For the third time in five years, the University of Chicago men’s tennis team are NCAA Division III national champions.
The top-ranked Maroons (23-3) defeated No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) in a thriller on Friday, 4-3, clinching the title in the final and deciding singles matchup.
With the match tied at 3-3, UChicago fourth-year Emil Grantcharov earned the deciding victory, rallying to win the last two sets against CMS’s Warren Pham, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Pham had rallied from down 5-1 in the final set to make it 5-4, but Grantcharov made a huge serve on match point to seal the national championship.
"One of my beliefs is that if you go out, compete as hard as you can and with a good attitude and spirit, good things can happen," said men's head tennis coach Matt Brisotti. "Today was no different than the rest of this season. We played with that determination and confidence."
CMS took an early lead, claiming the point in doubles. In singles play, UChicago third-years Michael Choi, Christian Liew and Ajer Sher all claimed victories, setting up Grantcharov’s deciding win.
The matchup was a rematch of the 2024 national championship, which UChicago won. The Maroons also won the 2022 title.
With the win, UChicago claimed its 11th overall team national championship.
"Winning a national title is the result of hard work, daily consistency and a genuine commitment to one another," said Erienne Roberts, interim director of UChicago Athletics. "This team set a clear goal early and never wavered in its pursuit. I could not be more proud of their discipline and resilience."
