Eli Stephenson Qualifies for NCAA Singles Championship
ATHENS, Ga. – Continuing his dominant play during the fall season, junior Eli Stephenson earned his bid to the 2025 NCAA Singles Championship on Saturday morning by advancing to the semifinals of the ITA South Sectionals Championship. The Louisville native won three matches in three days to secure his spot at a first career NCAA Individual Championships.
Stephenson becomes the 32nd Wildcat in school history to qualify to the NCAA Singles Tournament, extending a streak of six consecutive seasons with at least one Kentucky qualifier.
The junior already enjoyed a stellar start to the fall season, qualifying to the main draw at the 2025 ITA All-American Championships after beginning in the pre-qualifying draw. At the event in Tulsa, Stephenson compiled a 7-2 record that included three ranked victories.
Stephenson carried this momentum to the Sectional Championships in Athens, Ga., posting a 3-0 record with one ranked win to secure his bid to the National Championships. The All-American’s four ranked singles wins in two tournaments this fall have come after entering the season with only two career ranked wins—both earned in his first collegiate tournament in September 2023.
The Wildcat began his campaign with an upset victory over ITA No. 120—and the tournament’s No. 8 seed—Erik Schiessl of Florida State, cruising to a 6-1, 6-4 win in the Round of 32. In the Round of 16, he would knock off Gabriele Vulpitta of Georgia in another straight sets win, 6-1, 7-5.
The two victories would set up a meeting with Miami (FL)’s Antonio Prat in the quarterfinals. With NCAA bids available to the four semifinalists and two quarterfinal playoff winners, Stephenson would have two opportunities to qualify beginning on Saturday. However, the Wildcat would seal the deal on his first opportunity.
In the quarterfinal, Prat would strike first, securing an early break advantage at 2-1 in the opening set. Stephenson would immediately respond, breaking back at 2-2 to even the first frame. The two players would trade service holds until Stephenson was able to gain the upper hand with a break on deciding point for a 5-3 lead. The Wildcat would be pushed to 30-30 while attempting to serve out the first set but took care of business to claim a 6-3 advantage in the match.
Prat would respond in the second set, cruising to a 6-1 victory after a pair of breaks on deciding points. With a final set deciding a place in the NCAA Tournament, the Kentucky junior would prove stronger in the big moments. In the first two games of the set, Stephenson would earn a hold and a break on deciding point to take a 2-0 lead. Prat would immediately break back and consolidate to even the third frame at 2-2. From this point on, the Wildcat went into lockdown mode, combining stellar defense with some crucial winners to will his way to the finish line. Stephenson would sandwich the decisive break between a pair of crucial holds to gain a 5-2 lead before ultimately closing out the match on his serve for a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory.
Play at the tournament will conclude after the awarding of NCAA bids, meaning semifinal and championship matches will not be played.
Stephenson will conclude the fall season at the 2025 NCAA Singles Championship, held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. Hosted by UCF, the tournament will run from November 18-23 and see a field of 64 play for a national title.
Four other Wildcats also competed at the tournament, all earning at least one win. No. 28 Jack Loutit entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and earned an easy 6-2, 6-4 victory of Georgia’s Cooper Johnson in the opening round. However, Loutit was unable to replicate the success he saw at Sectionals a season ago, falling short of a second-consecutive NCAA Singles bid after dropping a tough 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 decision to Auburn’s Billy Blaydes in the round of 16.
Senior Charlelie Cosnet also earned a win in the opening round of play, upsetting No. 80—and No. 2 seed—Arda Azkara of Georgia in a deciding set tiebreaker, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4). Cosnet would ultimately fall to Auburn’s Hamza Nasirdinov in the round of 16, 6-3, 6-4.
Junior Matt Rankin rounded out the Wildcats’ singles entrants, falling to Indiana’s Facundo Yunis in the opening round, 7-6 (9), 6-4. However, Rankin bounced back in a major way, earning his first career ranked victory with a 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 comeback win over No. 46 Danil Panarin of Vanderbilt in the consolation round.
In doubles, All-Americans and ITA No. 37 Stephenson and Loutit entered as the tournament’s No. 4 seed, easily winning their opening match over Troy’s Luciano Alcocer and Yeray Andres Pastor, 6-2, 6-1. However, the duo fell short of NCAA qualification after falling to Indiana’s Matteo Antonescu and Michael Andre in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 6-4.
Kentucky’s other doubles team consisted of Cosnet and Martin Breysach. The French duo fell to Georgia’s Vulpitta and Johnson in a tight, opening round contest, 7-5, 7-6 (7). However, the seniors responded in the consolation round with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over FAU’s Marek Pazdera and Mark Havlicek.
ITA South Sectional Championships Results
Thursday, November 6
Singles
R32 – [1] No. 28 Jack Loutit (Kentucky) def. Cooper Johnson (Georgia) 6-2, 6-4
R32 – Charlelie Cosnet (Kentucky) def. [2] No. 80 Arda Azkara (Georgia) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4)
R32 – Facundo Yunis (Indiana) def. Matt Rankin (Kentucky) 7-6 (9), 6-4
R32 – Eli Stephenson (Kentucky) def. [8] No. 120 Erik Schiessl (Florida State) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
R16 – Vulpitta/Johnson (Georgia) def. Breysach/Cosnet (Kentucky) 7-5, 7-6 (7)
R16 – [4] No. 37 Stephenson/Loutit (Kentucky) def. Alcocer/Andres Pastor (Troy) 6-2, 6-1
Friday, November 7
Singles
R16 – Billy Blaydes (Auburn) def. [1] No. 28 Jack Loutit (Kentucky) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
R16 – Hamza Nasirdinov (Auburn) def. Charlelie Cosnet 6-3, 6-4
R16 – Eli Stephenson (Kentucky) def. Gabrielle Vulpitta (Georgia) 6-1, 7-5
Consol. – Matt Rankin (Kentucky) def. No. 46 Danil Panarin (Vanderbilt) 5-7, 7-6, 6-4
Doubles
QF – Antonescu/Andre (Indiana) def. [4] No. 37 Stephenson/Loutit 6-3, 6-4
Consol. – Breysach/Conset (Kentucky) def. Pazdera/Havlicek (Florida Atlantic) 7-5, 6-4
Saturday, November 7
Singles
QF – Eli Stephenson (Kentucky) def. Antonio Prat (Miami (FL)) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
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