UK Men’s Tennis Announces Spring 2022 Schedule
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After concluding a successful fall 2021 slate at the ITA National Fall Championships last month, the Kentucky Wildcats men’s tennis program announced its spring 2022 schedule on Friday.
Kentucky will host 12 matches at Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex, starting with a doubleheader against Dayton on Jan. 15.
The Wildcats will follow with in-state foe Louisville on Jan. 21 in the Cardinals’ first visit to Lexington since 2011. The rivalry was renewed with a 4-2 Kentucky win at Louisville last year. Kentucky leads the head-to-head series 43-3-1 since 1925, anchored by a perfect 27-0 mark since Louisville’s inaugural varsity men’s tennis season in 1983.
The Wildcats will meet Northern Kentucky in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, for a neutral-site doubleheader on Jan. 22. Kentucky will continue away from home with ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 29-30 in Starkville, Mississippi. The second-seeded Cats will face third-seeded Alabama in a non-conference first-round matchup before taking on either top-seeded host Mississippi State or fourth-seeded Arkansas the following day.
The winner between the four teams will move on to the ITA National Indoor Championship in Seattle on Feb. 18-21.
Kentucky will return to Boone Tennis Center for a weekend with Virginia (Feb. 4) and VCU (Feb. 6). The Wildcats’ first true road test will come at Ohio State on Feb. 11, followed by another at Duke on Feb. 13.
Kentucky is set to polish off its non-conference resume in a battle of the Wildcats with Northwestern on Feb. 25 in Lexington.
In Southeastern Conference play, Kentucky will host Alabama (March 4), reigning national champion Florida (March 6), Auburn (March 18), Texas A&M (March 20), Tennessee (April 8) and Georgia (April 10). The Cats will face Arkansas (March 13), Vanderbilt (March 25), Ole Miss (March 27), South Carolina (April 3), LSU (April 15) and Mississippi State (April 17) on the road.
The 2022 SEC Championship will be hosted by Georgia at Dan Magill Tennis Complex on April 20-24.
Kentucky finished 16-1 at home last season, including 15-0 in the regular season. The Wildcats are set to return the first ITA National Player of the Year in program history, Liam Draxl, as well as reigning two-time ITA All-American Gabriel Diallo.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter and Facebook, @kentuckymenstennis on Instagram, and on the web at UKAthletics.com.
