Syosset boys tennis rolls to 4th straight Long Island championship with win over Harborfields
The Syosset boys tennis team after securing its fourth consecutive Long Island Division I championship on Friday. Credit: Tess Ferguson
The Syosset boys tennis team has grown accustomed to excellence.
Two weeks ago, the team earned its fourth straight Nassau Division I title with a 6-1 win over Roslyn. On Friday, it continued to dominate. Syosset earned its fourth consecutive Long Island championship with a 6-1 victory over Harborfields at Smithtown East.
Senior captain Aayan Mehta clinched the match with the fourth point by winning his second singles match, 6-2, 6-2, over Brody Surbeck. Though the joy of winning another championship filled the moment, Mehta said he is already looking forward to what comes next: States.
“It feels great to do this again, especially on these courts,” Mehta said. “It means a lot because it's my senior year and it’s my last chance to win another state title and become a four-time champion.”
Syosset (17-1) now advances to the state semifinals, which begins at 9:30 a.m. June 12 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing.
First doubles pair Nikhil Shah and Jacob Prince were the first to get the ball rolling, earning Syosset its first win of the match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Caleb Thaler and Boden Rudloff. Shah said he knew that in order to keep winning, it’s important to get the momentum going early.
“We really stuck to our strengths,” Shah said. “My serve was working, [Prince] is a beast at the net. We stayed consistent and didn’t do anything too crazy. We played good doubles.”
Prince added that his chemistry with Shah has aided their success all season, and he doesn’t plan on stopping now.
“Our games compliment each other so well,” Prince said. “When we work together we can really put together a good match. Being a lefty-righty pair also has really helped us.”
Syosset swept the doubles slate and dropped only one singles match when Harborfields senior Caiden Veitch defeated Jake Cygielman, 6-4, 6-1, at third singles. After defeating Half Hollow Hills West to earn its first Suffolk title since 1978 earlier in the week, Harborfields finished its season at 16-2.
Though he’s experienced the championship feeling before, Syosset coach Shai Fisher said every year feels a bit different. This time around, Fisher said he’s just grateful to be in this position once again.
“Every year is unique and if I had one word to describe this team, it would be resilient,” Fisher said. “We’ve had a lot of different things happen throughout the year with illnesses and injuries, but we’re finally becoming whole as a lineup and we’re playing that much better because of it.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
