Loutit, Stephenson Not Enough for Kentucky Against No. 25 Illinois
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky (7-3, 0-0 SEC) lost its first match inside the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex since January 2024, dropping a nail biting, 4-3 contest against No. 25 Illinois (4-2, 0-0 SEC). With the loss, Kentucky suffered its second defeat to the Illini this season and saw its 34-match home winning streak snapped.
Despite the loss, juniors Jack Loutit and Eli Stephenson put together a tremendous performance for the Wildcats, with the duo earning a ranked win on the doubles court before both players picked up a ranked victory in their respective singles matches.
Kentucky started the match strong, securing the doubles point for the sixth straight match. Both Kentucky victories happened within seconds of each other, led by Martin Breysach and Charlelie Cosnet. The French duo raced to a 6-1 victory over Will Mroz and Hayden Jones. Mere seconds later, No. 35 Loutit and Stephenson wrapped up the opening point with a dominant 6-2 victory over No. 37 Adam Jilly and Kenta Miyoshi.
In singles, No. 20 Stephenson dominated in his first career match at the No.1 position against a ranked team. Playing No. 12 Miyoshi—an All-American and 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year—Stephenson raced out to the lead an never looked back. Claiming a break in his first return game of the match, the Louisville native breezed through the first set for a 6-1 win. In the second, the two players traded holds early, but Stephenson buckled down to win the final four games of the match to turn a 2-3 set into a 6-3 win. The win was the highest ranked singles win of Stephenson’s career and his ninth ranked win of the 2025-26 season.
From this point, Illinois was able to turn the match. Mroz earned a straight sets win against Jaden Weekes on court three, claiming the first Illini point with a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Illinois evened the match with a win at No. 4, as No. 125 Jilly knocked off No. 73 Cosnet in three sets. After dropping the first set, Cosnet battled back to take the second and claim the early break in the decider, ultimately dropping a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 decision. Illinois claimed a 3-2 lead after Jones defeated Mikael Arseneault, 6-0, 6-3.
No. 35 Loutit was able to rally to tie the match at 3-3, defeating No. 65 Gabriel Debru in a 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4 match. The All-American was able to rebound after dropping the second set from a 5-2 lead and falling behind an early break deficit in the third, winning the final four games of the match to earn the point for his team. The victory was the sixth time Loutit has defeated a ranked opponent this season.
However, the tied match did not last for long, as Sasha Colleu defeated Matt Rankin on court No. 6 less than a minute later, sealing the match with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
The Cats will enjoy a bye week next week before opening SEC play with the final three matches of a season-long eight-match homestand. Kentucky will start league action against Tennessee on Saturday, February 21 at 1 p.m., before hosting No. 8 Texas A&M on Monday, February 23 at 2 p.m. and No. 23 Florida on Friday, February 27 at 5 p.m. ET.
For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
Kentucky vs. No. 25 Illinois
Doubles Results
- No. 35 Loutit/Stephenson (UK) def. No. 37 Jilly/Miyoshi (ILL) 6-2
- M. Arseneault/Weekes (UK) vs. Bowers/Debru (ILL) 2-5 (unfinished)
- Breysach/Cosnet (UK) def. Jones/Mroz (ILL) 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 1
Singles Results
- No. 20 Eli Stephenson (UK) def. No. 12 Kenta Miyoshi (ILL) 6-1, 6-3
- No. 30 Jack Loutit (UK) def. No. 65 Gabriel Debru (ILL) 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4
- Will Mroz (ILL) def. Jaden Weekes (UK) 6-4, 6-2
- No. 125 Adam Jilly def. No. 73 Charlelie Cosnet (UK) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
- Hayden Jones (UK) def. Mikael Arseneault (UK) 6-0, 6-3
- Sasha Colleu (UK) def. Matt Rankin (UK) 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3, 4, 5, 2, 6
