The Columbia men’s tennis team, ranked No. 27 nationally, will conclude its 2026 home schedule this weekend by hosting No. 41 Harvard on Saturday and No. 73 Dartmouth on Sunday at the Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center, according to an April 17 announcement from the university.
These matches are significant as they could determine the Ivy League title race. The Lions currently lead the Ivy League standings with a perfect 4-0 record in conference play, followed closely by Cornell, Dartmouth, and Harvard who each hold a record of 3-1. If Columbia secures victories over both Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend—and if Harvard defeats Cornell on Sunday—the Lions will clinch the outright Ivy title and secure an automatic bid for postseason play. Alternatively, wins against both opponents would guarantee at least a share of the league title depending on other match outcomes.
Saturday’s match will also feature community engagement as Columbia hosts members from New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) for a pre-match pizza party and post-match meet-and-greet. Howard Endelman, Bidyut K. Goswami Head Coach of Men’s Tennis at Columbia who serves on NYJTL’s board, said he is excited about welcoming them.
In recent national rankings released by ITA, Columbia moved up seven spots to reach No. 27 among men’s teams nationwide—one of seven Ivy League programs within the top-75 this season. Michael Zheng leads individual performances for Columbia at No. 5 in singles rankings; Nicolas Kotzen is ranked No. 37; Sachin Palta remains inside the top-100 at No. 90.
Sunday’s match against Dartmouth will serve as Senior Day for four players: Michael Zheng, Nicolas Kotzen, Sachin Palta, and Stanly Shukhman—all recognized for their contributions to one of the most successful classes in program history with a combined record of 77-19 overall and two Ivy titles (2024 and ’25). Shukhman has served as team manager during his time with the program.
Looking ahead to their opponents: Harvard comes into Saturday’s contest with a season mark of 13-10 overall (3-1 Ivy), featuring two players in ITA singles rankings—Rohan Murali (No.52) and Nathan Blokhim (No.99). Historically, Harvard holds a commanding lead over Columbia since their first meeting in 1904 but recent years have favored the Lions—including last year’s win over then-No.20 Harvard.
Dartmouth enters Sunday’s match-up with a record of fifteen wins against eight losses overall (3-1 Ivy). Under Endelman’s leadership since 2019, Columbia has won all eight meetings between these teams.
