When someone from the University of Chicago visits the White House, it’s usually for a few reasons. Perhaps a Nobel laureate is set to receive an award for a remarkable achievement. Maybe a world-renowned economist is invited to present their research. Whatever the reason may be, it’s rarely in association with athletics. For a school that once disbanded its football program in an effort to direct all focus toward academic excellence, UChicago’s reputation as one of the less athletic universities is one that’s hard to shake.
However, it was athletic ability that brought UChicago Tennis to the steps of the White House in July. The visit was the cherry on top of a historic season in which the program secured both the men’s and women’s National Championship—a feat that has been done only a handful of times in NCAA history.
The 2024 season was no fluke either. It came as the culmination of a dominant few years that have seen UChicago cement itself as the premier powerhouse of Division III tennis. With three National Championships, numerous UAA titles, two Division III No. 1 rankings, and now a White House visit under its belt, UChicago Tennis is entering 2025 on top of the world.
Three years and as many National Championships earlier, things were very different.
Heading into the 2022 season, UChicago Tennis had been defined by a sense of “nearly.” The program’s first real shot at a title came in 2012 when the women’s team made it to the NCAA Championship but fell short to a dynastic Williams team. Ten years later, that remained the closest both the men and women had gotten to championship pedigree. For the women, it had been four straight seasons of quarter-final exits. For the men, it was four semi-final appearances in the past five seasons.
Despite the lack of silverware, it would be unfair to label the program as poor or even underperforming. In fact, for a school that had not yet seen a National Championship, the tennis program was a breath of fresh air. It was a reminder that UChicago could compete athletically and that maybe, just maybe, a National Championship was on the horizon for the University.
Unfortunately, the Maroons were stagnating. They were a program that had become highly respected in Division III tennis, but one that often tripped at the final hurdle. By the time 2022 came along, the Maroons were tired of falling just short. It was time for change.
“We’d always had a talented team,” coach Jay Tee, who has spent the past twelve years coaching both the men’s and women’s teams, told the Maroon. “The level of players was never the problem. I think part of it was me evolving as a coach and understanding our student-athletes more.”
For Tee, understanding his players meant reframing the way he viewed collegiate tennis. He recalled a moment when one of his players told him that tennis was a “release” from the stress of school, to which Tee lost his mind. How could competitive athletics be a release? Winning took focus, discipline, and dedication. Tennis was no time for rest.
However, current fourth-year Sylwia Mikos, who was entering her first season at UChicago in 2022, saw college tennis as a much-needed break from the stress and intensity of youth tennis. “I think junior tennis and USTAs can be really cutthroat because you’re all fighting for the same college positions to some extent,” Mikos explained. “But with college tennis, everybody’s trying to win together. It’s either we’re all in or we’re all out, and it takes a lot of stress off.”
Recently-graduated Arjun Asokumar, who was also entering his first season at UChicago, shared a similar sentiment. “I think instead of putting too much pressure on ourselves in 2022, we were just trying to enjoy the moment, enjoy the platform.”
Finding enjoyment in tennis was crucial, and Tee soon began to see its significance on the court. “Once I was able to make some changes on how I approach them and talk to them, they started playing better, and a lot of that had to do with making sure they had fun when they came to practice.”
Tee’s revamped approach instilled new energy into the program, and with it, esprit de corps came to the fore as they approached the 2022 season. Where the desperate desire for individual achievement once existed, the motivation to play for one another took its place. “We were really, really tight that year,” Asokumar explained. “It just made playing for each other a lot easier, and I think that’s what you need to win.”
The drudgery and individuality that once defined competitive tennis was replaced with zeal and camaraderie. They were playing for each other, and they were playing well. When the 2022 season finally arrived, the Maroons were ready.
The 2022 UChicago men’s team was a force to be reckoned with. A formidable regular season saw the Maroons enter the NCAA tournament, with a 17–1 record and a No. 1 ranking. After steamrolling their way through the playoffs, they found themselves matched up with Case Western Reserve in the NCAA Championship—the only team to beat the Maroons that season. For the first time in the program’s history, the UChicago men’s team was one win away from a National Championship. Despite being strangers to the occasion, the Maroons showed no signs of nerves. The National Championship was UChicago’s.
Like their male counterparts, the 2022 season brought the women’s team their most successful season in a decade. After dropping their first match to Eastern Michigan, the Maroons went on a dominant 22-match winning streak, booking a place in the NCAA Championship Match. Unfortunately, the Division III sweep was not meant to be, and the top-seeded Maroons fell just short to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. A tough ending, but nonetheless, an improvement. UChicago women were back within punching distance of a title.
After the best season in the program’s history, both teams were hungry for more in 2023. There was still much left to prove, and UChicago was on its way to establishing itself as the top dog of Division III tennis—this was no time to take the foot off the gas.
Unfortunately for the men’s team, the 2023 season was one marred by bad luck. Asokumar along with some other key starters were forced to miss time through various injuries, and the Maroons were never quite able to hit their stride like they did in 2022. They stumbled their way to a 15–5 record before crashing out of the NCAA tournament in the Sweet Sixteen. “We were pretty banged up, which just led to a lot more struggle, and I don’t think we were as tough as we wanted to be,” Asokumar admitted.
