LAKE NONA, Fla. — American college tennis was in peak form tonight, as eight of the country’s top duos battled for a spot in the finals at the 2026 American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoffs. The event, held at The USTA National Campus’ Collegiate Center, offers doubles winners a wildcard into the 2026 US Open main draw.
Brandon Carpico and Nikita Filin (Ohio State), as well as Reese Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton (North Carolina), secured their spots in the doubles finals in mirrored straight sets, at 6-3, 6-2, respectively. Michael Andre and Matteo Antonescu (Indiana) came out on top after a long two sets, while DJ Bennett and Ava Esposito (Auburn) won in a tough three sets.
The four duos will be vying for a US Open wildcard, with Brantmeier also competing in the women’s singles final.
MEN’S DOUBLES SEMIFINALS
Brandon Carpico / Nikita Filin [1] def. Greyson Casey / Carter Pate [4], 6-3 6-2
The Big Ten matchup between Ohio State and Northwestern started out tight, but Buckeyes Carpico and Filin broke early in the first set to take a 4-2 lead, and the Wildcats could never quite catch up despite their efforts. Carpico and Filin played aggressive tennis, punctuated by several overhead smashes at the net that cleared the back fences.
“Pretty confident, pretty happy to get off the court fast,” Filin told Inside American Tennis. “It’s very hot and humid, so keeping the minutes down as much as possible obviously helps. I thought we played both really well and should have a lot of confidence going into tomorrow.”
Michael Andre / Matteo Antonescu [3] def. Alex Chang / Alex Razeghi [2], 7-6(4) 6-4
A lengthy two-set thriller started with a powerful three-game run from Andre and Antonescu. Despite leading the first set 4-1, Chang and Razeghi kept their composure, climbing their way back into the match to force a tiebreak, but ultimately fell to the Hoosiers. Andre and Antonescu harnessed that energy going into the second set, making a statement by breaking their opponents out of the gate, and eventually guaranteeing their place in the doubles finals.
“We’ve played a lot together throughout the season, and we’ve noticed the times that we are tentative or not going all out are the times we actually miss more,” Andre said in an interview after the match. “It’s almost counterintuitive when you’re nervous. You’ve got to really focus on trying to play loose, and I think we did a pretty good job of that today.”
WOMEN’S DOUBLES SEMIFINAL
Reese Brantmeier / Alanis Hamilton [1] vs. Valeria Ray / Bridget Stammel [3], 6-3 6-2
North Carolina’s Brantmeier and Hamilton were the first players of the night to punch their ticket to the doubles final, notching a straight-sets win over Ray and Stammel of Vanderbilt. The team jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, and maintained their momentum throughout the match. While the Commodores put up a fight, the Tar Heels’ capitalized on Brantmeier’s powerful serve and Hamilton’s quick reaction time at net to clinch their spot in the final, backing up their success at the event last year. The pair will attempt to earn the US Open doubles wildcard for the second consecutive year and extend their partnership for another few months after Brantmeier’s graduation earlier this summer.
“That match can give us a lot of confidence,” Brantmeier said in a post-match interview. “We had a really clear game plan, went out, executed well, stuck to what we came out looking to do, so I think that can give us a lot of good energy and a lot of trust in what we’re doing going into tomorrow.”
DJ Bennett / Ava Esposito [2] def. Jessica Bernales / Lily Jones [4], 6-3 2-6, 7-6(5)
Auburn dynamos Bennett and Esposito have extended their final season as teammates with a semifinal victory over Michigan’s Bernales and Jones. Bennett returned to the American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoffs after both a singles and doubles run in 2025—and she looked right at home alongside Esposito. The analogy is also literal, considering Bennett’s Central Florida roots. Bernales and Jones got the best of the Tigers in the second set, and started out strong in the third, but Bennett and Esposito leaned on their on-court synergy, making big shots and crafty saves to inch one step closer to a US Open wildcard.
“Coming from college, we’re used to just playing one set of doubles, so it’s kind of different playing two sets. There was a little bit of a lull in the middle of the match, but I think we just found a way to compete and make balls and find a way to come back from being down 4-2 in the third,” Bennett said in an interview after the win. “It just shows how tough we are as a team and how hard we compete in every game.”
“Also, playing for each other really helped pull us through that and just wanting to keep playing on the court with each other,” Esposito added. “So I think that was a big part of what helped us win and really dig deep.”
THURSDAY’S LINEUPS - 5:30 p.m. ET start
Court 1: (1) Reese Brantmeier vs. (2) Katrina Scott
Court 2: (1) Trevor Svajda vs. (2) Sebastian Gorzny
Court 3: (1) Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin vs (3) Michael Andre/Matteo Antonescu
Not before 6:30 PM after suitable rest
Court 1: (1) Reese Brantmeier/Alanis Hamilton vs. (2) Ava Esposito/DJ Bennett
