2026 New York City Boys’ Season Preview

The new season of PSAL boys’ tennis is nearly upon us, and the top tennis talent from across New York City will be hitting the courts soon.

New York Tennis Magazine takes a look at some of the top teams and players to watch for this upcoming season.

*All players and dates are subject to change

New York City Teams to Watch

Bronx Science

[INSERT: Bronx Science Photo]

Bronx Science will be in search of a three-peat this spring as the Wolverines have captured each of the last two PSAL 2A Championships. Kevin Diao stepped into the first singles position as a sophomore last season, and will be leaned on to lead the way again this season. Ishaan Bhagat, who played second singles a year ago, is back, and both of them have significant championship experience that will guide their team. While third singles player Sungjin Yun has graduated, as did the first doubles tandem of Henry Bardey & Kenya Takuka, depth pieces such as Shaunak Thamke & Leif Emery are back to bolster a title-minded group.

Brooklyn Tech

The Engineers of Brooklyn Tech’s only defeat last season came in the semifinals a year ago, a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Stuyvesant. With that, however, Brooklyn Tech has high expectations for itself this season, and has the roster to go further this time around. It has graduated its top two singles players from a year ago, but will lean on senior Oliver Foronda to take the reins atop the singles lineup. Samuel Ginsburg & Lukasz Rossochacki, who won the PSAL Individual Doubles title in 2025, are back for their senior season and will be relied upon to deliver big wins.

Francis Lewis

Francis Lewis is one of the rare teams entering this spring that will return its entire starting lineup from a season ago. The Patriots finished in second place in the Queens 1A division and earned them the ninth-seed, but a first-round exit left the team with a sour taste in its mouth. But that sets them up for a big spring in 2026. Alex Pierides led the way at first singles a year ago as a sophomore, and his running mates in the singles lineup, Nathan Yuen at second singles and Jared Wolfson at third singles, respectively, will create a formidable trio. Both doubles teams, the first doubles tandem of Jia Hao Mai & Jayden Liu, as well as the second doubles duo of Jayden Jimenez & Francis Shimunov, are both back. The Patriots are set to be one of the top teams in Queens, and aim for a deep playoff run.

Cardozo

As the fifth-seed a year ago, Cardozo came within one court of reaching the city finals, and with the majority of that starting lineup returning this spring, it has its sights set on making another deep playoff run. Vincent Chang, last season’s Individual Singles Champion, will return for his senior season and try to lead his team to the championship match, and will be helped out by junior Aaron Tokarz, who played second singles a year ago. All four of its doubles starters, Kemoy Brooks, Ethaniel Li, Ryon Rampersaud and Jia Shui Xiong, are back, creating a deep lineup capable of competing with anyone in the city.

James Madison

One of the youngest teams in the city last season, James Madison will be a team to reckon with this spring. They earned the sixth-seed in the 2A playoffs in 2025, but were upset in the opening round, something that will try to avoid this year with more experience under its belt. Juniors Eli Jakubowitz and Erick Tanskiy, who played first and second singles, respectively, last year, will lead the way and sophomore Edward Katsev, create a strong singles lineup that will keep Madison in all of its matches. It graduated three of its four doubles starters, but if the Knights can get solid play out of its newcomers in doubles, the team will be a contender as we move later into the spring.

Beacon

The team that upset James Madison last season? The Beacon Blue Demons. Once the most dominant program in all of New York City, Beacon aims to reclaim its place among the sport’s elite, and after a surprise run to the quarterfinals as the 11th seed last year, are poised to continue that ascent. At first singles, junior Kento Smith will lead the way, and while Sandro Buskhrikidze, who played second singles, has graduated, Calogero Brice will look to step into a bigger singles role in his sophomore campaign. With Lucian Barnett, Daniel Hsu, Aiken Arleigh, Connor Stevens and more creating a load of doubles depth, the Blue Demons are aiming to go even deeper in this year’s playoffs.

Additional Players To Watch

→Johnson Chen, High School of Environmental Studies

→Steven Feldblyum, New Dorp

→Dennis Jeffrey II, Townsend Harris

→Gabriel Kalnitsky, New Dorp

→Nicholas Loci, Staten Island Tech

→Brandon Richman, Forest Hills