foot in the door.
