Michigan State University Athletics
Sunday, April 19
East Lansing, Mich.
12 PM
Michigan State University
4
vs
1
Purdue
Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Michigan State Men’s Tennis Captures First B1G Title Since 1967 With 4-1 Win Over Purdue On Sunday
4/19/2026 8:27:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Spartans earn huge title victory after Senior Celebrations.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men's tennis claimed its first Big Ten Conference Championship since 1967 on Sunday after the 23rd-ranked Spartans defeated Purdue, 4-1, in an electric last home match of the regular season at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center.
MSU is co-Big Ten Champions with Ohio State, both finishing 11-1 in B1G action.
Senior Ozan Baris, who is a hometown kid from Okemos, Michigan, clinched the B1G title for the Spartans at No. 3 singles, beating Purdue's Maj Premzl, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, to claim both the team victory and the Big Ten championship title, and was swarmed by his teammates.
"I don't know, words can't really describe it," Baris said afterwards when asked about how it felt to win the title. "This was something that I had set out to do about four years ago, when I was coming here, and now being able to do it in my senior year, being the match that clinches… it's just a pinch me, 'is this happening kind of moment?'"
MSU rallied from dropping the doubles point to Purdue, taking four-straight singles matches, with Baris delivering the clinching point and sparking the Victory for MSU celebration.
The B1G title was a cherry on top for the emotional day, as Baris was one of three MSU seniors honored with Senior Celebrations on Sunday. Between doubles and singles action, the Green & White celebrated the three senior athletes, David Saye, Aristotelis Thanos, and Baris. These three student-athletes have helped build the foundation of the men's tennis program during one of the most impressive seasons in program history, capping it by hoisting the Big Ten Championship trophy.
"I think their resilience and their toughness, I mean, you saw it today after the doubles point went down, and they just dug in," MSU head coach Harry Jadun said about the highlights and traits of the senior trio being rewarded with the Big Ten trophy. "I just think that that's been the mantra of our team, and these seniors have been the leaders of that. We had a rough start to non-conference play at the start of the season, and they decided to stick around and hang out and fight and battle, and some good things happened here. So it's just a testament to them. Things weren't always rosy, it wasn't always perfect, but it just kind of shows what's under the hood."
The Spartans started the day on a good note, as the No. 2 doubles duo of Baris and sophomore Matthew Forbes defeated Purdue's Nour Fathalla and Stefan Simeunovic 6-3. At No. 1 doubles, Purdue's pairing of Premzl and Henrik Villanger defeated MSU's Taym Alazmeh and Danial Rakhmatullayev after a tough, 6-4 battle. Claiming the doubles point for the Boilermakers, Jacob Lee and Nikola Jovic defeated Mitchell Sheldon and Aristotelis Thanos, 6-4.
After dropping the doubles point, the Spartans went into singles with increased intensity. The Spartans earned four victories to clinch the victory in spirited fashion, boosted by the large crowd of Green & White faithful there to see history firsthand.
First on the scoreboard was junior Taym Alazmeh, taking down his Purdue opponent, Lee, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Shortly after, sophomore Mitchell Sheldon defeated Jovic 6-4, 6-3 to further the team score. At No. 2 singles, Thanos earned another straight-set over his opponent Villanger, 6-4, 6-2.
That set up Baris' dramatic match and B1G title clinching win at No. 3 singles for the senior and team captain.
"I think, more than anything, just the maturity that we've had," Baris said when asked about what he was most proud of about the team as a senior and team captain. "We had a rough start to the season, and we've all shown up together individually, at different times, and that's what great teams do. When one person is off their game, when one person is injured, the others bring them up. And we've been able to do that throughout the whole regular season, and that's why we were able to win the regular season title as well."
Two matches went unfinished for the Spartans. At No. 1 singles, Forbes lost his first set 1-6 before winning the second, 6-4, and was down 1-2 in the third set before the match went unfinished.
At No. 4 singles, Rakhmatullayev won his first set 7-5, lost his second set at 3-6, and was tied at 0-0 in the third set before his match went unfinished.
Michigan State is ranked No. 23 as a team with multiple athletes ranked in both doubles and singles action. The Spartans have shown strength across the lineup, taking down multiple ranked opponents, proving themselves as a top competitor in the B1G, and in the country.
Up next, the Spartans head west to Ojai, Calif., for the Big Ten Conference Tournament, starting on Wednesday, April 22, at Libbey Park. The Tournament bracket, pairings and match times will be announced at a later time.
No. 23 Michigan State vs Purdue
East Lansing, Mich. (MSU Indoor Tennis Center)
April 19, 2026
MSU 4, Purdue 1
Doubles:
1. Maj Premzl/Henrik Villanger (PUR) def. Taym Alazmeh/Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU-M) 6-4
2. Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU-M) def. Nour Fathalla/Stefan Simeunovic (PUR) 6-3
3. Jacob Lee/Nikola Jovic (PUR) def. Mitchell Sheldon/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU-M) 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles:
1. Matthew Forbes (MSU) vs. Nour Fathalla (PUR) 1-6, 6-4, 1-2, UF
2. Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Henrik Villanger (PUR) 6-4, 6-2
3. Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Maj Premzl (PUR) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
4. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) vs. Juan David Velasquez (PUR) 7-5, 3-6, 0-0, UF
5. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) def. Jacob Lee (PUR) 6-4, 6-2
6. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Nikola Jovic (PUR) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 2, 3
MSU is co-Big Ten Champions with Ohio State, both finishing 11-1 in B1G action.
