Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now
ALL-ORANGE COUNTY BOYS TENNIS TEAM 2025
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rishvanth Krishna, University, Sophomore
When the stakes were the highest for individual competition, University’s Rishvanth Krishna rallied to claim a championship.
When the stakes were the highest for team competition, the sophomore came from behind to help the Trojans capture a title.
Krishna used his budding talent and composure to deliver at the biggest moments, and for that, he is The Register’s Orange County boys tennis player of the year.
“(He) is special,” University coach John Kessler said. “We have obviously been fortunate to have many top players at Uni over the years but he might be the most composed player we have had.”
“When you watch him play, you honestly don’t know if he is winning or losing as he remains as even-keeled as one could be,” the coach added. “That’s not to say he isn’t nervous or doesn’t feel any pressure. … It’s the way he processes those feelings and uses them to his advantage.”
Krishna signaled an outstanding season winning the boys CIF division at the 123rd Ojai tournament in late April.
Seeded third, Krishna swept Mater Dei sophomore Matteo Huarte 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
In the semifinals, Krishna rallied from a three-game deficit in the opening set to knock off No. 1 seed Lorenzo Brunkow of Palisades 7-6 (4), 6-1. Brunkow is a senior committed to UC Santa Barbara.
In the Round of 16, Krishna was tied with Ryan Honary of Newport Harbor 7-7 in an eight-game pro set and trailed 15-40. Krishna responded with five consecutive winners en route to a 9-7 victory.
As the Ojai singles champion, Krishna hoisted the storied Farnam Cup one year after losing in Round of 16 to eventual champion and 2024 Orange County player of the year Niels Hoffmann of Corona del Mar. Krishna fell after holding match point but earned the nickname “King Slayer” from one of his coaches.
“I always know I have a chance against anybody,” he said. “You just have to believe it. It’s just inside me.”
For the postseason, Krishna focused on team competition and played a major role in University defending its CIF-SS Open Division, regional and state titles.
In the CIF State finals against Menlo, he rallied from a two-game deficit in the first set to defeat Northwestern-committed senior Cooper Han 7-5, 6-4. The comeback secured the championship point in a 4-3 victory that lifted University to a second consecutive state crown.
“He is a remarkable player,” University assistant coach John Mano said of Krishna, who was selected the SoCal MVP by the National High School Tennis All-American Foundation.
“There were multiple matches where he played from behind against Division I (recruits in the) 12th grade. Slowly but surely, he adapted his game and found ways to win outside of his normal game.”
Krishna credits his brother Rithvik, who played four years at UC Irvine, for inspiring him to play hard.
“My brother has always been better than me,” Krishna said. “I just want to be better than him.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tim Ludeke, Villa Park
In his third season, Ludeke guided the Spartans to a dramatic turnaround that culminated in the team reaching the CIF-SS championships for the first time.
Villa Park (13-4) used a retooled lineup to claim an undefeated North Hills League title and finish as the Division 4 runner-up to Millikan.
The Spartans’ run came one season after they finished 1-13 overall and 0-6 in the Crestview League.
Ludeke altered Villa Park’s lineup this spring with the return of standout Greg Gamal, who didn’t play in 2024.
Gamal, a UC Irvine commit, played No. 1 singles while his freshman brother Daniel settled at No. 2 singles.
The Spartans paired Gavin Kuo, their former No. 1 singles player, with Maddox Goodman at the top of their doubles lineup.
In the playoffs, the moves helped Villa Park defeat Alta Loma 11-7, No. 1 seed Oxford Academy 11-7, Temescal Canyon 13-5 and San Gabriel 12-6. Millikan defeated the Spartans 10-8 in the finals.
“It was a pretty awesome season,” said Ludeke, who was assisted by Edgar Padilla, one of his former players at Servite. “We’ll all remember it forever.”
ALL-COUNTY FIRST TEAM
Singles
Rishvanth Krishna, University, So.
Orange County Player of the Year
Brady Tallakson, Woodbridge, Jr.
The Boise State commit and Pacific Coast League singles champion finished as the runner-up in the CIF-SS individual championships.
Matteo Huarte, Mater Dei, So.
The Trinity League singles champion took second to University’s Rishvanth Krishna in Ojai and lost to eventual champion Andrew Johnson of Palos Verdes in the semifinals of the CIF individual tournament.
Doubles
Caden Lee, Sr., & Edwin Yuan, Fr., Beckman
The doubles pair rallied past top-seed David Tran and Trevor Nguyen of Marina 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) to earn the Patriots a second consecutive doubles title at the Ojai tournament.
Riley Anson, So., & Brady Schaefgen, Sr., JSerra
The Trinity League champions delivered the Lions their first title at the CIF-SS Individual Championships — in singles or doubles — by defeating a Harvard-Westlake doubles pair 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in the finals.
David Tran, Jr., & Trevor Nguyen, Sr., Marina
The Sunset League champion lost in a third-set tiebreaker to a Beckman doubles pair in the finals of The Ojai and fell to eventual champion JSerra in the semifinals of the CIF individual tournament.
ALL-COUNTY SECOND TEAM
Singles
Nikhil Bommaiah, Tustin, So.
Greg Gamal, Villa Park, Sr.
Rohan Grewal, Beckman, Jr.
JiHyuk Im, University, So.
Cayden Wang, Crean Lutheran, Sr.
Doubles
Kaiden Somaratne, Fr., & Landon Le, Fr., Beckman
Ethan Chung, Sr., Nathan Mermelstein, So., Dana Hills
Dylan Trinh, Sr., & Kai Stolaruk, Jr., Edison
Langston Walter-Wu, Jr., & Humam Alajeely, Sr., University
Tyler Chandler, So., & Reid Hashimoto, So., University
