Bulldogs Bring Home Four ITA Regional Awards
June 10, 2026 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE – ITA announced its 2026 Regional Awards on Tuesday, with Mississippi State earning four honors.
Three Bulldogs were honored in the Southern Regional Awards, with Benito Sanchez Martinez winning the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship and Senior Player of the Year Awards, Petar Jovanovic winning the Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award, and Trevor Gotkowski being named Assistant Coach of the Year.
Benito Sanchez Martinez earns the two honors coming off his best season in Starkville, earning a 28-11 overall singles record. The senior was named SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC honors for his play on court one. Sanchez Martinez is the fifth Bulldog to be named the ITA Southern Regional Senior Player of the year, joining Artem Ilyushin (2012), Nuno Borges (2019), Florian Broska (2022) and Ewen Lumsden (2023). Sanchez Martinez finished the season ranked No. 8 nationally in singles, as well as reaching the No. 1 overall ranking in doubles alongside Petar Jovanovic.
Petar Jovanovic earned his third consecutive First Team All-SEC and second consecutive ITA All-American nods this season. Jovanovic has compiled 202 career wins as a Bulldog, making him the program's all-time win leader. With a singles record of 29-10, Jovanovic earned a career-high ranking of No. 6 nationally and reached the No. 1 overall ranking in doubles alongside Benito Sanchez Martinez.
The 2025-26 season marked Assistant Coach Trevor Gotkowski's second season in Starkville under Head Coach Matt Roberts. Alongside Roberts and Associate Coach Derek Siddiqui, Gotkowski helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back 25-win seasons and consecutive NCAA Quarterfinal appearances. The Bulldogs finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country after another great season. This marks the second consecutive year in which a Mississippi State coach has won the award, with current Ole Miss head coach and former assistant Jake Jacoby earning the honors in 2025.
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU Men's Tennis on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateMT"
Three Bulldogs were honored in the Southern Regional Awards, with Benito Sanchez Martinez winning the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship and Senior Player of the Year Awards, Petar Jovanovic winning the Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award, and Trevor Gotkowski being named Assistant Coach of the Year.
Benito Sanchez Martinez earns the two honors coming off his best season in Starkville, earning a 28-11 overall singles record. The senior was named SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC honors for his play on court one. Sanchez Martinez is the fifth Bulldog to be named the ITA Southern Regional Senior Player of the year, joining Artem Ilyushin (2012), Nuno Borges (2019), Florian Broska (2022) and Ewen Lumsden (2023). Sanchez Martinez finished the season ranked No. 8 nationally in singles, as well as reaching the No. 1 overall ranking in doubles alongside Petar Jovanovic.
Petar Jovanovic earned his third consecutive First Team All-SEC and second consecutive ITA All-American nods this season. Jovanovic has compiled 202 career wins as a Bulldog, making him the program's all-time win leader. With a singles record of 29-10, Jovanovic earned a career-high ranking of No. 6 nationally and reached the No. 1 overall ranking in doubles alongside Benito Sanchez Martinez.
The 2025-26 season marked Assistant Coach Trevor Gotkowski's second season in Starkville under Head Coach Matt Roberts. Alongside Roberts and Associate Coach Derek Siddiqui, Gotkowski helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back 25-win seasons and consecutive NCAA Quarterfinal appearances. The Bulldogs finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country after another great season. This marks the second consecutive year in which a Mississippi State coach has won the award, with current Ole Miss head coach and former assistant Jake Jacoby earning the honors in 2025.
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU Men's Tennis on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateMT"
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