Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Filip Planinsek wins Alabama’s first men’s tennis national title
The University of Alabama has a long list of sports programs with national championships and now, they can add one more.
Filip Planinsek dropped the first set in Saturday’s championship match of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Tournament but he bounced back with ease. He claimed the program’s first ever individual championship, defeating Columbia’s Michael Zheng, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2.
Keep reading to find out more about his tournament run + how he made history for the Alabama men’s tennis program.
2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championship
Planinsek was not one of the top 16 seeds in the tournament, earning an at-large bid for the second time in his career. He entered the tournament as the 32nd ranked player in the nation.
But he played well beyond that ranking, and took down four top 16 seeds during his tournament run. Here was Planinsek’s path to the championship:
- 1st round: def. Jonas Hartenstein, North Florida, 6-2, 6-1
- 2nd round: def. Cannon Kingsley, Ohio St., 7-6(5), 6-3
- 3rd round: def. #5 Micah Braswell, Texas, 6-4, 6-4
- Quarterfinals: def. Cooper Williams, Harvard, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
- Semifinals: def. #8 Ozan Baris, Michigan St, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(6)
- Championship: def. Michael Zheng, Columbia, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2
Crimson Tide’s tennis history
Planinsek was just the second player in men’s program history to make it to the quarterfinals and the first ever to make the semifinals. However, the women’s program has also had success, including some in the last decade.
The Crimson Tide’s first tennis championship came in 1962 when Roberta Alison won before the sport was sanctioned by the NCAA. Alison won again the next season.
In more recent history, Alabama claimed consecutive titles again when doubles partners Maya Jansen + Erin Routliffe won the NCAA championships in 2014 and 2015.
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