The Arizona Men’s Tennis team talked nonstop during practice on Tuesday, Feb. 25. They are competitive with each other, as everyone on the team was trying to win the king of the court competition to get bragging rights over their teammates. The Wildcats have won six in a row and look to make it seven and eight this weekend. 

The team raced to an impressive 9-1 start this season, coming off back-to-back ranked wins over Pepperdine and San Diego. 

The Wildcats have swept every opponent since an early season loss to the University of Central Florida. And after winning their final season in the Pac-12 last year, the team is optimistic about their changes in the Big 12.

The Pac-12 disbanded last year, as Oregon, Washington, the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Southern California moved to the Big Ten, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah moved to the Big 12. 

It’s a big change, but a change the Wildcats are ready to take on, said head coach Clancy Shields. 

The team saw major turnover this year, with only six of 12 players returning. 

“Our team is 50 percent freshmen, so I think that provides a huge challenge because they’ve never been through the gauntlet of college tennis,” Shields said. “So we knew we’d take some hits early on, and unfortunately that came against UCF, but I’m proud of how these kids have responded.” 

Senior Iñaki Cabrera-Bello and junior Jay Friend look to be key leaders for the team this season. Cabrera-Bello was team captain last year and is a valuable role model for freshmen, Shields said. 

Although the Wildcats haven’t had a roster turnover like this in several years, Cabrera-Bello and Friend were ready to take on the challenge of setting an example for the young guys, they said. They knew it would take some time for the freshman to get their feet underneath them, they said, but it was about staying confident with them and being patient.

“UCF was a wake-up call, and I think we have definitely found our identity on the court and are coming back to what Arizona tennis was about. We knew it would take time with a new roster and new guys coming in, but it was all about buying into our culture,” Cabrera-Bello said.

Friend, who was all Pac-12 first team, Pac-12 doubles team of the year and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest region most improved player last season, is hoping to build on his success. 

“We really want to dominate in our first year in the Big 12, and that starts with me being on my A game, but I really think that we could do that with this squad,” Friend said. 

Shields talks constantly about the team’s culture, Friend said, adding that they are a tight knit group that does everything together. 

“Our culture has been a massive part of our team, especially the past couple of years that I’ve been here. And having six new faces so it took some time to get acclimated, but I think we’re really thriving now,” he said.

The Arizona Men’s Tennis team talked nonstop during practice on Tuesday, Feb. 25. They are competitive with each other as everyone on the team was trying to win the king of the court competition to get bragging rights over their teammates. The Wildcats have won six in a row and look to make it seven and eight this weekend. 

The team raced to an impressive 9-1 start this season, coming off back-to-back ranked wins over Pepperdine and San Diego. 

The Wildcats have swept every opponent since an early season loss to the University of Central Florida. And after winning their final season in the Pac-12 last year, the team is optimistic about their changes in the Big 12.

The Pac-12 disbanded last year, as Oregon, Washington, the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Southern California moved to the Big Ten, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah moved to the Big 12. 

It’s a big change, but a change the Wildcats are ready to take on, said head coach Clancy Shields. 

The team saw major turnover this year, with only six of 12 players returning. 

“Our team is 50 percent freshmen, so I think that provides a huge challenge because they’ve never been through the gauntlet of college tennis,” Shields said. “So we knew we’d take some hits early on, and unfortunately that came against UCF, but I’m proud of how these kids have responded.” 

Senior Iñaki Cabrera-Bello and junior Jay Friend look to be key leaders for the team this season. Cabrera-Bello was team captain last year and is a valuable role model for freshmen, Shields said. 

Although the Wildcats haven’t had a roster turnover like this in several years, Cabrera-Bello and Friend were ready to take on the challenge of setting an example for the young guys, they said. They knew it would take some time for the freshman to get their feet underneath them, they said, but it was about staying confident with them and being patient.

“UCF was a wake up call, and I think we have definitely found our identity on the court and are coming back to what Arizona tennis was about. We knew it would take time with a new roster and new guys coming in, but it was all about buying into our culture,” Cabrera-Bello said.

Friend, who was all Pac-12 first team, Pac-12 doubles team of the year and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest region most improved player last season is hoping to build on his success. 

“We really want to dominate in our first year in the Big 12, and that starts with me being on my A game, but I really think that we could do that with this squad,” Friend said. 

Shields talks constantly about the team’s culture, Friend said, adding that they are a tight knit group that does everything together. 

“Our culture has been a massive part of our team, especially the past couple of years that I’ve been here. And having six new faces so it took some time to get acclimated, but I think we’re really thriving now,” he said.

Arizona has had several strong seasons, winning the conference regular season title in 2022, 2023 and 2024, while also winning the conference tournament last year. They also made back-to-back Sweet 16s in 2023 and 2024. 

But the team faces a new challenge in its first season in the Big 12. For one thing, they will be traveling more. Rather than competing with schools like Stanford or UCLA, the team will be traveling to Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. 

The Big 12 will also be a challenge because four of the teams are ranked in the top 20, with Texas Christian University coming in at No. 2. 

“Making a run in the tournament is definitely something everyone is striving for,” Cabrera-Bello said. 

At practice, the team is competitive with each other, throwing a lot of friendly trash talk back and forth. Everyone wanted to be the best version of themselves.

The players and coaches were energized as they repeated competitive drills. Whoever got the most hits back and forth won the drill. Everyone partnered up to volley the ball. If you hit it into the net or out of bounds, the score restarted at zero. Cabrera-Bello and Friend took the game. 

Shields said the Wildcats still have a lot to work on and doesn’t want the team to get complacent. He said they are working on everything. 

“You dream about the mistakes you are making in practice and the intensity you bring. You just know the level it’s going to take if you want to win a national championship and that’s what keeps me up at night because I know we have to get better to get there,” he said. 

The Wildcats’ next home game is a doubleheader on Friday, March 7 against St. Johns and Northern Arizona University. They look to continue their winning momentum all the way into Big 12 play, which starts on March 16.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.