Every spring brings new life and most importantly, a new group of freshmen to the Wisconsin Badgers’ men’s tennis team. This spring, spectators at Nielsen Tennis Stadium got to witness a very special group of freshmen play their first sets as Badgers.
The program had the honor of welcoming Oskar Wikberg, Jakhongir Jalalov, Alexander Kokorev and Frederik Strabo to be part of an extremely promising program that looks to make huge strides over the next few seasons.
The year started off with a lot of uncertainty as the only proven commodities on the team were seniors Billy Bertha and Alexander Kostanov and junior Petr Satral.
The rest of the lineup was composed of the unproven freshmen, who proved they were ready for the spotlight immediately as the Badgers started off the year 10-2 with a huge win over rivals Minnesota and Marquette due in large part to the standout rookies.
However, as soon as Wisconsin dived into Big Ten play, the team collectively hit a wall as the Badgers lost seven straight at one point, only to close strong, winning three out of their final five meets.
The Badgers, who started off the year unranked, find themselves on the bubble of the NCAA tournament ranked at No. 59, in large part due to the play of the “fantastic four” who far exceeded expectations.
The freshman group all received a lot of positive experience this year, even though it did not necessarily translate to victories. Wikberg tallied an overall singles mark of 9-14, very impressive for a freshman who even spent time playing at the one singles spot.
Kokorev went 9-11 overall, mostly coming from the six singles spot, and Strabo, who saw most of his action towards the end of the year, posted a 2-4 record. Jalalov impressed everyone finishing the year going .500 with an 11-11 mark, astonishing for a freshman playing in the very tough Big Ten.
While Jalalov was the only one who did not have a losing record, all of them agreed the playing time they received this year will be huge going forward. Wikberg specifically noted that “The college matches are different from other matches, so I think it’s very good to get a year of experience.” Kokorev also states, “The more we play as freshman, the bigger impact it will have in the future.”
One extremely bright spot for the future is the doubles play of the freshman group, especially the dynamic duo of Wikberg and Jalalov, who had an outstanding 10-5 record when paired together. Kokorev also shined in doubles when paired with Satrel, putting up a 7-6 mark.
While the results are positive for the freshman, the transition to college has not been a cakewalk, especially for Wikberg, Jalalov, and Kokorev, who also had the added trial of coming to a different country. Seniors Bertha and Kostanov came to their rescue, providing a lot of great advice newcomers.
Kokorev especially appreciates Kostanov, as both share the common language of Russian. He also notes that the seniors have been vital to him off the courts as well, giving him great advice with professors and classes.
Jalalov expressed his appreciation of the upperclassmen, calling them “great guys” and expressing great sadness that they will no longer be a part of the team after this season.
Even with the guidance of the seniors, the freshmen have had to make a lot of adjustments on their own. Kokorev notes he has really had to try hard to make a good routine for himself, balancing school, tennis, and his social life. Wikberg also adds that the college tennis format is much different from the one he was used to, saying that the team dynamic is very unfamiliar.
Jalalov also expresses a huge change in his lifestyle, however saying that he loves Madison except for the weather (who can blame him). One part that all three of the freshman who came from overseas stated was a huge sadness is tennis is not as large here as it is in the rest of the world, hoping that one day the sport will become more main stream.
One thing is for certain, the future for the Badgers men’s tennis program appears extremely bright with the “fantastic four” at its helm.
Head coach Greg Van Emburgh acknowledges that, “This is one of the strongest classes we’ve had since I’ve been here and next year we also have another strong class, so I am very excited and optimistic about the future.” Van Emburgh specifically notes their chemistry, stating they all have similar goals and aspirations.
The sky will be the limit for the program as this group hopes to break barriers and reach new heights for Wisconsin men’s tennis.
