AUBURN, Ala. – No. 22 Auburn men’s tennis will open the NCAA Waco Regional on Friday at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. The Tigers will face Santa Clara in the round of 64 on Friday at 3 p.m. CT. A win on Friday would advance them to Saturday’s round of 32 at 6 p.m. CT.
“It’s everything that we’ve geared up for since the start of the spring, and we’re playing some great tennis,” Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds said. “My message to the team is that this is no different. It’s win and survive, and that’s what we’re looking to do going into our first-round match against Santa Clara.”
Auburn earned the program’s 25th NCAA regional bid on Monday after posting a 16-10 overall record. The Tigers went 6-8 in conference play and picked up five top-25 wins this season, including a top-10 victory over No. 7 LSU on March 27. Auburn has now received a bid to the NCAA Championship each of the last five years.
Auburn sophomore Hamza Nasridinov was tabbed first-team All-SEC following the conference championship after a breakout 2025-26 campaign. He is 25-8 overall in singles this season and 11-6 in dual matches, primarily at the top of the Tigers’ singles lineup. Nasridinov will enter the regional ranked No. 22 in singles by the ITA.
Santa Clara, the regional’s No. 3 seed, will be making the program’s second appearance in the NCAA Championship this season. The Broncos hold a 20-4 overall record and went 6-1 in the WCC. The team lost to Pepperdine in the semifinals of the WCC Championship but won a share of the conference title this season.
Baylor was selected to host the NCAA Opening Rounds for the first time since 2022. The Bears went 22-9 overall this season and 6-2 in the Big 12. Baylor is 15-2 in matches at the Hurd Tennis Center and will be making its 28th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Tulsa, the regional’s No. 4 seed, earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the American Athletic Conference tournament. At the conference tournament, the Golden Hurricane defeated UTSA, Memphis, Charlotte and Rice to claim the title. Tulsa is 19-12 overall this season.
Live video and live scoring of each match throughout the NCAA Waco Regional will be available at BaylorBears.com.
Auburn in the rankings (ITA)
Singles:
22 – Hamza Nasridinov
78 – Billy Blaydes
Doubles: