Jay Friend Wins ITA All-American Championship

TULSA, Okla. — Jay Friend etched his title into Arizona Tennis historical past, changing into the primary Wildcat ever to seize the ITA All-American Championships title. With the victory, Friend joins previous champions equivalent to John Isner and Ben Shelton—each now among the many ATP’s high 10—marking a milestone second for Arizona Tennis.
The nation’s No. 5 participant delivered a dominant begin to the 2025–26 season by claiming the principle draw crown, which additionally secures him an automated berth within the NCAA Singles Tournament later this 12 months.

Friend’s path to the title showcased each grit and elite expertise, as he recorded three top-10 victories—defeating No. 7 Ozan Baris, No. 9 Dylan Dietrich, and No. 4 Aidan Kim—to turn out to be the primary Wildcat to hoist the All-American trophy. His rise displays years of growth alongside head coach Clancy Shields, who has guided Friend into one of many nation’s premier gamers.

“What Jay just accomplished is the pinnacle of college tennis — winning the All-American Championship, one of the most prestigious national titles in our sport.” mentioned Head Coach Clancy Shields.  “He capped off the event beating 3 top 10 opponents and became the first national champion in Arizona program history. I couldn’t be more proud of Jay, his process throughout the 8 day event, and the quality of his play the last couple days. Congratulations Jay, way to bring home a national title!”

The NCAA Individual Championships shall be held Nov. 19–24 in Orlando, Fla., the place Friend will look to proceed his historic run on the nationwide stage.