No. 47 SMU men’s tennis visits No. 10 Baylor as star Trevor Svajda, the nation’s No. 2 singles player, leads the Mustangs into a major showdown.
DALLAS - The SMU men’s tennis team heads into one of its toughest tests of the season Tuesday when the No. 47 Mustangs travel to face No. 10 Baylor at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco.
The matchup pits one of the hottest teams in the ACC against a Baylor squad fresh off a statement victory over the nation’s top-ranked program.
SMU enters the showdown with momentum.
The Mustangs are 12-6 overall and 3-1 in ACC play, coming off a dominant weekend that included wins over No. 43 Duke, No. 57 North Carolina, and Cleveland State. That stretch highlighted the depth of an SMU roster that has steadily climbed in the national rankings this spring.
At the center of the Mustangs’ rise is Trevor Svajda, currently ranked No. 2 in the ITA singles rankings.
Svajda has been nearly unstoppable this season, compiling a 12-1 singles record while dropping only two sets all spring.
His play has drawn national attention, highlighted by a wild card appearance in the ATP 1000 Indian Wells Open, where he became the first SMU player since Richey Reneberg in 1999 to win a match at the ATP Masters level.
The sophomore has also proven he can beat elite competition.
This season alone he has collected ranked victories over players such as Ohio State’s No. 13 Aidan Kim and Florida’s No. 54 Adhitya Ganesan.
Baylor presents another major challenge.
The Bears are 9-5 overall and recently secured a statement 4-2 victory over No. 1 Ohio State, showing they can compete with the best teams in college tennis.
Baylor also boasts serious individual talent, with four players ranked in the ITA singles rankings, including No. 12 Devin Badenhurst and No. 27 Connor Van Schalkwyk.
Historically, Baylor has dominated the series, holding a 29-7 all-time edge over SMU. Still, the Mustangs believe they have the firepower to flip the script.
With Svajda leading the charge and support from players like Alex Finkelstein, the Mustangs are aiming to prove their recent surge is no fluke.
Tuesday’s matchup could be a defining moment for SMU’s season ... and another opportunity for Svajda to show why he’s one of the most dangerous players in college tennis.