Men’s Tennis: NCAA Loss & Spring Season Preview

Sooners Conclude NCAA Individual Championships Run in Orlando

Oklahoma’s men’s tennis team saw its run at the 2025 NCAA Individual Championships conclude in Orlando, Florida, with strong showings from both singles and doubles competitors. Four Sooners – freshman Oscar Lacides, senior Luis Alvarez, freshman Johan Rodriguez, and sophomore Orel Kimhi – represented the program on the national stage.

The competition began with singles play, where Lacides and Alvarez faced challenging opponents in the round of 64. Lacides, a freshman, initially faced Virginia’s Keegan Rice, who had previously advanced to the finals of the ITA Atlantic Regional. Despite claiming the first set 4-6, Lacides ultimately fell to Rice in a closely contested match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Did you know? – The NCAA Individual Championships feature 64 players in both singles and doubles competition, representing the top programs across the country. Qualifying for the tournament is a notable accomplishment for any collegiate tennis player.

Shortly after, Alvarez, a junior hailing from Mexico, took on the seventh-seeded Dylan Dietrich of Virginia. Dietrich had earned his tournament berth through a semifinal finish at the ITA All-American Championships. Alvarez dropped the first set and was unable to recover, concluding his singles competition with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat.

Day two shifted focus to doubles, where the relatively new pairing of Rodriguez and Kimhi competed in only their fourth tournament together. The duo had impressively qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships by winning the entire doubles side of the ITA Central Regional. However, they faced a familiar foe in virginia’s Måns Dahlberg and Dietrich. The Sooner pair ultimately fell short, losing 6-3, 6-1.

Pro tip: – Collegiate tennis scoring follows a best-of-three sets format. Within each set, a player must win six games with a margin of at least two games to secure the set victory.

Looking ahead, Oklahoma will turn its attention to the spring season, welcoming signee Luka Talan Lopatic to Norman at the start of the semester. The full spring schedule is yet to be announced.

Fans can continue to follow the Sooners for updates on Instagram and X (@OU_MTennis) or by liking Oklahoma Men’s Tennis on Facebook.

Results:

• Oscar Lacides: Keegan Rice (UVA) def. Oscar Lacides (OR), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
• luis Alvarez: [7] Dylan Dietrich (UVA) def. Luis Alvarez (OR), 6-4, 6-3.
• Johan Rodriguez / orel Kimhi: Måns Dahlberg/Dylan Dietrich (UVA) def. Johan rodriguez/Orel Kimhi (OR), 6-3, 6-1.

Why did the Sooners compete? The Oklahoma Sooners competed in the 2025 NCAA individual Championships to showcase their talent on a national stage and vie for individual titles in singles and doubles play.

Who competed for Oklahoma? Freshman Oscar Lacides,senior Luis Alvarez,freshman Johan Rodriguez,and sophomore orel Kimhi represented the Sooners.

What happened during the competition? Lacides and Alvarez lost their respective singles matches in the round of 64. The doubles team of Rodriguez and Kimhi also lost their match, ending Oklahoma’s run in the tournament.

How did it end? All four Sooners were eliminated from the tournament after the second day of competition, concluding Oklahoma’s participation in the 2025 NCAA Individual Championships. The team now looks forward to the spring season.

Reader question: – What adjustments do you think the Sooners can make during the off-season to improve their performance in next year’s NCAA Individual Championships?