Kentucky men’s tennis was a host site for ITA Kickoff Weekend, which saw visitors from Notre Dame, Alabama and Nebraska inside the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center in Lexington, Ky.
The Wildcats faced off against Notre Dame on Friday, Jan. 26, a match they won 4-0, and would then play the winner of Alabama and Nebraska the following day.
It was the Tide that won that match and saw a date with the Cats, but it was a match that would not swing Kentucky’s way as it fell 2-4 to conclude the weekend’s play.
After one win and one loss, here are four things to learn from ITA Kickoff Weekend.
GIBSON – Taha Baadi embraces leadership role
Fifth year Taha Baadi has been a rock for the Wildcats since he transferred from Wake Forest prior to his senior season, holding a 19-8 record last year.
Baadi has proven to be clutch in key moments for Kentucky over his time with the program, clinching eight matches just a season ago, and already holds one this season after sealing the win at Illinois.
Against Notre Dame on Friday, Baadi clinched the doubles point with partner Matt Rankin and won his singles match in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
“I think it’s experience,” Baadi said. “I’ve seen a lot of those matches I know how things can switch quickly and it’s just experience makes you more composed.”
Baadi was named a team captain before the season, a role in which he is honored to have.
“It’s definitely something that you always aspire to when you come to college to one day, be a captain,” Baadi said. “To do it, and one of the most special programs in the country means even more to me.”
MCCLELLAND – Jaden Weekes has shown improvement, cornerstone for the team
Sophomore Jaden Weekes, the doubles partner of Eli Stephenson, saw his first action in singles this past weekend.
Weekes clinched a victory for the Wildcats against Notre Dame in his first singles match of the year, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to send Kentucky to the next round of the ITA.
“Confidence is good, I got more experience now,” Weekes said. “I was injured all fall, so it’s been a tough fall for me. It showed today, I was a little rusty, but I’m just happy to get the win.”
Weekes fell in the next round of the ITA in singles to No. 76 Matias Ponce De Leon, but not until after a valiant tiebreaker in the first set.
Weekes is not only making a rise in singles play following a 15-10 record his freshman season, but he is an intense doubles player.
Weekes played doubles with Liam Draxl last year, going 15-5 together. Now, with Draxl gone, Weekes has been tasked with leading freshman Eli Stephenson in doubles action.
The duo is now 3-2, and show immense promise for future matches, with Weekes at the helm.
“Obviously, Liam brought leadership and I was looking up to him a lot,” Weeks said. “Eli is one of my best friends on the team, and we connect well together. I’m happy to play with him.”
GIBSON – Kentucky will not make an appearance at ITA National Indoor Championships
Heading into the weekend, Kentucky was looking to make its third straight appearance at ITA Indoor National Championships, a feat that was not accomplished after the loss to Alabama.
Last year’s showing was cut short in the semifinals in a tight 4-3 loss to TCU, the same team that ended their run in 2022 in the quarterfinals.
The failure to make this season’s ITA Indoor Championships and loss to the Crimson Tide raises new questions about the team.
Will the losses of last year’s Liam Draxl and Alafia Ayeni be more impactful than we thought? And can defending SEC Kentucky still be considered the team to beat in the south?
The Wildcats will have four matches left before the start of SEC play, including a match with back-to-back defending national champions, Virginia.
MCCLELLAND – Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer are a must-see doubles pair, continue off of last season
The senior duo of Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer have a history together, and it continues to show at the start of the new season.
Last year, the pair went 15-6 together in doubles, were ranked No. 38 and had a 3-2 record against nationally-ranked opponents.
Now, they are off to a 3-2 record, with one of their matches going unfinished this past weekend in the ITA.
Lapadat and Mercer love to get the crowd fired up and know what it takes to win. Against Alabama, the pair were on court one cheering with Kentucky fans and hyping up the other doubles pairs.
Although the Wildcats came up short, these two seniors are key leaders to Kentucky’s success.
