Northwestern Wildcats Tennis Opens Big Ten Play with Strong 2-1 Weekend

The Northwestern Wildcats men's tennis team officially stepped into the gauntlet of Big Ten competition this weekend. And they did it with confidence and a little bit of swagger. Playing at the Combe Tennis Center, the No. 42 Wildcats delivered a strong opening stretch.

The team finished the weekend with a 2-1 record, including a key conference win and a commanding non-conference sweep.

Historic Start Fuels Northwestern Wildcats’ Momentum

By defeating the Washington Huskies 4-2 and the Creighton Bluejays 4-0. Meanwhile, they narrowly fell to the No. 58 Oregon Ducks 4-1, and Northwestern improved to 13-4 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play.

The Wildcats have already surpassed their total win totals from the 2024 season (10 victories) and the 2025 season (12 victories).

Sunday 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 👏

NU 4 | CU 0 pic.twitter.com/2CckykwwGG
— Northwestern Men's Tennis (@NUMensTennis) March 9, 2026

Through just 17 matches, Northwestern has firmly announced that the 2026 campaign could be something special. Northwestern’s 13-4 start is more than a good run. It represents the program’s best start since the memorable 2016 season.

It was when the Wildcats opened the year with a 15-2 record. It also ties for the second-best start during the tenure of head coach Arvid Swan, a clear indicator of the steady progress the team has made over the past few seasons.

The weekend began with a particularly meaningful victory against Washington. Northwestern’s 4-2 win served as a satisfying reversal of last season’s matchup. And that was when the Huskies handed the Wildcats a 4-0 loss. The dramatic swing in the scoreline from 2025 to 2026 highlighted the growth within the Northwestern lineup.

The Wildcats set the tone early in doubles play. At the No. 1 position, the No. 26-ranked pairing of Greyson Casey and Carter Pate squared off against Washington’s No. 58 duo of Soham Purohit and Brett Pearson. The match remained tight for most of the set before Casey and Pate broke serve late to secure a 6-4 victory.

Shortly after, Cyrus Mahjoob and Ethan Schiffman followed suit at No. 2 doubles. Locked in a competitive battle, the pair strung together four consecutive games to close out a 6-4 win. They clinched the doubles point and gave Northwestern a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play.

Washington managed to even the match at 1-1 with a victory at the top singles position. However, Northwestern quickly regained control thanks to the depth of its lineup. Mahjoob delivered a composed performance at No. 2 singles, earning a 6-3, 6-4 victory that restored the Wildcats’ lead.

First-year standout Cooper Han continued his strong debut season with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 win at the No. 6 spot. The most dramatic moment of the match came from Schiffman.

After dropping the first set 4-6, he stormed back in the second set, dominating 6-1 to force a decider. The third set evolved into a tense duel, with both players holding serve until the score reached 4-4. Schiffman broke serve and then calmly held his own to close out the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. He clinched the team victory and gave Northwestern a strong start to conference play.

Wildcats Bounce Back With Dominant Creighton Sweep

Sunday morning presented a tougher challenge when Northwestern faced the No. 58 Oregon Ducks. Although the Wildcats ultimately fell 4-1, the contest was far more competitive than the final score suggested. Oregon secured the doubles point, but Casey and Pate continued their outstanding season with a 6-4 win over the No. 39-ranked pair of Pierre Mouesca and Matthew Burton.

Han once again shined in singles competition, earning Northwestern’s lone point with a solid 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles. When the match ended, several Wildcats were in the middle of intense battles. Casey was leading 7-5, 5-7, 5-3 at No. 3 singles, while Mahjoob had just forced a third set after winning a thrilling 7-6 (12-10) second-set tiebreak.

The Wildcats rolled to a 4-0 sweep. Casey and Pate once again led the charge in doubles, securing a 6-3 win at the No. 1 position. The victory improved their season record to a remarkable 13-0, the most wins by a Wildcats doubles pairing since 2022.

After Northwestern dropped the No. 2 doubles match, Chad Miller and Vincent Yang stepped up at No. 3 doubles with a 6-3 victory, locking up the doubles point. Pate cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles, while Yang followed with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory at the No. 6 spot.

The Wildcats will travel north to face the No. 29 Wisconsin Badgers on Friday, March 13, before heading to Lincoln to take on the No. 40 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sunday, March 15.

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