Newsday's All-Long Island boys tennis team 2026

Newsday Player of the Year: Saje Vijay Menon, Wheatley, Sr.

After helping Wheatley to its first Nassau small school team title as an eighth grader, Menon stepped away from high school tennis.

He spent the next three years honing his skills at the John McEnroe tennis academy before he decided to finish his high school career in a team environment. It’s fair to say he made the right decision.

In his return, Menon helped Wheatley to a 4-1 rout over Cold Spring Harbor to earn the Wildcats their first Nassau title in three years.

“He has been so committed to our team and is such a stand-up kid,” coach Mike Kazin said. “He comes to every practice and is a pleasure to have around the other guys. He has the most composure of any player I’ve coached and always remains resilient. He’s probably the most mentally tough kid I’ve ever coached and it really makes him stand out.”

Menon claimed the Nassau individual singles title in a 6-4, 6-2 win over Friends Academy’s Will Bohner on May 16 before advancing to the state tournament, where he ultimately fell in the semifinals. Menon will continue his career at Babson College.

Suffolk Player of the Year: Ignacio Pena Lopez, Ross School, Jr.

Lopez has always been a standout for the Ross School, but really proved his dominance when he performed under pressure.

Lopez was sixth-seeded heading into the individual state tournament, forcing him to face top-seeded competition on his road to the championship. The transfer student from Spain took down No. 3 Will Bohner, 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Saje Vijay Menon, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals.

He ultimately fell short in the championship match and finished second in the state. After defeating the strongest of Long Island competition along the way, however, Lopez proved himself to be one of the best.

And to him, the journey was all worth it.

“I never thought that I would be here, at the U.S. Open [facility],” Lopez said. “I’ve been watching the Open since I was five years old, and now I’m here. This is the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. It’s amazing.”

First team: Singles

Will Bohner, Friends Academy, Sr.

Bohner placed second in Nassau and ultimately finished seventh in the state. Bohner has a strong serve and is quick along the baseline. The Trinity commit finished this season 18-3.

First team: Doubles

CJ Bravo (Jr.) and Ben Wiese (Soph.), Garden City

Bravo and Weise might make the perfect pair. They earned the state doubles title in a 6-3, 6-4 win over top-seeded Pratik Nyack and Christopher Cho (Section I). The pair went 10-0 in their playoff run together.

Ray Hidaka (Sr.) and Kai Hidaka (Soph.), Shoreham-Wading River

The Hidaka brothers earned the Suffolk individual doubles crown in a 6-2, 7-5 win over Smithtown West’s Ishaanth and Sreeyanth Reddy Guduru. They later finished sixth in the state tournament. The pair finished 15-2.

Coach of the Year: Jen Soper, Garden City

In her 10 years at the helm, Soper has finally experienced the state championship feeling. She helped lead doubles pair CJ Bravo and Ben Weise to an undefeated playoff run that led to a state tournament victory. The pair also secured its second straight Nassau doubles title.

Second team

Singles:

Nicholas Chin, Jericho, Jr.

Vidal Macchia, Floyd, Soph.

Leonardo Villacreses, Sachem, Sr.

Doubles:

Aayan Mehta (Sr.) and Nikhil Shah (Sr.), Syosset

Ishaanth (Sr.) and Sreeyanth Reddy Guduru (Soph.), Smithtown West