Alabama Men's Tennis Sweeps Early Matches Before Setbacks at ITA Kick-off

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The Alabama men's tennis team started its spring season with a pair of 7-0 routs against Furman and Tennessee Tech, but then suffered losses to Auburn and Santa Clara at the ITA Kick-off Weekend in Starkville, Mississippi. The Crimson Tide swept the doubles points in their first two matches and won all six singles matches, with several players earning their first collegiate victories. However, Alabama struggled in singles play against tougher competition at the ITA event, dropping both matches to fall to 2-2 on the season.

Why it matters

Alabama men's tennis is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season where they finished 9th in the SEC. The strong start against lesser opponents was a positive sign, but the losses at the ITA Kick-off showed the team still has work to do to compete with the top programs in the conference and nationally.

The details

In the season opener, Alabama quickly secured the doubles point against Furman and Tennessee Tech, then won all six singles matches in straight sets. Freshman Vit Kalina, Jacob Olar, and Brendan Loh all earned their first collegiate singles victories. At the ITA Kick-off, the Crimson Tide lost 4-1 to Auburn, with the doubles point being the lone bright spot. The next day, Alabama fell 4-2 to Santa Clara despite strong performances from Matic Kriznik and Kalina.

• Alabama opened the season on January 18, 2026.
• The team competed at the ITA Kick-off Weekend on January 27-28, 2026.

What’s next

Alabama men's tennis will look to push its record back over .500 as the team takes on Northwestern on Friday night at home.