Yale Athletics

The Yale men’s tennis team has returned from a disappointing spring season looking to improve its record. 

In the spring, the team lost six tournaments in a row at the end of the season. Still, Vignesh Gogineni ’26 qualified for the NCAA Division I Men’s Singles Championship — the first Yale men’s tennis athlete to do so in seven years. 

With the first match of the men’s tennis season scheduled for Sept. 19, the News prepared a who’s who of the top returning players. 

Last season, Eric Li ’26 — this season’s captain — secured nine wins in singles and 10 in doubles. 

“I feel incredibly honored,” Li said of his selection to be team captain. “We are ambitious and have high goals this year: Make the NCAA tournament and finish in the Ivy League.”

Alongside Li, the Bulldog lineup includes standout players Jim Ji ’27 and Edward Liao ’28. 

Ji won the USTA Boys’ 18s National Clay Court Championship before coming to Yale, secured a 22-8 singles record in 2023-24 and grinded out 13 doubles wins in 2024-25. Liao — called a “heavy winner” by Ji — picked up a singles record last season of 22-9. 

“We are in a position of trending upwards from previous years,” Ji said. “We have all returners from last year in the lineup and are looking to finish top three in the Ivy. We are hungry, and hopefully this will be a season unlike before.”

Gogineni is also returning to the court this season, coming off an injury. Last year, he spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in singles and had a 15–4 record in doubles with partners Liao and Shuler. 

The first match of the tennis season will take place at Harvard’s Chowderfest Invitational.