Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus #21 University of Southern California on May 1, 2026 at 2 p.m.
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2 p.m.
Men's Tennis
vs #21 University of Southern California
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Duke Opens NCAA Play Friday
4/30/2026 10:52:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Match 29
No. 40 Duke vs. No. 21Â Southern California
NCAA Championship First Round | Headington Family Tennis Center
Watch | Live Results | Tournament Central
DURHAM, N.C. - The No. 40 Duke men's tennis team will face No. 21 Southern California in the first round of the NCAA Championship Friday at 2 p.m. in Norman, Oklahoma.
The Blue Devils earned a bid to the Norman Regional, with ninth-seeded Oklahoma serving as the host. In the other regional matchup, the Sooners will face Utah State at 5 p.m.
The winners of the two opening-round matches will meet in the second round Saturday at 6 p.m.Â
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Blue Devils are heading to the NCAAÂ Championship for the sixth consecutive year and the 33rd time in program history.Â
Duke owns an all-time NCAA Championship record of 53-32 and has advanced as far as the quarterfinals, reaching the round of eight in 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2012 and 2013. When competing on the road, Duke boasts a 15-8 record in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
HUNTING ANOTHER SUPER REGIONAL
The Blue Devils head into the weekend looking for their third NCAA Super Regional appearance in four years. Duke defeated UNC Wilmington and Cornell in 2023 to advance to the Charlottesville Super Regional before taking down UNC Asheville and Alabama in 2024 to earn a trip to the Fort Worth Super Regional.Â
Last spring, Duke was achingly close to a third consecutive Super Regional trip as it led Tennessee 3-0 before ultimately falling, 4-3, to the Volunteers.Â
VERSUS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The Trojans own a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series. In only NCAA Team Championship meetings, USC leads Duke 3-0, winning in 1996 (4-1), 2012 (4-1) and 2015 (4-0). Duke's last win was a 4-1 triumph Feb. 17, 2024.
In the 2024 contest, then-freshman Alexander Visser garnered his first career match-clinching victory after besting Niroop Vallabhaneni in three sets on court six. Pedro Rodenas also registered a pair of wins in the match, pairing with Garrett Johns to down Volodymyr Iakubenko and Samuel Rubell, 6-2, in doubles. Rodenas then defeated No. 38 Peter Makk, 6-3, 6-1, on court one in singles action. Â
THE MEN OF TROY
USC is led by a trio of nationally ranked singles players in Nathan Trouve (No. 66), Max Exsted (No. 79) and Branko Djuric (No. 84). Djuric has filled the No. 1 singles slot for the majority of the season, going 8-9 there. Exsted has played on courts two, three and four, posting a combined 14-3 dual match mark with a 7-1 record in the third spot. Trouve has gone 10-4 in the second position and 1-1 on the top court. In doubles, Andrin Casanova and Jack McCarthy are the top pair, going 8-9 on court one and 9-11 overall. Exsted and Trouve are ranked No. 51 and own a 6-1 ledger on court two and are 6-0 in the third slot.Â
AGAINST UTAH STATE OR OKLAHOMA
Duke has never faced Utah State. The Blue Devils lead the brief all-time series with Oklahoma, 3-1. The two teams have not met since 2014, when the No. 2 Sooners picked up a 4-3 victory over No. 10 Duke on March 15 in San Diego. The year before, the two teams squared off at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Seattle, with No. 9 Duke claiming a 4-0 triumph versus No. 8 Oklahoma. The only other two matches were in March of 1988 and March of 1989 with Duke capturing both.Â
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Duke is one of 10 ACC teams earning bids to the 2026 NCAA Championship, tying the league record for the most squads in the tournament set in 2007 and matched in 2015.
RODENAS AND WILLIAMS ALL-ACC HONORS
Two Blue Devils received All-ACC men's tennis accolades with junior Cooper Williams earning All-ACC Singles First Team honors and Rodenas tabbed to the All-ACC Singles Second Team. Together, Williams and Rodenas were selected to the All-ACC Doubles First Team.
The ACC honors are the third and fourth of Williams' career as he was a singles third team pick in 2025 and repeated as a doubles first team pick. Rodenas picked up his fourth All-ACC singles selection of his career, all on the second team. Rodenas was a first team doubles honoree for the third consecutive season.Â
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To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMTEN."
