No. 24 UCLA men’s tennis (13-5, 7-2 Big Ten) has the chance to earn its first top-25 win since March 13 when it hosts No. 14 Illinois (19-5, 8-2) at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Saturday. Coming off a 6-1 victory over Penn State, UCLA has an opportunity to boost its resume as the Big Ten championship approaches. Daily Bruin Sports contributor Samir Joshi analyzes the Fighting Illini’s talent ahead of the matchup.
Personnel
Coach: Brad Dancer
Projected Singles Lineup: Kenta Miyoshi, Gabriel Debru, William Mroz, Adam Jilly, Sasha Colleu, Hayden Jones
Projected Doubles Lineup: Kenta Miyoshi/William Mroz, Zach Viiala/David Bakonyi, Gabriel Debru/Tyler Bowers
X-Factor: Kenta Miyoshi
Overall Record: 19-5, 8-2 Big Ten
ITA National Ranking: No. 14
Notable Victories: Then-No. 6 TCU, Then-No. 8 Baylor, Then-No. 15 Duke, Then-No. 23 Kentucky
The Fighting Illini are on a four-game win streak, and have lost just two of their last 17 matches.
They are spearheaded by their ace, No. 16 Kenta Miyoshi, the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year.
Miyoshi started the fall season with a career-high No. 6 ITA singles ranking, putting him at the forefront of court one.
The reigning conference player of the year has been the Illini’s most consistent player, notching 10 wins on court one, including victories against Kentucky’s Antoine Ghibaudo, Duke’s Cooper Williams, and Ohio State’s then-No. 9 Aidan Kim – who usurped UCLA’s Spencer Johnson in straight sets April 3.
The Bruins have opted for the junior as their frontrunner against ranked singles opponents. Coming off a one-game singles hiatus, Johnson will have to regain consistency in percentage shots against an opponent known for controlling points from the baseline.
Miyoshi is joined by dynamic freshman Gabriel Debru, who serves as a baseline threat on the adjacent court.
In just his first year of collegiate tennis, Debru sits at No. 34 in the ITA singles rankings, manning court two for the Illini with a 10-6 overall record.
The freshman boasts several notable victories under his belt, including then-No. 13 Devin Badenhorst of Baylor and TCU’s then-No. 9 Duncan Chan – both wins achieved in straight sets.
Although the Fighting Illini boast a young roster, with half of their players being freshman, their roster is grounded by four veterans.
Senior William Mroz, a former five-star and the No. 3 overall recruit from Florida, owns 13 singles wins this season, primarily playing on court three.
Mroz clinched a 6-4, 6-3 victory over TCU’s then-No. 28 Cooper Woestendick. He is a formidable court three player, with many of his wins coming in straight sets, likely leaving redshirt junior Emon van Loben Sels to halt Mroz’ prowess.
On the doubles front, the Illini have won 16 of their 24 doubles points this season – while the Bruins have won 11 of their 18.
Dancer has opted for the veteran partnership of Miyoshi and Mroz. With seven wins between courts one and two, the experienced duo has been pivotal for clinching doubles points.
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