Meanwhile, the UChicago women’s team entered the 2023 season laden with vengeance. After losing just once in the regular season the year prior, they one-upped themselves in 2023, rattling off 23 unanswered wins en route to their second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance. The stage was set. Just a year after a heartbreaking finals loss, they had made it back and were set to face a familiar foe in Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. One win away from an undefeated season. One win away from a National Championship. But once again, their season ended in heartbreak.
Despite the season’s bitter end, the women’s team did not let their despondence linger. All eyes quickly shifted toward preparations for the 2024 season. “We knew that we had a strong team, so we had the ability to win. It was just a matter of if we were all mentally there. We needed the energy and the atmosphere, both on and off the court, to set us apart and to drive that momentum going into the season,” Mikos explained.
For the men, the slight blip in 2023 had lit a fire under the players. A Sweet Sixteen victory was far from poor, especially given the season’s circumstances, but they knew what they were capable of. Following their success in 2022, many players left the 2023 season feeling unsatisfied. Another year of underperformance was not an option.
Both teams had a lot to prove in the 2024 season. The expectations were high, and the pressure was even higher, but so was the program’s confidence. The unwavering belief remained that if they stayed true to their identity, if they fought for each other and played their game, they could not lose.
Three months into the season and that identity hadn’t gone anywhere. Entering the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a combined record of 38–2, both the men and women were playing the best tennis of their lives.
The men’s team cruised their way through the NCAA tournament, responding to any hiccups with a confident display of the free-flowing tennis they had played all season. The real test awaited them in the National Championship against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the bane of UChicago tennis.
While the women’s team started their playoff run with continued dominance, winning their first three matchups 5–0, 5–1, and 5–0, their Final Four matchup against Pomona-Pitzer proved to be a different beast.
The Maroons got off to the worst possible start, dropping all three of their doubles matches. Not ideal, but the Maroons were no strangers to adversity. They had faced brick walls before, and they had pushed through them. A singles loss later and the 3–0 deficit became 4–0. In a first-to-five situation, it was all but over. Barring the most improbable of comebacks, it would be a third straight season of defeat in the most excruciating of manners. Then lightning struck.
With weather conditions forcing the remainder of the semi-final to take place indoors, the Maroons were handed a lifeline. While Pomona-Pitzer, a Californian team, thrived outdoors, the Maroons now had the advantage.
With the season on the line, the pressure was on Mikos to win her singles match and wrench the momentum back from the Sagehens. “Our team’s really gritty, and we don’t give up,” Mikos said. “You might win against us, but you’ll have to rip it from our hands… we’re not going to go down without a fight.”
And fight they did. Mikos quickly took care of business in her match before graduate student Rena Lin and third-year Nika Vesely earned big wins as well. With the score 4–3, it was up to first-year Sarena Biria and third-year Shianna Guo to pull a rabbit out of the hat. Two swift victories later and history had been made. One of the greatest comebacks in NCAA history belonged to UChicago women’s tennis.
Thankfully for the Maroons, the NCAA Championship against Wesleyan did not require quite as historic of a performance. After taking a 2–1 lead following doubles play, the Maroons showed their composure in their singles matches, earning a 5–3 victory and securing the National Championship that had eluded them for so long.
Like the women in the Final Four, the UChicago men’s team was forced to display their own show of resilience in the NCAA Championship Match against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. After jumping out to a quick 2–1 lead after doubles play, the momentum was with the Maroons. Things quickly unraveled after three straight Stag victories put the Maroons against the ropes.
Then, in an eerie display of déjà vu, a weather delay gave the Maroons a chance to turn the tide. “We all just sat there, looked at each other, and talked about a few things. Then we started making jokes,” Asokumar recalled. “There was a pretty strong understanding across the team that we were playing for each other. If things worked, they worked, and if they didn’t, we could be proud of what we did. That just relieved the pressure and allowed us to enjoy the moment.”
Forgetting the grandiosity of the affair, the Maroons fell back on the ethos of UChicago Tennis and what had gotten them to this point. After two quick victories from fourth-year Derek Hsieh and first-year Ajer Sher, the score was back to even. Then it was Asokumar’s turn. After finding himself just four points from defeat, Asokumar dazzled, winning nine of the final ten games. The Maroons had reached the pinnacle. The sweep of Division III tennis was complete.
With the 2025 season on the horizon, UChicago Tennis has little left to prove. Both the men’s and women’s teams can call themselves champions, and there is no Division III tennis program that can hold a candle to what the University of Chicago has achieved in the past three years. So what’s next for the Maroons?
For Mikos, who is now entering her final year at UChicago, her hunger for silverware has not waned. However, at the core of her motivation remain the pillars that have come to define UChicago tennis. “Having that cycle of winning nationals is really important. I think it drives a lot of the motivation and momentum we have going into the beginning of the season. But to that same extent, we always want to have fun and playing for each other is always something that we emphasize during matches.”
