Tulane University’s men’s tennis team ended its 2026 season after a 4-1 defeat to Rice University on April 17 in the American Conference Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulane, seeded ninth, faced top-seeded and No. 49 ranked Rice in the opening round.
The match marked the conclusion of an up-and-down season for Tulane, which finished with an overall record of 8-11. For Rice, the win improved their season tally to 14-7.
Daniel Phillips secured Tulane’s only point of the day by defeating Petro Kuzemenok—ranked No. 53 nationally—in straight sets (6-1, 6-2) at the No. 1 singles position. In doubles play, Rice took an early lead by winning two out of three matches, including a victory from their No. 57 ranked pair Petro Kuzmenok and Santiago Navarro over Tulane’s Daniel Phillips and Lance Nisbet.
Other singles victories for Rice came from Santiago Navarro over Asaf Friedler (6-2, 6-2), Rafael Botran over Alec Gaudin (6-2, 6-3), and Tommy Czaplinski over Steven Rice (6-2, 6-4). Some matches were left unfinished as Rice clinched the necessary points for victory.
With this result, Tulane’s men’s tennis team will now look ahead to preparations for next fall’s campaign in the upcoming academic year. Dates for future matches are expected to be announced later.
