Illinois Announces 2026 Fall Tennis Schedule
September 14, 2026 | Men's Tennis
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini men's tennis team unveiled its 2026 fall schedule on Monday afternoon, with the Orange and Blue set to compete in a combination of collegiate and professional events over the next three months. Illinois will begin its fall slate in September before finishing up play with the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships at Georgia in November.
The Orange and Blue will spend the majority of the fall competing on the road from coast to coast.
The listed schedule features all possible tournaments Illinois student-athletes could participate in; every student-athlete will not compete at every event.
SEPTEMBER
Illinois will open its fall slate at two different competitions, with select student-athletes competing at the Harvard Chowderfest (Sept. 18-20) and the ITA All-American Championships (Sept. 19-27).
While there are several professional tournament opportunities to close the month, the Illini will also compete at the Fighting Irish Mini Duals, hosted by Notre Dame from Sept. 25-27.
OCTOBER
Three collegiate competitions are on deck for the Illini to begin the month of October: Battle in the Bay from Oct. 1-4, Hope College Invite from Oct. 2-4, and the Louisville Invite 1 from Oct. 2-4.
After a few days off, the following week will see two pro tournaments for the Orange and Blue, along with an NCAA qualifying event in the ITA Midwest Regional Championship in Columbus, Ohio from Oct. 14-18. The RTC Collegiate Invite in Rome, Ga., and the Louisville Invite 2 are both slated for Oct. 23-25.
The final week of the month includes three pro tournaments, along with the annual Big Ten Singles and Doubles Championships from Oct. 29-Nov. 1.
NOVEMBER
The Illini begin the final month of fall tennis with three pro tournaments before shifting into the final two NCAA qualifiers of the season. Illinois will compete at the ITA Conference Masters Championships from Nov. 5-8 in Rome, Ga., and the ITA Central Sectional Championship from Nov. 5-8 in Waco, Texas.
Illinois' annual tournament as part of the ATP Challenger Tour, the Neitzel Family Open, is set for Nov. 16-22 at Atkins Tennis Center.
The Illini close the fall with the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships from Nov. 17-22 in Athens, Ga.
Head coach Brad Dancer enters his 22nd season at the helm of the program during the team's 2026-27 season. The full fall schedule can be found HERE.
