John Kim ’26 reaches to return the ball in his doubles match with partner Luca Bluett ’28 against Pacific on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Degheri Tennis Center in Santa Clara, Calif. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

The Men’s Tennis team continues to build on an already successful season wherein head coach Niall Angus became the winningest coach in Santa Clara University history. The team has been in peak form, ranked no. 41 nationally and finishing this week’s matchups without a blemish, sweeping both the University of the Pacific and Saint Mary’s College 4-0.

“Our story has been about togetherness and development,” Coach Angus said. “Eight out of the nine players on our roster this year returned from last year and have fostered a winning culture based in a hunger for continued improvement. It is in that environment that our mid year Freshman has also been able to come in and thrive. Together, our team has grown to love to compete and test themselves against the best players in the country.”

That hunger for continued improvement was on full display in Thursday’s Matchup vs. Pacific, which saw the no. 49 ranked doubles team of Luca Bluett ’28 and John Kim ’26 set the tone on court 1, breaking Pacific’s serve on their first attempt to take a 2-0 lead.

Pacific responded with their own break of serve to bring the match to three games apiece. Bluett and Kim broke right back, capitalizing on two double faults, sealing the break with an amazing backhand get by Kim to give Santa Clara the 4-3 lead on serve.

Bluett came up big to save two break points and hold serve in the following game, leading to a comfortable hold from Kim to take the match 6-4.

The young duo of Valentin Faure ’28 and Ferran Redza ’29 clinched the doubles point for the Broncos with a 6-4 win of their own in what was quite a productive week for the pairing.

Santa Clara men’s tennis player Ferran Redza ’29 jumps in celebration of winning a set during his doubles game with Valentin Faure ’28 against Pacific on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Degheri Tennis Center in Santa Clara, Calif. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

The Broncos wrapped up their singles matches as if they had somewhere to be, with Kim finishing first in a decisive 6-1, 6-2 win on court 3, where he extended his singles win streak to 10. On court 2, Luca Lemaitre ’27 defeated his opponent in a similar fashion, only allowing his opponent 2 games in a 6-1, 6-1 win. Faure sealed the victory, taking the 3rd and final singles point in a 6-3, 6-1 win.

On Saturday, the team welcomed Saint Mary’s College to the Degheri Tennis Center with their 12-match win streak on the line. If the team had any nerves going into it, it was impossible to tell, as the doubles pairing of Faure and Redza wasted no time in a convincing 6-0 win on court 3.

The top pairing of Bluett and Kim continued their success, claiming the doubles point for the Broncos with another 6-4 win. The duo has been one to watch all season, becoming the first-ever Santa Clara University men’s tennis pair to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships.

Additionally, earlier in the season, the pair defeated the 2nd-ranked doubles team in the nation at the time, Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez of Mississippi State.

Santa Clara doubles partners Luca Bluett ’28 (right) and John Kim ’26 (left) finish a handshake after winning their doubles match against Pacific on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Degheri Tennis Center in Santa Clara, Calif. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

The Broncos stayed perfect in singles, as Faure picked up his 4th win of the week and pushed his singles winning streak to nine in a 6-0, 6-2 win on court 5. Tiago Boschmans ’27, inserted into the lineup in the sixth singles spot, won his match 6-3, 6-2, with number one singles Alexander Watanabe Eriksson ’26 closing the week in a 6-3, 6-2 clincher.

This was the fifth time in the last six matches that the Broncos went undefeated in their singles matchups.

Men’s tennis sits at 17-2, 4-0 WCC this season. With the WCC Championship tournament beginning on April 23, the team will look to secure a top-two seed and a first-round bye, which will require a strong showing in their three upcoming conference matches.

“I think it’s our excitement at the opportunity to overcome adversity that has enabled us to get to the position that we are in today and will put us in good stead for the remainder of the season,” Coach Angus said.

In less than two weeks, the Broncos will get a chance to test their strength by hosting perennial WCC champion University of San Diego, the winner of nine of the last ten WCC tournaments, at the Degheri Tennis Center on Saturday, April 18.