Coming off one of its strongest seasons in recent times, reigning West Coast Conference Coach of the Year Robin Goodman recently took University of the Pacific’s men’s tennis team to San Diego to prepare for the 2025 spring season.

The end goal was to elevate the team towards a push for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Men’s tennis is coming off a season where it was ranked as high as No. 47 nationally, its highest since 2016. The Tigers finished with a 19-6 record and made its first postseason appearance since 2004 after reaching the finals of the National Invitational Tournament.

Goodman said the biggest strides he noticed in his team were mental. Specifically, how to play an individual sport as a team.

“We have four players out of 10 who have never played team tennis before, which is a different concept. Our players have been training their whole lives to play for themselves, and now they’re being trained to play for a team. We taught and educated them on what it should feel like when we’re playing for something bigger than individuals,” Goodman said.

It was the first time men’s tennis has made a preseason trip to prepare. Goodman felt San Diego struck the right balance of quality practice time and incorporating program donors, alumni and supporters. Goodman was simultaneously preparing his players for the season while also exposing them to some of the people who have made their Pacific careers possible.

“It was an important trip, and it was good to see all the alumni who still care about this school and care about how we’re doing. It was really cool,” said Tiago Silva ’26. “We had an event on one of the days where we played pickleball and had dinner with alumni and President Christopher Callahan.”

Ran Amar ’25 said the earlier start to the season will better set them up for future success come April and May. Amar posted a 13-6 singles record for the team last season and was unbeaten at the National Invitational Tournament.

“The earlier preparation will help us. If we can elevate our games by just one or two percent, it can make a big difference in this sport. We took the trip seriously and maximized the opportunity, so I think we’re going to see results,” Amar said.

The team was picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference Preseason Poll and Silva was named to the league’s Preseason Team. Silva headlines the squad after becoming just the second student-athlete in program history to reach the NCAA Individual Championships this past fall.

Pacific opens the season Jan. 22 in Waco, Texas against Prairie View A&M. The home opener is Feb. 1 against UC San Diego at the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center. See the full men's tennis schedule.