No. 5 Texas men’s tennis will face No. 6 Ohio State on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, just two weeks out from the ITA National Indoor Championship.
Last weekend, Texas secured a spot at the ITA National Indoor Championship with a win over South Florida at ITA Kickoff Weekend, hosted at the Weller Tennis Center. Before the championships, Texas must first face a familiar foe in intermediate match play.
A Texas victory against the Buckeyes would extend the Longhorns’ current two-match winning streak. The programs last met two years ago when Texas earned a 5-2 win over Ohio State.
Friday’s biggest hurdle will be location. Ohio State has historically defended its home courts, handing the Longhorns 4-0 losses in Columbus in every meeting since 2016, including 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023.
Ending this cycle will demand near-flawless execution this Friday.
This season offers a departure from the norm for Texas, highlighted by significant roster changes and new contributors stepping into key roles.
Freshman Abel Forger and junior Lucas Brown proved their readiness last weekend in their singles matches against South Florida. Forger struck the first singles match win, 6-3, 6-4, over Agustin Cuellar, followed by Brown’s 7-6, 4-2 win against Gughi Verdese.
In doubles, the pair Sebastian Eriksson and Oliver Ojakaar have continued to establish themselves as an elite duo, advancing to the qualifying round of 16 at the ITA All-American Championship last September.
Both teams will rely on young talent for success in the upcoming match. Ohio State’s redshirt sophomore Brandon Carpico and sophomore Nikita Filin finished as runners-up at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championships in Orlando last November.
If Texas comes up short, the consequences will be minimal. Since the match does not serve as a qualifier or championship event, the Longhorns would only face a potential dip in ITA rankings and another loss added to the season record. They will still have time to prepare for the ITA National Indoor Championship.
A win, however, would provide a significant pre-championship boost, building momentum heading into the indoor championship, which will be held on Feb. 13-17 at various locations.
Following the matchup with Ohio State, the Longhorns will return home to the Texas Tennis Center for one more chance to get in reps against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi on Feb. 7.
