Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's men's tennis team is set to begin its spring season with a notable match against No. 7 Kentucky on Friday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center. The match, which starts at 5 p.m., marks the first-ever home encounter between two top-25 teams for MSU.

The Spartans, currently ranked 23rd, are eager to showcase their skills. "We're really excited to welcome two really good SEC schools and the in-state NCAA rival Western Michigan," said head coach Harry Jadun. "It's a big weekend for us, the guys are really excited to get a top-10 team to come to our place and open the season."

Junior Ozan Baris leads the Spartans following his impressive run in the NCAA Individual Championships where he became the first MSU player to reach a national singles final. Coach Jadun commented on Baris's influence: "I think that his wins build the program and Ozan as well but the other guys see it as well."

Following Friday's match, MSU will host a doubleheader on Sunday against Vanderbilt and Western Michigan. Junior Aristotelis Thanos also participated in the NCAA Individual Championships alongside Baris, reaching the second round.

The team's success is reflected in their current ranking within the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Men's Tennis Preseason Team Rankings, marking their second consecutive year being ranked preseason.

In individual rankings, Baris is positioned at No. 8 nationally while Thanos is ranked No. 27. Freshman Matthew Forbes stands out as the highest-ranked freshman at No. 40.

Additionally, freshman Vuk Radjenovic has been named to the Big Ten Player to Watch List after joining MSU from Serbia.

As they prepare for their upcoming matches, including those against Kentucky and later Vanderbilt and Western Michigan, Jadun emphasized raising standards within the team: "It's really cool to see those standards being raised and that their goals have changed."

After Sunday's doubleheader, MSU will travel for dual match play starting in Fort Worth, Texas next weekend.