This fall season was a litmus test for Princeton men’s tennis and its potential to make noise in team competition next calendar year, and the Tigers passed with flying colors.
The Orange and Black participated in various tournaments, from ITA Regionals and Ivy League Championships to the NCAA individual tournament. And with a variety of Tigers participating in each competition, Princeton not only showed its ability to win big matches but also revealed its impressive squad depth — something that will be critical as it moves to dual matches in the spring.
In mid-October, Princeton had its first big matches of the season, the ITA Regionals, where several Tigers took to the courts and found success. Princeton had eight players qualify for the singles main draw, where six won at least one match, and four reached the quarterfinals. Junior Paul Inchauspe and senior Fnu Nidunjianzan both ran the table, winning five straight matches each and qualifying for the NCAA Individual Championships.
After a successful Ivy League Individual Championships just a week later, the Tigers turned their focus to the Farnsworth Invitational, a tournament hosted by Princeton. The invitational featured singles and doubles draws against several teams from across the country, including Old Dominion, Notre Dame, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Saint Joseph’s.
On the doubles’ side, Princeton found success in the eight-game pro set format, winning six of the nine matches played. Senior Sebastian Sec and junior Aleksandar Mitric went undefeated as a pair, winning both of their contests against Memphis and Old Dominion. Sophomore Milan Markovits and first-year Sawyer Severance matched this effort with victories over Notre Dame, Memphis, and Old Dominion.
As for singles, the Tigers dominated. Matched up against Old Dominion, the Tigers took all five matches against the Monarchs, dropping only one set on the way to a sweep. And against both Notre Dame and Memphis, the Orange and Black mirrored that energy, taking six of seven matches.
However, as mid-November arrived, all focus turned to Lake Nona, Fla., and the NCAA Individual Championships. Inchauspe, who reached the Round of 32 a year ago after knocking off then-one seed Sebastian Gorzny of Texas, had high hopes of going even further in 2025 — and he did. In a pair of three-set thrillers against opponents from Arizona and UC Santa Barbara, the junior booked his ticket to the Round of 16, the furthest he’d ever gone. But he wasn’t done yet. Facing off against Will Jansen of Georgia, Inchauspe dominated the match from start to finish, winning 6–2, 6–4 convincingly.
Now in the quarterfinals, Inchauspe faced an unseeded opponent from Wake Forest, also looking to make history. And although he dropped the first set, the junior showed his resilience on a huge stage, winning the subsequent sets and booking his spot in the semifinals. Inchauspe became the first Tiger in 45 years to reach this stage in the NCAA Individual Championships; however, his competition couldn’t have been more difficult, as he drew reigning national champion and Columbia veteran Michael Zheng. The two Ivy League stars split the opening sets in the Final Four, but Zheng proved to be too much and ended Inchauspe’s magical run.
However, the future looks bright for Princeton. Several Tigers underclassmen gained critical experience in the fall season, and many found success against difficult competition. With team matches coming up in the spring, Princeton will need to emulate this all-around success to make deep postseason runs in both the Ivy League and NCAA tournaments.
The Tigers finished second in conference and fell in the Round of 32 in the NCAA’s last season to Virginia, but have high hopes that with more experience under their belt and exciting young pieces, they’ll be a team feared on the national stage.
Princeton’s 2026 opens with a trip west to Idaho, where they’ll face the Boise State Broncos on Jan. 17. For the Tigers, it will be a great opportunity to kick off the start of something special.
Lucas Nor is a Sports staff writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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