Senior Ozan Baris, who is a hometown kid from Okemos, Michigan, clinched the B1G title for the Spartans at No. 3 singles, beating Purdue's Maj Premzl, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, to claim both the team victory and the Big Ten championship title, and was swarmed by his teammates.
"I don't know, words can't really describe it," Baris said afterwards when asked about how it felt to win the title. "This was something that I had set out to do about four years ago, when I was coming here, and now being able to do it in my senior year, being the match that clinches… it's just a pinch me, 'is this happening kind of moment?'"
MSU rallied from dropping the doubles point to Purdue, taking four-straight singles matches, with Baris delivering the clinching point and sparking the Victory for MSU celebration.
The B1G title was a cherry on top for the emotional day, as Baris was one of three MSU seniors honored with Senior Celebrations on Sunday. Between doubles and singles action, the Green & White celebrated the three senior athletes, David Saye, Aristotelis Thanos, and Baris. These three student-athletes have helped build the foundation of the men's tennis program during one of the most impressive seasons in program history, capping it by hoisting the Big Ten Championship trophy.
"I think their resilience and their toughness, I mean, you saw it today after the doubles point went down, and they just dug in," MSU head coach Harry Jadun said about the highlights and traits of the senior trio being rewarded with the Big Ten trophy. "I just think that that's been the mantra of our team, and these seniors have been the leaders of that. We had a rough start to non-conference play at the start of the season, and they decided to stick around and hang out and fight and battle, and some good things happened here. So it's just a testament to them. Things weren't always rosy, it wasn't always perfect, but it just kind of shows what's under the hood."
The Spartans started the day on a good note, as the No. 2 doubles duo of Baris and sophomore Matthew Forbes defeated Purdue's Nour Fathalla and Stefan Simeunovic 6-3. At No. 1 doubles, Purdue's pairing of Premzl and Henrik Villanger defeated MSU's Taym Alazmeh and Danial Rakhmatullayev after a tough, 6-4 battle. Claiming the doubles point for the Boilermakers, Jacob Lee and Nikola Jovic defeated Mitchell Sheldon and Aristotelis Thanos, 6-4.
After dropping the doubles point, the Spartans went into singles with increased intensity. The Spartans earned four victories to clinch the victory in spirited fashion, boosted by the large crowd of Green & White faithful there to see history firsthand.
First on the scoreboard was junior Taym Alazmeh, taking down his Purdue opponent, Lee, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Shortly after, sophomore Mitchell Sheldon defeated Jovic 6-4, 6-3 to further the team score. At No. 2 singles, Thanos earned another straight-set over his opponent Villanger, 6-4, 6-2.
That set up Baris' dramatic match and B1G title clinching win at No. 3 singles for the senior and team captain.
"I think, more than anything, just the maturity that we've had," Baris said when asked about what he was most proud of about the team as a senior and team captain. "We had a rough start to the season, and we've all shown up together individually, at different times, and that's what great teams do. When one person is off their game, when one person is injured, the others bring them up. And we've been able to do that throughout the whole regular season, and that's why we were able to win the regular season title as well."
Two matches went unfinished for the Spartans. At No. 1 singles, Forbes lost his first set 1-6 before winning the second, 6-4, and was down 1-2 in the third set before the match went unfinished.
At No. 4 singles, Rakhmatullayev won his first set 7-5, lost his second set at 3-6, and was tied at 0-0 in the third set before his match went unfinished.
Michigan State is ranked No. 23 as a team with multiple athletes ranked in both doubles and singles action. The Spartans have shown strength across the lineup, taking down multiple ranked opponents, proving themselves as a top competitor in the B1G, and in the country.
Up next, the Spartans head west to Ojai, Calif., for the Big Ten Conference Tournament, starting on Wednesday, April 22, at Libbey Park. The Tournament bracket, pairings and match times will be announced at a later time.
No. 23 Michigan State vs Purdue
East Lansing, Mich. (MSU Indoor Tennis Center)
April 19, 2026
MSU 4, Purdue 1
Doubles:
1. Maj Premzl/Henrik Villanger (PUR) def. Taym Alazmeh/Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU-M) 6-4
2. Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU-M) def. Nour Fathalla/Stefan Simeunovic (PUR) 6-3
3. Jacob Lee/Nikola Jovic (PUR) def. Mitchell Sheldon/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU-M) 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles:
1. Matthew Forbes (MSU) vs. Nour Fathalla (PUR) 1-6, 6-4, 1-2, UF
2. Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Henrik Villanger (PUR) 6-4, 6-2
3. Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Maj Premzl (PUR) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
4. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) vs. Juan David Velasquez (PUR) 7-5, 3-6, 0-0, UF
5. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) def. Jacob Lee (PUR) 6-4, 6-2
6. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Nikola Jovic (PUR) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 2, 3
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
1234
Nour Fathalla / 0 [PUR]
6420
161UF
#2 Singles Match
12
Henrik Villanger / 0 [PUR]
42
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Maj Premzl / 0 [PUR]
62
76
#4 Singles Match
123
Juan David Velasquez / 0 [PUR]
540
73UF
#5 Singles Match
12
Jacob Lee / 0 [PUR]
42
66
#6 Singles Match
12
Nikola Jovic / 0 [PUR]
43
66
Order of Finish:
5,6,2,3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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