The South Carolina men’s tennis team announced on April 27 that it has received an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will serve as host for the Columbia regional. The Gamecocks, seeded No. 13, are set to play Richmond in the first round of competition.
This selection marks the program’s 31st appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its 12th under head coach Josh Goffi. The Columbia regional will also include North Carolina and Michigan State.
South Carolina (16-8 overall, 8-6 Southeastern Conference) is scheduled to play Richmond (17-8 overall, 2-2 Atlantic 10) on Friday, May 1 at 2:00 p.m. This is the second year in a row that South Carolina faces an Atlantic 10 champion in its opening match of the tournament.
The Gamecocks recently competed in the SEC Championships, where they were eliminated by Mississippi State after a win over Ole Miss. Throughout their season, South Carolina played against thirteen teams ranked within the top twenty-five nationally and achieved notable victories over Columbia (then-ranked No.10), Oklahoma (No.18), and Florida (No.16).
In individual rankings released by ITA, Lucas da Silva leads South Carolina singles players at No.14 nationally; Sean Daryabeigi ranks No.86 and Paul Barbier Gazeu is No.99. In doubles competition, da Silva pairs with Barbier Gazeu at No.7 while Daryabeigi teams with Max Stenzer at No.60 and with da Silva at No.62.
Da Silva was named First Team All-SEC while Barbier Gazeu earned Second Team All-SEC honors as well as a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
First-round matches for this region are scheduled for May 1–2 or May 2–3 using a single-elimination format among four teams; winners advance to super-regional play on May 8 or May 9 before national championship rounds begin later in Athens, Georgia from May 14–17.
Thirteen Southeastern Conference programs have qualified for this year’s men’s tournament field.
