Alabama Tennis Roan James Opens Round of 64

A member of the Alabama men's tennis team begins his quest for a national title this week.

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Roan James opens the round of 64 tomorrow against fourth-seeded Carl Emil Overbeck from California for the NCAA singles championship.

Entering the 2023-24 season with 140 dual match wins, including 93 at the Alabama Tennis Stadium, head coach George Husack has elevated the Crimson Tide to historic heights. In 2018, he led UA to a groundbreaking season, reaching the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for only the fourth time in program history. Alabama upset No. 23 Tulane (No. 2 seed) 4-1 in the Tallahassee Regional's first round before defeating No. 11 Florida State 4-2 to secure a Sweet 16 berth. That year, the Tide recorded 20 wins, only the 10th team in school history to reach that milestone. The season also saw junior All-American Mazen Osama advance to the NCAA Singles Championships' quarterfinals, becoming the first Alabama player to reach the Round of 16.

Husack’s impact extends beyond team success, with Alabama achieving several individual milestones. In 2019, Patrick Kaukovalta and Mazen Osama became NCAA Doubles Championship national runners-up, marking the first time a Crimson Tide duo advanced to the championship match. Under Husack's leadership, UA has earned seven berths to the NCAA Doubles Championships, produced nine All-American honors, and secured 22 SEC accolades since 2012. Notably, Mazen Osama (2018) earned singles All-American status, while doubles pairings such as Jarryd Botha and David Vieyra (2013) and Osama and Kaukovalta (2019) achieved national recognition.

Husack’s tenure has also emphasized academic excellence, with Daniil Proskura (2014) and Alexey Nesterov (2020) being named CSC Academic All-District honorees, and Proskura earning an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Filip Planinsek, the 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year, ended his rookie campaign ranked No. 27 nationally, the second-highest freshman ranking in the country and the only SEC freshman with an end-of-year ranking. Husack has guided Alabama to four team NCAA Tournament berths, including three consecutive appearances from 2019 to 2021. Mazen Osama’s No. 8 national singles finish in 2018 and his No. 4 doubles ranking with Kaukovalta set program records, highlighting the Tide's growing legacy under Husack's guidance.

Alabama's tennis team is no stranger to the national tournament. This marks the 42nd time in program history that Alabama has qualified an athlete for the NCAA singles tournament.

The England native captured the ITA South Sectional singles title to secure his first-ever berth to the NCAA Singles Championships, capping an impressive fall season. The UA junior has lost just two singles matches this season, leading the team with 12 head-to-head victories. He went undefeated at the SEC Challenge, finishing the three-day competition with a perfect 3-0 record in both singles and doubles against Southeastern Conference opponents. Along the way, Jones notched wins over two ranked singles players, defeating No. 43 Martin Katz of Ole Miss and No. 88 Youcef Rihane of Florida State.

Catch Alabama Football this weekend as they travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to face the Oklahoma Sooners for a SEC showdown.

Chase Brumfield is the morning producer and writer for Tide 100.9. He is currently a senior studying communications at Mississippi State University. Follow Chase for more Alabama content on X at @cb3864.