WashU Men's Tennis Sweeps No. 35 Wisconsin-Whitewater, Falls to No. 1 Denison

Bears open spring season with dominant win and narrow loss against top-ranked opponents

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The WashU men's tennis team kicked off their spring season with two strong matches, sweeping No. 35 Wisconsin-Whitewater 7-0 and narrowly falling 4-3 to defending NCAA Division III champion Denison University. The Bears showcased their depth and determination, with standout performances from seniors Case Fagan and Eric Kuo, as well as underclassmen like sophomore Avi Mahajan. Despite the loss to Denison, the team is confident in their potential for a comeback this spring.

Why it matters

The WashU men's tennis team is looking to bounce back after a disappointing finish to last year's season. Their early-season victories and close loss to the top-ranked team in the country demonstrate their ability to compete at the highest level and set the stage for a promising spring campaign.

The details

Against Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Bears dominated in both doubles and singles play, securing a 7-0 sweep. Seniors Fagan and Kuo led the way, with Fagan cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 3 singles. In the narrow loss to Denison, WashU's doubles teams set the tone early, winning the doubles point 2-1. Despite Denison's strong singles performance, the Bears continued to battle, with Mahajan clinching the final point in a thrilling super tiebreaker.

  • The men's tennis team kicked off their spring season on January 31 with a match against No. 35 Wisconsin-Whitewater.
  • On February 7, the Bears faced off against No. 1 and defending Division III national champion Denison University.

The players

Case Fagan

A senior on the WashU men's tennis team who cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 3 singles against Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Eric Kuo

A senior on the WashU men's tennis team who, along with partner Colin Scruggs, secured a 6-2 victory in doubles play against Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Avi Mahajan

A sophomore on the WashU men's tennis team who clinched the final point for the Bears in their narrow loss to Denison, winning 6-3, 5-7, and 10-4 in the super tiebreaker at No. 6 singles.

Denison University

The defending Division III national champion men's tennis team, ranked No. 1 in the country, who narrowly defeated WashU 4-3.

Wisconsin-Whitewater

The No. 35 ranked men's tennis team that WashU swept 7-0 to open their spring season.

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What they’re saying

“We really didn't quite have the results we wanted last year. So to start the spring season on such a strong note was definitely a big positive for us.”

— Case Fagan, Senior (studlife.com)

“We knew that we were playing pretty good, but obviously Denison is the number one team in the country. We were definitely a bit nervous since we didn't really know if we had that level to compete with them ... but we knew that our team was really good this year, and we thought we should just go out and try to show [Denison] what we can really do.”

— Avi Mahajan, Sophomore (studlife.com)

“This was one of my first big matches of the season. I went into it with not much pressure since I just wanted to play my best tennis and try to win for the team. I felt a lot of energy coming from the teammates and the spectators, and I used that to drive me towards a win.”

— Avi Mahajan, Sophomore (studlife.com)

What’s next

The Bears will face out-of-conference Division I opponent Saint Louis University next on Feb. 14 at 4:00 p.m.

The takeaway

The WashU men's tennis team has shown their ability to compete at the highest level, sweeping a ranked opponent and narrowly falling to the defending national champions. This early-season performance sets the stage for a promising spring campaign as the Bears look to build on their momentum and make a comeback after last year's disappointing finish.