Men’s Tennis Slotted No. 11 in Preseason ITA Rankings

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s tennis earned the No. 11 spot in Wednesday’s preseason poll from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the program’s fifth-straight year appearing in the ITA Preseason top-25.

UK is one of seven SEC schools in the rankings joining South Carolina (No. 5), Tennessee (No. 6), Mississippi State (No. 17), Georgia (No 18), Texas A&M (No. 19) and Florida (No. 23). The SEC’s seven ranked schools are the most of any conference in the nation.

The Wildcats ended the 2023 season ranked No. 5 in the country after making a run to the quarterfinals at last year’s NCAA Tournament. The historic 2023 season saw UK reach the semifinals at ITA Indoor Nationals, capture the program’s second-ever SEC Tournament Championship and climb as high as No. 2 in the national rankings.

Notable returners for Kentucky this year include All-SEC First Team selection, Joshua Lapadat, All-SEC Second Team member, Taha Baadi, and SEC All-Freshman Team honoree, Jaden Weekes.

The Cats open their 2024 campaign on Jan. 15 at the Boone Tennis Center with a doubleheader against Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky. UK will take on the Norse at 1 p.m. followed by the Colonels at 6 p.m.

For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.