Michigan State Tennis: Ozan Barris ranked No. 1 nationally in singles

Michigan State tennis standout Ozan Baris is one of the best in the nation and he was actually just ranked No. 1.

I know most folks are focusing on football season starting. I get it. Also basketball wrapping up its Spanish excursion recently and hockey schedule releases have also dominated the news. More under the radar, Michigan State Tennis is wrapping up a truly special and unique week itself.

To start the week, incoming Michigan State freshman singles player Matt Forbes played his match in the US Open. Qualifying for the Open is no small feat. He is the first Spartan to ever qualify for the tournament. Unfortunately, he lost in straight sets in his first match but called qualifying for it in itself special and a great learning experience.

Following that, we learned yesterday that another Michigan State Tennis extraordinaire, Ozan Baris, made the ITA Preseason Tennis Singles Rankings. What rank, you ask? Well the ITA ranks Ozan as the No. 1 singles player in the country heading into next season.

Yep, you read that right: No. 1.

𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈 𝐌𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 👏

Take a look at the Division I Men's Preseason National Singles Rankings below ⬇️

📊 https://t.co/QanW26oB3F (Full Rankings)#WeAreCollegeTennis pic.twitter.com/BMIyfQXTd6

— ITA (@ITA_Tennis) August 27, 2024

The ITA, or Intercollegiate Tennis Association, released its full rankings yesterday and several MSU players made the singles and doubles list. Other Spartans in the rankings include:

• Aristotelis Thanos ranking No. 72 in singles.
• Ozan and Aristotelis ranking 22nd in doubles.
• Max Sheldon and Matthew Forbes ranking 54th in doubles.

Number 1
Number 1⃣
Number☝️

Ozan Baris is Number 1 in the 2024 @ITA_Tennis Preseason Rankings!!

Spartans in the rankings:
Aristotelis Thanos – No. 72 singles
Baris & Thanos – No. 22 doubles
Max Sheldon & Matthew Forbes – No. 54 doubles

📰: https://t.co/EuYZjqolpy#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/aZB1Ab3sac

— Michigan State Men’s Tennis (@MSU_MTennis) August 28, 2024

Overall, there is a lot to be excited for if you are a fan of Spartan Tennis. The Spartans ended the 2023-24 campaign with a 23-7 overall record. As a team, they made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing to a really strong Harvard team.

Baris had himself a spectacular run in the NCAA singles tournament. Overall he went 4-1 there, making it all the way to the national semifinals before losing to Alabama’s Filip Planinsek who was a 2024 All-American and ended up winning the national title in singles.

The Spartans and head coach Harry Jadun will look to build on that successful season they had. Tennis should be getting underway for the fall season here within a couple weeks. If possible, come out and support the team as much as possible as they try to bring home more hardware to East Lansing.

Go Green.