Twenty-six games later, the time has arrived.
The No. 21 Notre Dame men’s tennis team has reached postseason play. The Irish are set to travel to UNC’s campus for the 2026 ACC Tournament. After posting a blistering 20-6 overall record and 9-4 mark in conference play, the Blue and Gold hold the No. 3 seed heading into the tournament.
Just above them sit No. 7 Wake Forest and No. 3 Virginia, which shared the ACC regular season crown. Alongside fourth seed No. 17 Stanford, the top No. 4 seeds have earned double byes into the quarterfinals.
The 12 seeds following the cream of the crop will be NC State, Clemson, SMU, Miami, Duke, California, North Carolina, Louisville, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Boston College.
Notre Dame will open tournament play Friday against the winner of SMU and Cal/Georgia Tech. From there, the Irish will look to continue their quest for their first conference championship since 2012-13 — the final season of the Bobby Bayliss era.
The Irish certainly have the means of doing so. Three-time All-American senior Sebastian Dominko was named the ACC Player of the Year a season ago. This year, he’s taken his game to new heights, consistently faring well against the NCAA’s top competition. Hoping to cap off his legendary career in style, Dominko will look to finish his time in the ACC on a high note.
Dominko’s doubles partner, graduate student Perry Gregg, has been no less terrific. A transfer from Holy Cross College, where he won the 2023 NAIA Individual Championship, Gregg has stepped up consistently for the Irish. In the absence of Dominko during the Davis Cup in early February, Gregg moved into the No. 1 singles spot for Notre Dame and rose to the occasion.
Dominko and Gregg anchor a talented lineup, with sophomores Peter Nad, Giuseppe Cerasuolo and Luis Llorens Saracho; and junior Kyran Magimay rounding out the rotation behind them.
In doubles, the comeback of junior Chase Thompson from injury has also provided the Irish with added depth for the postseason, while senior Noah Becker and freshman Nicholas Patrick create a crafty tandem.
That lineup seeks to deliver head coach Ryan Sachire’s first ACC Tournament Championship. Sachire, who took over for Bayliss in 2013, has led Notre Dame to 12 NCAA Championship appearances. But the ACC crown has long eluded the Notre Dame program. This year, however, it feels like the moment may finally be at hand.
But it won’t come easy. It never does in the ACC.
Wake Forest earned a well-deserved No. 1 seed. The Demon Deacons have posted a near-perfect year, sitting at 12-1 in the conference. In mid-March, they swept the Irish convincingly. Star senior DK Suresh Ekambaram, a first-team All-ACC selection a year ago, took the first set in his unfinished singles match against Dominko 6-4.
Virginia has also posted a 12-1 conference record. The Cavaliers have been nothing short of excellent all season, picking up big wins over Stanford and battling hard against No. 2 Ohio State.
Although it finds itself at the No. 5 seed, NC State additionally poses an interesting challenge for Notre Dame. Following their loss to Wake Forest, the Irish fell to the Wolfpack 4-3 before bouncing back against Stanford and Cal.
Regardless of the challenges that lie ahead, Sachire and his team are ready to roll. With Dominko playing his best tennis at the right time and the emergence of Gregg, Notre Dame has the pieces to make the run.
It’s now up to them to turn some heads and get the job done.
