No. 6 Mississippi State Hosts South Alabama, Alabama State in Saturday Doubleheader

Saturday, February 7

Starkville

2 p.m.

Mississippi State

Alabama State

Petar Jovanovic/Benito Sanchez Martinez Spring 2026

No. 6 Mississippi State Hosts South Alabama, Alabama State in Saturday Doubleheader

February 06, 2026 | Men's Tennis

By: Tad Couch, Athletic Communications Student Intern

Saturday, February 7 at 10 a.m. CT
Starkville, Miss. | Rula Tennis Pavilion
Match 07
No. 6 Mississippi State vs South Alabama
Watch Live | Live Stats | X/Twitter

Saturday, February 7 at 2 p.m. CT
Starkville, Miss. | Rula Tennis Pavilion
Match 08
No. 6 Mississippi State vs Alabama State
Watch Live | Live Stats | X/Twitter

STARKVILLE – No. 6 Mississippi State men's tennis returns to action Saturday with a home doubleheader, welcoming South Alabama and Alabama State to the Rula Tennis Pavilion.

Mississippi State has enjoyed success against both opponents. The Bulldogs hold a 17-7 all-time advantage over South Alabama, including a 13-4 mark at home. State currently rides a six-match winning streak against the Jaguars. Against Alabama State, Mississippi State is a perfect 7-0 all-time, winning each meeting by shutout.

South Alabama has opened the season at .500, earning wins over Southern University and Jackson State while falling to LSU and Florida Atlantic.

Alabama State enters the weekend with a 2-3 record, collecting victories over The Citadel and Auburn University at Montgomery while suffering losses to Florida State, Samford and Alabama.

The Bulldogs will look to open the season 8-0 for the first time during Roberts' tenure and for the first time since the 2014 season.

Mississippi State Notes
• Mississippi State started the season by sweeping four consecutive road matches. Then the Dawgs returned home to sweep the ITA Kickoff Weekend against Santa Clara and Auburn.
• The Bulldogs own a winning record on every court position in singles through the opening stretch of the season.
• Four Bulldogs Niccolo Baroni, Petar Jovanovic, Mario Martinez Serrano and Raphael Vaksmann are undefeated in singles play to open the season.
• Mississippi State picked up its first ranked win of the season over No. 24 Illinois
• Four Bulldogs are represented in the ITA singles rankings; Petar Jovanovic is ranked No. 6, the highest in the SEC.
• Seniors Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez return as ITA Doubles All-Americans. Jovanovic also earned ITA Singles All-American honors after reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Individual Championships.
• Mississippi State reached 25 wins during their 2025 campaign tied with the 1979 team for the most single-season victories in program history.
• In 2025, Benito Sanchez Martinez set the single season record for the most dual match wins in both singles and doubles.
• As a pair, Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez are the winningest doubles pair in school history, surpassing Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic by nine victories.
• Mississippi State returns eight letterwinners from last season's NCAA quarterfinal squad.
• Mississippi State is in its 102nd season as a program amassing 1,116 wins, 644 losses, and 8 draws.

Mississippi State Record Book Watch
• Head coach Matt Roberts holds the second-most career wins all time as the Bulldogs' gaffer with 218 victories. He is just 3 wins away from overtaking Andy Jackson for the most wins all time at the helm.
•Petar Jovanovic sits at 183 career wins (singles and doubles). He trails the all-time leader, Nuno Borges by six wins.
• Jovanovic has 85 career doubles wins, putting him one win away from Gregor Ramskogler (2018-2023) for third-most all-time. He sits just 12 wins away from Laurent Miquelard's (1992-95) total of 97.
• Jovanovic currently has 55 career dual match doubles wins. He is just 10 wins away from breaking Ramskogler's total for the for the most all-time.
• Jovanovic is tied for 5^th all-time in career dual match wins with Thomas Dupré (1995-1998) at 111 wins. He is now six win away from being tied for 4^th all-time.
• Jovanovic is in sole possession of 8^th for career singles with a total of 96. He is three wins away from jumping to 5^th all-time.

Mississippi State In The ITA Rankings
Team Ranking – 6th

Singles
No. 6 – Petar Jovanovic
No. 33 – Mario Martinez Serrano
No. 45 – Benito Sanchez Martinez
No. 68 – Bryan Hernandez Cortes

Doubles
No. 6 - Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez

Series History vs. South Alabama
• Mississippi State and South Alabama have met 24 times in program history. The Bulldogs hold the series lead at 17-7.
• Mississippi State is 13-4 against the Jaguars at home and 4-0 under head coach Matt Roberts.
• State has emerged victorious in the past six meetings.

Series History vs. Alabama State
• Alabama State has faced the Bulldogs seven times in program history. Mississippi State has won every match.
• Matt Roberts is responsible for all but one of the Dawgs' victories over Alabama State going 6-0 all-time against the Hornets.
• The Bulldogs have shutout the Hornets in every meeting.


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