@sfsquakers
Sidwell’s Tennis Team has once again proved to be the best team in Mid-Atlantic Conference.
This spring, the Sidwell Friends Boys Varsity Tennis Team completed one of its most dominant seasons in recent history, finishing with a 16-1 record and capturing the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship.
The team’s most significant victory came against longtime rival St. Albans, marking the first time in three years that Sidwell defeated the Bulldogs. The match was decided by a single point, with the third doubles pair securing the win in a 10-point tiebreaker.
“Winning was the only way to prove who runs Wisconsin Ave,” sophomore Ruhan Khanna said. When asked about the team’s preparation, Khanna emphasized the importance of repetition and familiarity.
“It was less about mental and physical preparation and more about getting consistent reps in and getting to know the format of these matches,” he said.
The team’s perseverance was tested not only on the court but online as well. In the lead-up to the St. Albans match, Sidwell players were the targets of online harassment by anonymous Instagram accounts. Despite the distractions, the team maintained its focus and won.
While most of Sidwell’s matches ended in decisive victories, Khanna pointed to a 5-2 loss to Churchill as the team’s biggest challenge of the season. With several key players unavailable in both singles and doubles positions, many of the matches were close.
“That match showed us what we needed to work on,” Khanna said. Rather than letting the loss derail their momentum, the team used it as motivation, going undefeated for the remainder of the season.
According to Khanna, the team’s culture played a central role in its success. “We have a strong sense of spirit, unity and grit,” he said. Though tennis is often seen as an individual sport, the Sidwell Boys Varsity Tennis Program emphasizes collective support. Teammates line the courts to cheer each other on, contributing to an atmosphere of shared energy and encouragement.