Eli Stephenson and Nicolas Arseneault of the Kentucky Wildcats men’s tennis team received Southeastern Conference (SEC) awards, according to an April 23 announcement by the league. Stephenson was named to the All-SEC First Team, while Arseneault earned places on both the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team.
The recognition highlights continued success for Kentucky’s program. The Wildcats have had at least one athlete earn All-SEC honors every season since 1996, with a representative on the First Team each year since 2016. Additionally, Kentucky has been featured on every SEC All-Freshman team since 2023.
Stephenson achieved his first selection to an All-SEC team this year, building on his previous conference honor from the 2024 All-Freshman Team. He finished the season ranked in the top 20 nationally for both singles and doubles play, posting a singles record of 26 wins and 10 losses while primarily competing at No.1 singles in conference matches. He recorded fourteen victories over ranked opponents—seven times more than in his first two seasons—and reached a career-high national ranking of No.16 in February.
Stephenson’s season included a win over Illinois’ Kenta Miyoshi, who was ranked No.12 nationally at the time, as well as being named SEC Player of the Week after leading Kentucky to victories against Louisville and No.15 Duke. In doubles competition alongside Jack Loutit, he posted a record of fourteen wins against eight losses with nine victories over ranked pairs.
Arseneault made an impact during his freshman campaign with a singles record of fourteen wins and eight losses and peaked at No.54 in national rankings. He defeated former ITA No.1 Ozan Baris early in his collegiate career to help secure an upset victory over Michigan State for Kentucky, finishing with eight ranked singles wins overall—including three against top twenty-five players—and winning ten out of twelve matches to close out regular season play.
Arseneault is now only the fourth Wildcat ever to earn both All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman honors in one season—a distinction previously achieved by Eric Quigley (2008), Ryotaro Matsumura (2026), and Antoine Ghibaudo (2025).
Looking ahead, Stephenson, Arseneault, and their teammates will learn their NCAA Tournament placement during Selection Show coverage scheduled for Monday afternoon.
