USC and Illinois Capture Weekly Tennis Awards

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its men’s tennis weekly awards for matches played April 8-14, 2026.

Player of the Week
Branko Djuric, USC
Fr. – Budva, Montenegro

• Went 3-0 overall in helping No. 28-ranked USC to a pair of ranked wins over No. 66 Northwestern (4-0) and No. 14 Illinois (4-1), dropping one match in the process
• Defeated 16th-ranked Kenta Miyoshi of Illinois, 6-2, 6-4, on center court Sunday
• Teamed with Connor Church for a 6-4 win over the 77th-ranked duo David Bakonyi and Zach Viiala of Illinois at No. 3 doubles; clinched both double points
• Earns second Big Ten weekly award, was named Freshman of the Week on March 11
• Rated 107th in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)
• Last Trojan named Big Ten Player of the Week: Peter Makk (April 16, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Gabriel Debru, Illinois
Fr. – Grenoble, France

• Finished 3-0 overall on the week, capturing 60.0 percent of his games played (33-22)
• Won a pair of tiebreakers to down 24th-ranked Emon van Loben Sels, 7-6, 7-6, at No. 2 singles to clinch match point for No. 14 Illinois in a road 4-2 win over No. 24 UCLA
• Toppled 64th-ranked Nate Trouve, 6-2, 7-5, at No. 2 singles the next day in a 4-1 setback to No. 28 USC
• Ranked 23rd in singles by the ITA
• Secures his second Big Ten weekly honor, achieved Player of the Week status March 4
• Selection marks the fifth time Illinois has captured Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades this season

2025-26 Big Ten Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
Sept. 17       
P: Ozan Baris, Sr., MSU
F: Adam Jilly, Fr., ILL

Sept. 24       
P: Nikita Filin, So., OSU

Oct. 1          
P: Aidan Kim, Jr., OSU
F: Sam Olszakowski, ORE

Oct. 8          
P: Nicholas Steglehner, Sr., MICH
F: Arnav Bhandari, Fr., MICH

Oct. 15        
P: Sam Landau, Sr., IND
F: Jeri Lassila, Fr., NEB

Oct. 22        
P: Spencer Johnson, Jr., UCLA
F: Max Dahlin, R-Fr., MICH

Nov. 5         
P: David Saye, Sr., MSU

Nov. 12       
P: Jack Anthrop, Sr., OSU
F: Max Dahlin, R-Fr., MICH

Jan. 14         
P: Bjorn Swenson, Sr., MICH
F: Max Exsted, Fr., USC

Jan. 21 
P: Alex Okonkwo, Jr., OSU
F: Sasha Colleu, Fr., ILL

Jan. 28         
P: Alexander Bernard, Sr., OSU
F: Jeri Lassila, Fr., NEB
F: Max Exsted, Fr., USC

Feb. 4          
P: Nikita Filin, So., OSU
F: Cooper Han, Fr., NU

Feb. 11        
P: Max Dahlin, R-Fr., MICH
F: Max Dahlin, R-Fr., MICH

Feb. 18        
P: Jack Anthrop, Sr., OSU
F: Kyle Chesman, Fr., PSU

Feb. 25        
P: William Mroz, Sr., ILL
F: Max Exsted, Fr., USC

March 4       
P: Gabriel Debru, Fr., ILL
F: Adam Jilly, Fr., ILL

March 11     
P: Zach Viiala, R-So., ILL
F: Branko Djuric, Fr., USC

March 18     
P: Matthew Forbes, So., MSU
F: Adam Jilly, Fr., ILL

March 25     
P: Nikita Filin, So., OSU
F: Cassius Chinlund, R-Fr., UCLA

April 1         
P: Aristotelis Thanos, R-Sr., MSU
P: Emon van Loben Sels, R-Jr., UCLA
F: Kyle Chesman, Fr., PSU

April 8         
P: Cyrus Mahjoob, Jr., NU
F: Max Exsted, Fr., USC

April 16       
P: Branko Djuric, Fr., USC
F: Gabriel Debru, Fr., ILL