Chicago, Ill. - As a new season gets underway this Saturday for Illinois Tech men's tennis, head coach Jack Lunn sees the 2026 team as a group built on experience, depth, and a renewed focus on doubles. Entering his first full season with the program, Lunn is clear-eyed about the path ahead: "It should be a really talented team," he said. "We're bringing back a lot of experience from a conference championship level team last year and adding some first years who are going to contribute a lot for us."

With most of the starters returning and a handful of impact newcomers, Lunn believes Illinois Tech is positioned to contend in one of the strongest NAAC fields in recent memory. The challenge, he says, is turning potential into results—and it starts with establishing the right lineup and identity early in the season.

"There's a lot that is gonna be learned in the first couple of weeks when we're getting out there playing against some other guys and some new faces," Lunn said. "But I like where we're at right now."

Setting the Lineup and Identity

After an internally focused fall, Lunn entered the spring with a clear sense of his singles order. "The fall season is really useful for determining the lineup in a general sense," he said. "We're able to come into the spring with a pretty good sense of where everyone's at."

That clarity, he believes, gives his players an edge. "If you know what court you're going out and playing every weekend, it allows you to develop a little bit of an identity," he said. "I think that can be a mental edge as well."

At the top, senior Pedro Caro-Accino Roca returns as Illinois Tech's No. 1. "It's looking like Pedro is gonna come back and start the season at our top court," Lunn said. "He's another extremely talented tennis player… his best tennis really shows itself in the touch and the feel that he has for the sport."

First-year Tanay Sharma, a lanky, quick-moving shot maker from India, is expected to slot in at No. 2. "He can hit every shot out there," Lunn said. "He's a competitor, and I think he can be a phenomenal player for us, especially at that 2 position."

The returning core— sophomore Alexander Feher, junior Pol Dueso Guell, and sophomore Hozumi Tada —anchor the middle of the lineup. "Having guys that have been there before, you can really rely on when you need to pull out a couple courts," Lunn said. "It feels like with the way our team is structured, we're going to do a lot of winning on courts 4 through 6."

Depth, he added, gives them flexibility at the bottom. "Between Joseph Au (first-year), Tejas Sheth (sophomore), and Nicolas Altimiras Gil (first-year), we feel confident that all three of those guys can go out and win the majority of matches for us at that 6th spot," he said. "It'll really just be figuring out who's got it that week." Returning sophomore Grant Pennock rounds out the depth of the roster.

Doubles: A Point of Emphasis

If singles feels settled, doubles remains a work in progress—and a priority. "Doubles is the area where we've struggled the most, if you look at results over the past few years," Lunn said. "There's been a little more of a mixing and matching process trying to find the right pairings."

He's making it a focal point in early practices. "It's been a big focus point over the first week and a half of practice—reestablishing our identity a little bit and proving to ourselves that we can be a doubles specialist type of team," he said.

With the one-point doubles format, Lunn sees the value in starting matches on the right foot. "Your job gets so much harder if you're chasing that one point all day," he said. "I'd love to be in a position where we don't have to do that day in and day out, especially cause it's gonna be a really competitive schedule for us."

He believes the pieces are there, especially with Pedro's feel and instincts. "He's a great doubles player, really good instincts," Lunn said. "He has that classic Spanish game where he has extreme control of the ball and specifically the spin of the ball."

Culture, Competition, and Conference Clarity

Taking over a successful program comes with its own balancing act. "There's always a little bit of a feeling out process when you're joining a new team, especially a team that has been really successful," Lunn said. "There's been a process of determining what we can carry over from years past and figuring out the new things that I'm gonna bring to the table as a coach."

He's been encouraged by the team's buy-in and competitiveness. "I think the sign of a good team is where you're able to go out and push your teammates and still come back and be friends at the end of the day," he said. "They understand what it takes to be a championship level team."

That mindset will be tested in a deep NAAC. "The conference is as good as it's ever been," Lunn said. "MSOE probably has the best team they've had in the last decade… I think that'll be a huge test for us. Concordia Wisconsin is super young but immensely talented, and St. Norbert is really veteran and better than people are giving them credit for."

The team's goal is clear—and shared. "The number one goal from all the guys… is going out and winning that conference championship and getting the opportunity to compete at the national tournament," Lunn said. "We're not shying away from it."

Balancing Academics and Athletics

At Illinois Tech, Lunn knows academics are nonnegotiable. "Almost everyone is studying something on the high rigor end of the academic spectrum," he said. "The academic side of things is why the guys are here. The fact that we're able to add an extremely competitive and really positively developmental tennis experience on top of that adds to their experience massively."

That balance, he believes, is part of what makes Division III special. "You really get the full picture of that whole experience," he said.

Looking Ahead

With a small, close-knit roster, Lunn expects everyone to play a role. "Pretty much top to bottom, we're gonna be asking everyone to contribute in important moments this season," he said. "The guys are all bought in and I think excited to get started.""

That season starts this Saturday, January 31st, with the Scarlet Hawks hosting Lake Forest College at 7:30 p.m. at the XS Tennis Center.