Loutit, Stephenson Cruise on Opening Day at NCAA Singles Championship
ORLANDO, Fla. – Kentucky men’s tennis players Jack Loutit and Eli Stephenson opened their ledgers at the 2025 NCAA Singles Championship with opening round victories on Tuesday. Both members of the junior duo recorded their first career victories at the championship event and advanced to Wednesday’s Round of 32.
Loutit and Stephenson are the 31st and 32nd Wildcats in school history to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship, with Loutit making his second consecutive appearance and Stephenson currently in the midst of his debut run.
The pair of All-Americans both hold seeds in the event, distinguishing them as two of the top 16 players in the draw. While the top eight seeds are ranked numerically, Stephenson, Loutit, and the final six seeds all received generic, ‘9-16’ designations.
Loutit, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, opened his second NCAA appearance with a comfortable win over Illia Maksymchuk of UNLV in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5.
Ranked No. 28 in the nation, Loutit was able to gain the advantage in his second return game, breaking for a 3-1 lead. The Kiwi would continue to hold and ever garnered an insurance break to seal the opening set after just seven games played.
In the second frame, Loutit looked to be on a repeat mission, gaining another early break for a second 3-1. However, Maksymchuk would go on a four-game winning streak to flip the script and take a 5-3 lead. Serving for the set, the Rebel was unable to seal the deal, with Loutit using just five points to return the set on serve. The All-American Wildcat would sustain the momentum for the duration of the match, holding twice and breaking once more to seal the 6-1, 7-5 victory in one hour and 47 minutes.
Stephenson was dominant in his NCAA Singles Championship debut, taking down No. 116 Luis Felipe Miguel of Florida State, 6-2, 6-0.
The Louisville native needed just 52 minutes to secure his career-best fifth ranked win of the fall campaign. Entering 2025, Stephenson only held two career victories over ranked opponents, with both coming in his first collegiate tournament in September 2023.
The Wildcat jumped out to a rapid start and never looked back, breaking three times in the opening frame on his way to a 5-0. His only stumble in the match came when serving for the first set, as Miguel saved a pair of set points to earn his only break of the match. After a hold from the Seminole, Stephenson successfully served out the set on his second attempt to post a 6-2 advantage.
Stephenson carried the momentum into the second frame, succeeding in his second attempt at a bagel. After breaking to open the set on the second consecutive offer, Stephenson held comfortably and gained a 3-0, double break lead on a deciding point. The Wildcat would continue to maintain control as the match waned, earning his third and final break of the set and a pair of service holds to seal a 6-2, 6-0 victory in his first match on one of the biggest stages in college tennis.
Play at the USTA National Campus will continue with the Round of 32 on Wednesday, with Loutit squaring off against Max Dahlin of Michigan and Stephenson facing either UNLV’s Ilia Snitari or Arizona State’s Shu Matsuoka.
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