Northwestern Wildcats Tennis Delivers Complete Performance vs. Denver and DePaul
It was a weekend of sharp contrasts and strong statements at the Combe Tennis Center. On one side, the No. 54 Northwestern Wildcats men's tennis team battled through a three-and-a-half-hour match. The one that demanded grit, patience, and nerves of steel. On the other hand, the Northwestern Wildcats women's tennis team executed a clinic. Together, the team commanded a performance that left little doubt from the first serve.
Northwestern Wildcats Men’s Tennis Survives a 4-3 Thriller Against Denver
Different styles. Different emotions. Same result. Two wins as Big Ten play looms.
Earned it. ⚡️
— Northwestern Men's Tennis (@NUMensTennis) February 22, 2026
NU 4 | UD 3 pic.twitter.com/3SbZoYq8of
Sunday’s showdown with the Denver Pioneers men's tennis was anything but comfortable. The Wildcats, now 10-3, found themselves in early trouble after dropping the doubles point and the No. 5 singles match. Just like that, it was 2-0 Denver.
Northwestern responded and evened the match at 2-2. However, another setback at No. 2 singles pushed Denver ahead 3-2. That is when junior Greyson Casey stepped up. Casey delivered a high-pressure 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) victory to tie the dual at 3-3. In the second-set tiebreak, he surged to a 4-1 lead.
All eyes turned to first-year Cooper Han in the deciding match. Han opened dominantly, taking the first set 6-0. The second set tightened, and he dropped a narrow tiebreak. In the third, he trailed 3-1 before rattling off three straight games to regain control. At 4-4, Han broke serve and then calmly served out a 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 victory.
It was the first three-set win of his career and Northwestern’s first comeback from a 3-2 deficit since Feb. 19, 2023, against Clemson. Junior Ethan Schiffman put Northwestern on the board with a 6-4, 6-3 win, improving to 7-2 in dual singles play.
At the top of the lineup, sophomore Carter Pate evened the match at 2-2 with a 6-4, 7-5 victory at No. 1 singles. After trailing 4-2 in the first set, Pate ripped off seven consecutive games to flip the script. He now owns a team-best 8-3 singles record.
In doubles, the nationally ranked No. 73 duo of Casey and Pate continued their perfect run. They secured a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles and improved to 9-0 on the season, all at the top position. Even though Northwestern ultimately dropped the doubles point, its consistency remains a major weapon. The victory over Denver gives the Wildcats their best start through 13 matches since 2022.
The emotional rollercoaster was amplified by Friday’s 4-0 loss to the No. 24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's tennis team in South Bend. That defeat snapped a nine-match winning streak, the program’s longest since 2017.
Even in that loss, Casey and Pate delivered a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles. But Northwestern dropped three singles matches to seal the result.
Northwestern Women’s Tennis Dominates DePaul
While the men endured drama, the women handled business with authority. Northwestern, now 7-4, defeated the DePaul Blue Demons women's tennis team 6-1 in its penultimate nonconference contest.
'Cats 𝐖in 😈
— Northwestern Women's Tennis (@NUWildcatTennis) February 23, 2026
NU 6 | DEP 1 pic.twitter.com/ayW5WT829g
The Wildcats seized control immediately by claiming the doubles point. At No. 2 doubles, Erica Jessel and Margot Phanthala rolled to a 6-1 win, improving to 3-1 together. The point was clinched at No. 3 by Mika Dagan Fruchtman and Marelie Raath. She secured a 6-4 victory in their first dual match as a pairing.
Junior Autumn Rabjohns set the tone at No. 3 singles, winning the first eight games of her match on the way to a commanding 6-0, 6-1 victory. Across her last two matches, Rabjohns has dropped just four total games. Junior Neena Feldman followed with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles. Feldman has surrendered only five games in her last two matches.
At No. 6, Dagan Fruchtman clinched the team victory with a 6-3, 6-2 result. It marked her sixth win of the season, tripling her total from last year. Northwestern added a 7-6 (12-10), 6-3 victory from sophomore Maia Loureiro at No. 4 and a 7-5, 7-5 win from Raath at No. 5. The Wildcats dropped the contest at No. 1 singles, but by then, the dual was firmly in hand.
The men will host UIC on Saturday, Feb. 28, at noon CT at Combe Tennis Center in their final nonconference match before Big Ten play begins.
The women have a weekend off before opening conference action on the road. They face the Iowa Hawkeyes women's tennis on Friday, March 6, at 5 p.m. CT, followed by the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's tennis on Sunday, March 8, at noon CT.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.