Middle Tennessee men’s tennis (3-0) was back in action as they beat the Harvard University Crimson (0-2) 6-1 at the Adams Tennis Complex. 

The Blue Raiders started off hot in doubles play as the strong duo of Karim Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak made quick work of Harvard’s Nathan Blokhin and Benjamin Privara, winning 6-1 on the first court. 

MTSU’s top tandem solidified themselves as a legitimate threat in the fall of 2025, winning the 2025  ITA Masters Doubles  Championship in San Diego, earning them a spot in the NCAA doubles tournament. There, Al-Amin and Horak beat No. 7 University of California, Berkeley, before falling just short to No. 3 Ohio State in a super tiebreak. 

“I believe that we both benefit from each other’s game,” Al-Amin said on his success with Horak. “He’s a very good return player, and I’m a very good server, so our games complement each other.”  

The chemistry is there on and off the court which leads to success, Al-Amin said.

The overall doubles point was secured for the Blue Raiders when Eric Crivei and Jonasz Dziopak defeated Harvard’s Masato Perera and Elisha Thornton 6-4 on court three. 

MTSU rode this momentum for the rest of the match as it was more of the same in singles play. 

The first match to conclude was on court five as Crevei beat Marc Ktiri in dominant fashion, winning 6-2, 6-1. 

Al-Amin continued his stellar day as the reigning Conference USA player of the year came out on top against Rohan Murali 7-5, 6-2 on court four. 

Horak along with Freddy Murray and Antoine Mayoral all picked up convincing wins over their Crimson opponents on the way to a near sweep of Harvard. 

MTSU’s only loss was at the hands of Harvard’s Blokhin, who defeated Dziopak in a tiebreaker 6-3, 7-6, (7-5). 

Despite the final match to finish being a Harvard win, it was both too little and too late as the Blue Raiders took the overall match in 6-1 to advance to 3-0 on the young season. This marks the first time since 2003 that MTSU men’s tennis beat Harvard, and the first time Middle Tennessee beat the Crimson in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 

One of the biggest stories for the MTSU men’s tennis team coming into the year was the almost absolute roster change for the Blue Raiders. Eight out of the 10 players currently on the roster were not with the program last year, with the only two returners being the senior duo of Al-Amin and Horak. However, it has not looked like this was the case thus far into the season. 

“This team has proven to be very coachable,” MTSU head coach Jimmy Borendame said. “They’re definitely a much tighter group than years in the past.”  

Borendame also emphasized the impact that the two seniors have on the team. 

“They’re good players, but they’re even better people off the court,” Bordendame said. “The stuff they do in the locker room and in team meetings to help this team come together, it’s invaluable.”  

To Al-Amin, the secret to the Blue Raiders’ early success has been the team’s chemistry, and how well they have come together. 

“All those guys they’ve done an amazing job adapting to this new environment,” Al-Amin said. “… They’re a great group of people; I love being with them.” 

The German national has had to make changes himself with the roster turnover as well. For him, it was about how to best lead the Blue Raiders in his senior year. 

“My role shifted more in a leadership role than it has been,” Al-Amin said.“All those new guys coming in, I’m trying to lead them towards the goals that our program has, and I think I’ve benefited from it as well.”  

Middle Tennessee’s next match is on Jan. 23, as they play host to the University of Alabama-Birmingham.