PRINCETON, NJ – The Princeton University men’s tennis team ended a 14-year championship drought and a 14-match losing streak against rival Columbia University on Sunday, February 15, 2026, securing the ECAC Championship title in a grueling 4-3 victory. The match, lasting over three hours, culminated in a decisive win for Princeton, described by observers as having the atmosphere of a rock concert.
The outcome rested on the shoulders of Princeton’s Landon Ardila, who faced Columbia’s Sachin Palta in a nail-biting third set with the score tied 3-3. Palta, ranked No. 37 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), had fought off a set point to win the first set 7-6 (6-8), but Ardila rallied to win the next two sets 7-5, 6-1, clinching the championship for the Tigers.
“Princeton couldn’t have been in better hands,” according to reporting on the match.
The victory was particularly significant as it broke a long losing streak against Columbia. The teams had entered the tournament as the top two seeds, having combined to outscore opponents 16-0 for the weekend, setting the stage for a highly anticipated final.
While Ardila’s performance secured the win, a key moment came earlier in the day with the No. 1 singles match featuring Princeton’s seventh-ranked Paul Inchauspe and Columbia’s third-ranked Michael Zheng. This was a rematch of their NCAA singles semifinal from the previous fall, a match Zheng had won on his way to a second consecutive national title. Inchauspe reversed the result, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, securing a crucial point for Princeton. Both players recently competed at the Australian Open.
Princeton gained an early advantage by winning the doubles point. The duo of Ardila and Inchauspe defeated Andrew Ena and Nicolas Kotzen 6-4 at No. 1 doubles, while Aleksandar Mitric and Sebastian Sec won at No. 3 doubles, 6-1. Mitric likewise secured the first singles point for Princeton, winning his match at No. 6 in just over an hour, 6-1, 6-1.
Columbia responded with wins at No. 4, and No. 2 singles, before Inchauspe’s victory put Princeton ahead 3-2. Columbia then evened the score with a win at No. 5 singles, setting up the decisive match between Ardila and Palta.
The teams are scheduled to meet again on April 12 in New York City during the regular season Ivy League match.
Princeton 4, No. 12 Columbia 3
Singles
No. 1 No. 7 Paul Inchauspe (P) def. No. 3 Michael Zheng (C) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
No. 2 No. 25 Nicholas Kotzen (C) def. Top Nidunjianzan (P) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
No. 3 Landon Ardila (P) def. No. 37 Sachin Palta (C) 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-1
No. 4 Thanaphat Boosarawongse (C) def. No. 96 Sebastian Sec (P) 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Abhishek Thorat (C) def. Milan Markovits (P) 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
No. 6 Aleksandar Mitric (P) def. Aditya Govila (C) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 4, 2, 1, 5, 3
Doubles
No. 1 No. 11 Landon Ardila/Paul Inchauspe (P) def. No. 54 Andrew Ena/Nicolas Kotzen (C) 6-4
No. 2 Sachin Palta/Michael Zheng (C) def. Top Nidunjianzan/Meecah Bigun (P) 6-4
No. 3 No. 75 Aleksandar Mitric/Sebastian Sec (P) def. No. 25 Thanaphat Boosarawongse/Aditya Govila (C) 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
