Illinois Fighting Illini men's tennis

The Illinois Fighting Illini men's tennis team is an NCAA Division I college tennis team competing in the Big Ten Conference. The team plays its home matches at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Illinois.

Illinois Fighting Illini Men's Tennis
UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Head coachBrad Dancer (14th season)
ConferenceBig Ten
LocationUrbana, IL
Home CourtAtkins Tennis Center
(Capacity: 3,800)
NicknameFighting Illini
ColorsOrange and blue[1]
   
NCAA Tournament championships
2003
NCAA Tournament runner-up
2007
NCAA Tournament Semifinals
2003, 2004, 2007
NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals
1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2018
NCAA Tournament Round of 16
1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
NCAA Tournament appearances
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Conference Tournament championships
1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2021
Conference regular season champions
1914, 1917, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1946, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015

History

The Illinois men's tennis program was founded in 1908, but has enjoyed most of its success in recent years.

The Illini have been one of the most successful men's tennis programs in the nation over the past twenty seasons, winning nine consecutive Big Ten Championships from 1997–2005; six of seven Big Ten Tournament Championships between 1999 and 2005; appearing in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen fourteen times, including eight years in a row (2002–09); advancing to three NCAA Final Fours between 2003 and 2007; and winning the 2003 NCAA National Championship.

Illinois men's tennis won two ITA National Team Indoor Championships in 2003 and 2004, and reached the championship match three other times in 1998, 1999, and 2002.[2]

Illinois men's tennis owns the record for longest consecutive win streak in NCAA history at 64 matches, spanning from their first match of the 2002-2003 season and ending with a 4-2 defeat by UCLA in the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament.[3][4]

Individual NCAA Champions
Singles
Year Player
2003 Amer Delic
Doubles
Year Team
2000 Cary Franklin & Graydon Oliver
2003 Rajeev Ram & Brian Wilson
2007 Kevin Anderson & Ryan Rowe

All-Americans
Year Player
1997–98 Gavin Sontag
1998–99 Cary Franklin, Oliver Freelove
1999–2000 Cary Franklin, Jeff Laski, Graydon Oliver
2000–01 Graydon Oliver, Amer Delic
2001–02 Amer Delic, Michael Calkins
2002–03 Amer Delic, Rajeev Ram, Brian Wilson
2003–04 Phil Stolt, Brian Wilson
2004–05 Ryler DeHeart, Kevin Anderson
2005–06 Kevin Anderson, Ryler DeHeart, Ryan Rowe
2006–07 Kevin Anderson, Ryan Rowe
2010–11 Dennis Nevolo
2011–12 Dennis Nevolo
2013–14 Jared Hiltzik, Farris Gosea, Tim Kopinski, Ross Guignon
2014–15 Jared Hiltzik
2015–16 Aleksandar Vukic, Jared Hiltzik
2016–17 Aleksandar Vukic
2017–18 Aleksandar Vukic
2018–19 Aleksandar Kovacevic
2019–20 Alex Brown
2020–21 Aleksandar Kovacevic, Siphosothando Montsi

References
  1. "University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Visual Identity: Color". Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  2. "Past Champions and Finalists" (PDF). ITA Tennis. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  3. Richey, Scott (September 12, 2015). "Sunday Conversation: Craig Tiley". News Gazette. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  4. "Bruins Snap Illinois' 64-Match Winning Streak in NCAA Semifinals". UCLA Athletics. May 24, 2004. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
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