The 2025 season saw the Greenwich High School boys varsity tennis team earn a 22-0 record for the third straight year en route to capturing the FCIAC and CIAC Class LL Tournament championships, while extending its overall winning streak to an astounding 66 matches.

This season’s Cardinals feature a quite different look due to the graduation of a group of successful players from last season’s championship squad. Yet, Greenwich’s lofty goals remain the same.

More than halfway into the regular season, the Cardinals seem primed to contend for such goals, as they sport an impressive 10-1 record after recently defeating Ridgefield and Norwalk at home.

“Things are going great, we lost a lot of seniors, but everyone has stepped in so far, we have a lot of people filling positions and it’s going great,” said Greenwich senior captain Elias Orrell, who plays at No. 1 singles for the Cardinals, a position filled by 2025 senior captain, Alex Salib, last season.

This week, Greenwich was victorious against visiting Danbury on Monday (April 27th), 7-0, and topped FCIAC rival Ridgefield, 6-1, for its eight win of the season. The Cardinals’ scheduled home match versus Norwalk on April 30th was postponed due to inclement weather.

“New team, same goals,” said Cardinals junior captain Owen Kwon, who competes at the No. 2 singles spot, a role successfully filled by last season’s senior captain Manuel Galli. “A lot of people count us out as underdogs, but I think we have a great group of guys. Everyone is committed, working hard and we have just as good a shot of winning FCIACs and states as the other teams. So, I’m looking forward to that and staying positive.”

Greenwich’s overall win streak dating back to the 2023 season reached 70 matches after it started the 2026 campaign with victories against Fairfield Ludlowe, St. Joseph Wilton and Bridgeport Central. The long winning streak was ended when host New Canaan edged Greenwich, 4-3, on April 14, but the Cardinals have begun a new streak since then, winning six consecutive matches since their loss to the rival Rams.

In one of the most competitive matches of the day, Kwon edged Ridgefield junior Patrick Krasucki, 6-3, 3-6, 10-2, at No. 2 singles. Kwon knew what he his objectives were heading into the pro set tiebreaker.

“The thoughts were playing with heavy spin, because I knew my strokes were better and really focus and lock down on the big points,” said Kwon who played a third singles one season ago. “I’m playing two singles. and it’s great. I had two close losses to New Canaan and Darien, but I had a really good win against Staples and have won every other match.”

Ridgefield’s victory came at No. 1 singles, where sophomore Nathanael Campos, one of the premier players in the FCIAC and state, defeated Orrell, 6-2, 6-1. The match served as good preparation for Orrell for future matches.

“He was a tough player,” Orrell said of Campos. “I think his game went well against me. He didn’t miss and he sort of forced it out of me a little bit.”

Indeed, Orrell has been ready for the challenge of competing at the top singles spot, winning the majority of his matches, while facing standout opponents.

“Playing one singles is as much as an opportunity and a blessing as it is a curse in a way,” Orrell noted. “You face all these fantastic players like the one I played today, but it’s definitely fun to be challenged in that respect. It’s a challenge for me, no matter what team it is, you try to get into the mindset and play the best you can.”

In the No. 1 doubles match, Nikita Shterk and Liam McGovern teamed up for the first time this spring for the Cardinals and were victorious, 6-0, 6-1 against the Tigers’ Sebastian Utomo/Matt Prichard.

“I think we played really well,” said Shterk, who has played at several spots in the doubles lineup. “The dynamic was good. We both came to the net really well. Our groundstrokes were working, our serves were working.”

McGovern, a freshman, is in his first season on the Cards’ varsity squad.

“It’s going very well so far, I’ve met a lot of great new teammates and it’s been a great experience,” McGovern said.

The duo displayed stellar teamwork and chemistry in their victory against Ridgefield.

“I think we’ve been very cohesive and we’ve always been good at the net,” noted McGovern, who has also filled several doubles spots. “When one of us is serving, we’re able to poach very well and really put the ball away at the net.”

Sophomore Ryan Stanton gave Greenwich a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles over Ridgefield’s Matt Drake. In the No. 4 singles match, junior Teddy Aaron cruised to a straight set, 6-0, 6-0 triumph.

“I felt like it went well, I was just keeping the ball in and playing his weaknesses,” Aaron said. “I was moving him around. He was a good player.”

Aaron is in his first season on the Cardinals’ successful squad.

“It’s my first year at Greenwich High School and I love playing for the team,” he said. “I’ve become very close friends with all the guys on the team.”

For the season, sophomore Francesco Lindia has seen a lot of action at third singles for GHS, while junior teammate Zachary Schwartz has seen significant time at fourth singles.

Junior Will Neuenfeldt and sophomore Milo Russell teamed up for a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win for Greenwich against Will Knispel/Ryan Tuberfield at second doubles. At No. 3 doubles, senior Henry Davis and freshman Aidan Khang were 6-0, 6-0 winners for the Cardinals against Tigers seniors John Shirvell/Jacob Kalafus.

“As a first-year doubles team, it’s going pretty well, we’ve been very successful both as a double team and as a whole team,” said Davis, who was also a member of the Cardinals’ varsity boys soccer team, which appeared in the FCIAC and CIAC Class LL tournament finals this past fall. “We have just been playing well and we’re getting to the latter end of the regular season and no complaints so far.”

Davis, obviously, hopes to make the most of his senior season on the Cardinals’ squad.

“It feels good to be a senior, obviously, it’s one last run for me,” Davis noted. “Aidan is a freshman, so it’s good to be able to mentor these guys and serve as a role model. Not just as a tennis player, but as an athlete.”

“It’s a nice feeling,” Davis continued. “Coming from soccer, it was good to have that captaincy experience and I try to bring it out to the tennis court as well.”

Khang described his first season on the team: “It’s very exciting and fun to be on this team. I’m very happy I’m on it. I played pretty well, overall, I feel our team is very strong and we can really dig in and get the win, even if we’re down a set. I feel like we’re all hard working.”

Up next for the Cardinals is a road match against Westhill High School on May 4th, then another match on the road versus Fairfield Warde on May 5. The Cardinals have to make up their home match against Norwalk and are scheduled to host Brien McMahon on May 7th.

Then its postseason time for Greenwich, which has its sights set on winning another FCIAC and state title.

Greenwich has 16 CIAC Class LL state championships to its collection, more than any team in the state.

“With the tennis team comes high expectations and we’re going to try to go for it again,” Davis said. “We’re going to try to get FCIACs and states.”

Said Orrell: “Our coach had a meeting with us and we went through the goals. Obviously, it’s to win, but it’s more beyond that. We want to continue this legacy – play with sportsmanship, play with class and represent Greenwich in the best way we can.”

Here’s some more pictures from Greenwich’s home win over FCIAC foe Ridgefield.