Wisconsin Badgers
Xavier
Five things to know: Men’s tennis returns to Nielsen for home opener
January 21, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Wisconsin hosts Xavier and Chicago State on Friday
1 – TEXAS RECAP – Wisconsin men's tennis returns to Madison with a 1-1 record after its opening weekend in Texas. The Badgers kicked off the 2026 dual season with a 4-3 victory over the SMU Mustangs in Dallas. After winning the doubles point, Wisconsin saw singles victories from Patrik Meszaros, Matthew Fullerton, and Oliver Olsson.
On Monday, the Badgers were bested by No. 16 Baylor, 6-1. Wisconsin came close in a lot of matches, losing three first set tiebreakers in singles play. Senior Michael Minasyan earned the Badgers' lone point with a win at No. 1 singles.
2 – MINASYAN'S MAKING NOISE – Minasyan faced two top-10 ranked opponents in Texas last weekend. On Saturday he squared off against No. 2 Trevor Svajda from SMU. Minasyan was able to beat Svajda last season, but this time around Svajda took a 6-2, 6-2 victory. After starting the dual season 0-1, the senior from Wisconsin was determined to secure a victory on Monday. Minasyan faced Baylor's Devin Badenhorst who was ranked No. 8 in the most recent ITA rankings, and was able to earn a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 1-0 (12-10) victory.
3 – KNOW YOUR OPPONENTS – Friday's match against Xavier is Wisconsin's first in program history. Xavier is 0-2 through the first week of the spring season. The Badgers are 2-0 in the all-time series against Chicago State. The teams last met in 2020 when Wisconsin took a 6-1 victory at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Chicago State is also 2-0 through the first week of action.
4 – FOLLOW THE ACTION – Wisconsin's home opener takes place in the form of a double-header on Friday, Jan. 23. The first match is at 11 a.m. CT against Xavier, followed by a 5 p.m. CT match against Chicago State. Admission is free at Nielsen Tennis Stadium and fans can find live stats/video on uwbadgers.com. Live updates for both matches can be found on X (@BadgerMTennis) and Instagram (@wisconsintennis) and a match recap will be posted on uwbadgers.com.
5 – UP NEXT – The Badgers will remain in Madison for three matches next weekend. On Friday, Jan. 30 Wisconsin will host Western Michigan with first serve set for 5:30 p.m. CT. Sunday, Feb. 1st is Family Fun Day at Nielsen Tennis Stadium with both the men's and women's tennis team hosting matches. The men's team will face Omaha and Marquette in a double-header format, and the first 200 fans will receive a Badgers swirler flag.
Players Mentioned
