Wisconsin Badgers
UCLA
Five things to know: Badgers head to the west coast
March 18, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Wisconsin faces No. 24 UCLA and No. 31 USC this weekend
1 – HOME SWEET HOME – Nielsen Tennis Stadium was packed last weekend as the Badgers hosted two matches against Big Ten foes. Wisconsin cruised to a 4-0 victory over No. 44 ranked Northwestern in front of a loud crowd Friday evening. Unfortunately, the Badgers were unable to complete the comeback against No. 9 Illinois on Sunday, ultimately losing the match 4-1.Â
Wisconsin enters this week with an 11-3 (2-2 Big Ten) record, currently tied for seventh in the conference.
2 – KLOESTERS IS COOKING – Sophomore Ferdinand Kloesters impressed the home crowd over the weekend, earning straight set victories in both matches. On Friday, Kloesters swiftly defeated Northwestern's Chad Miller in 6-1, 6-4 fashion at No. 4 singles. In Sunday's match against Illinois the sophomore earned his first ranked victory over No. 70 Will Mroz. Kloesters is the first Badger to reach the 10-win mark in singles play this spring.Â
3 – KNOW YOUR OPPONENTS – In just six meetings with UCLA, the Badgers are currently 0-6 against the Bruins. UCLA is 9-3 (3-0 Big Ten), and currently on a four-match win streak. The Bruins have three players ranked by ITA, including Emon van Loben Sels at No. 33 and Spencer Johnson at No. 66. Loben Sels and Johnson are also ranked No. 32 in doubles.
USC holds the 5-0 edge in the all-time series against Wisconsin. The Badgers look to get their first win against the Trojans, who are 10-4 (2-1 Big Ten) this spring. The Trojans earned a 4-1 victory over UW in the contest last season.
4 – FOLLOW THE ACTION – Wisconsin will travel to the west coast for two matches this weekend. On Friday, March 20 the Badgers will face No. 24 UCLA at 4 p.m. CT. Live stats and video coverage can be found at uclabruins.com. The Badgers will play No. 31 USC on Sunday, March 22 at 1 p.m. CT, with live stats and video coverage available at usctrojans.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 – UW will return to Nielsen next weekend for matches against No. 46 Oregon and Washington. The Badgers take on the Ducks at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, March 27 and will face the Huskies at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.
Players Mentioned