Â
#GoDuke
Â
No. 40 Duke vs. No. 21Â Southern California
NCAA Championship First Round | Headington Family Tennis Center
Watch | Live Results | Tournament Central
DURHAM, N.C. - The No. 40 Duke men's tennis team will face No. 21 Southern California in the first round of the NCAA Championship Friday at 2 p.m. in Norman, Oklahoma.
The Blue Devils earned a bid to the Norman Regional, with ninth-seeded Oklahoma serving as the host. In the other regional matchup, the Sooners will face Utah State at 5 p.m.
The winners of the two opening-round matches will meet in the second round Saturday at 6 p.m.Â
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Blue Devils are heading to the NCAAÂ Championship for the sixth consecutive year and the 33rd time in program history.Â
Duke owns an all-time NCAA Championship record of 53-32 and has advanced as far as the quarterfinals, reaching the round of eight in 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2012 and 2013. When competing on the road, Duke boasts a 15-8 record in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
HUNTING ANOTHER SUPER REGIONAL
The Blue Devils head into the weekend looking for their third NCAA Super Regional appearance in four years. Duke defeated UNC Wilmington and Cornell in 2023 to advance to the Charlottesville Super Regional before taking down UNC Asheville and Alabama in 2024 to earn a trip to the Fort Worth Super Regional.Â
Last spring, Duke was achingly close to a third consecutive Super Regional trip as it led Tennessee 3-0 before ultimately falling, 4-3, to the Volunteers.Â
VERSUS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The Trojans own a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series. In only NCAA Team Championship meetings, USC leads Duke 3-0, winning in 1996 (4-1), 2012 (4-1) and 2015 (4-0). Duke's last win was a 4-1 triumph Feb. 17, 2024.
In the 2024 contest, then-freshman Alexander Visser garnered his first career match-clinching victory after besting Niroop Vallabhaneni in three sets on court six. Pedro Rodenas also registered a pair of wins in the match, pairing with Garrett Johns to down Volodymyr Iakubenko and Samuel Rubell, 6-2, in doubles. Rodenas then defeated No. 38 Peter Makk, 6-3, 6-1, on court one in singles action. Â
THE MEN OF TROY
USC is led by a trio of nationally ranked singles players in Nathan Trouve (No. 66), Max Exsted (No. 79) and Branko Djuric (No. 84). Djuric has filled the No. 1 singles slot for the majority of the season, going 8-9 there. Exsted has played on courts two, three and four, posting a combined 14-3 dual match mark with a 7-1 record in the third spot. Trouve has gone 10-4 in the second position and 1-1 on the top court. In doubles, Andrin Casanova and Jack McCarthy are the top pair, going 8-9 on court one and 9-11 overall. Exsted and Trouve are ranked No. 51 and own a 6-1 ledger on court two and are 6-0 in the third slot.Â
AGAINST UTAH STATE OR OKLAHOMA
Duke has never faced Utah State. The Blue Devils lead the brief all-time series with Oklahoma, 3-1. The two teams have not met since 2014, when the No. 2 Sooners picked up a 4-3 victory over No. 10 Duke on March 15 in San Diego. The year before, the two teams squared off at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Seattle, with No. 9 Duke claiming a 4-0 triumph versus No. 8 Oklahoma. The only other two matches were in March of 1988 and March of 1989 with Duke capturing both.Â
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Duke is one of 10 ACC teams earning bids to the 2026 NCAA Championship, tying the league record for the most squads in the tournament set in 2007 and matched in 2015.
RODENAS AND WILLIAMS ALL-ACC HONORS
Two Blue Devils received All-ACC men's tennis accolades with junior Cooper Williams earning All-ACC Singles First Team honors and Rodenas tabbed to the All-ACC Singles Second Team. Together, Williams and Rodenas were selected to the All-ACC Doubles First Team.
The ACC honors are the third and fourth of Williams' career as he was a singles third team pick in 2025 and repeated as a doubles first team pick. Rodenas picked up his fourth All-ACC singles selection of his career, all on the second team. Rodenas was a first team doubles honoree for the third consecutive season.Â
Â
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMTEN."
Â
#GoDuke
Â
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Friday, April 18
Coach Ramsey Win vs UND ACC Tournament 4/17/25
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