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Reims, France – After three days of fierce competition at what is described as “The World Event of University Tennis”, it is Team Great Britain going home with Gold at the 2025 Master’U BNP Paribas Championship after dethroning Team USA is Sunday’s championship match.
Marking the first gold for Great Britain at the Championship since 2017, the win marked the end of a five year win streak for Team USA as they have been the perennial powerhouse of this competition, winning the most gold medals of any competing nation in the tournament’s storied history.
In the championship match, it was team Great Britain who jumped out to an early advantage behind dominant performances from Oliver Okonkwo (Illinois) and Finlay Murgett (Auburn) to give the Brits a 2-0 advantage over the Americans. For Okonkwo, he beat Nicolas Kotzen (Columbia) 7-5, 3-6, 10-6 in what proved to be a decisive point in the overall makeup of the match while Murgett took down Aidan Kim (Ohio State) 6-2, 7-6 to complete the strong start to the morning.
Not backing down, it was the American players of Reese Brantmeier (North Carolina) and Valerie Glozman (Stanford) who put Team USA back into the match with two straight set victories in women’s singles. Brantmeier, who took on Eliz Maloney, won 6-4, 6-1 to claim the first point for Team USA while Glozman defeated Grace Piper (USC) 6-4, 6-2 to tie the match back up at two points apiece.
Moving on to doubles play, it was another split of points between men’s and women’s doubles play as Team Great Britain earned the men’s doubles point and Team USA claimed the women’s doubles point. Needing a third set tiebreaker to keep the match alive in women’s doubles, Luciana Perry (Ohio State) and Brantmeier would go on to win 6-1, 6-7, 10-3 to force a winner-take-all mixed doubles match.
Pairing Kotzen and Perry together for Team USA, the duo would take on Jamie Connell (Furman/Florida State) and Sophia Johnson (Old Dominion) in the decisive match. With the Brits striking first in the first set, Kotzen and Perry were able to recover in the second set forcing a third set match tiebreaker. After trading mini-breaks to start the tiebreak, it was Connell and Johnson who pulled away towards the end of the match winning 10-7 over the Americans to take home Gold.
The Gold marks the second time in tournament history in which Great Britain has taken home the top honors. In Sunday’s third place match, Team France took down Team Australia to claim the Bronze medal in their home country.
Continue reading below to see a full recap of all Team USA’s matches at the 2025 Master’U BNP Paribas Championship:
Quarterfinals: Team USA def. Team Ireland 4-0
Men’s Singles: Nicolas Kotzen (USA) def. Freddy Murray (IRL) 6-3, 6-1Men’s Singles: Aidan Kim (USA) def. Conor Gannon (IRL) 3-6, 6-4, 10-4Women’s Singles: Luciana Perry (USA) def. Breda Brennan (IRL) 6-2, 6-1Women’s Singles: Valerie Glozman (USA) def. Aisling O’Connor (IRL) 6-3, 6-3Men’s Doubles: Banerjee/Kim (USA) def. McDonnell/Murray (IRL) 8-4Women’s Doubles: Brantmeier/Perry (USA) def. Gardiner/O’Connor (IRL) 8-4Mixed Doubles: Brantmeier/Banerjee (USA) def. Gardiner/McDonnell 8-3
Semifinals: Team USA def. Team France 4-3
Men’s Singles: Arthur Nagel (FRA) def. Nicolas Kotzen (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 10-8Men’s Singles: Aidan Kim (USA) def. Hugo Car (FRA) 6-4, 6-4Women’s Singles: Reese Brantmeier (USA) def. Savine Erler (FRA) 6-4, 6-4Women’s Singles: Alice Robbe (FRA) def. Valerie Glozman (USA) 6-3, 1-6, 10-6Men’s Doubles: Car/Nagel (FRA) def. Kim/Kotzen (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 10-3Women’s Doubles: Brantmeier/Perry (USA) def. Leclercq/Robbe (FRA) 6-3, 7-6Mixed Doubles: Kotzen/Perry (USA) def. Jucha/Leclercq (FRA) 6-3, 6-4
Finals: Team Great Britain def. Team USA 4-3
Men’s Singles: Oliver Okonkwo (GBR) def. Nicolas Kotzen (USA) 7-5, 3-6, 10-6Men’s Singles: Finlay Murgett (GBR) def. Aidan Kim (USA) 6-2, 7-6Women’s Singles: Reese Brantmeier (USA) def. Eliz Maloney (GBR) 6-4, 6-1Women’s Singles: Valerie Glozman (USA) def. Grace Piper (GBR) 6-4, 6-2Men’s Doubles: Murgett/Okonkwo (GBR) def. Banerjee/Kim (USA) 6-4, 6-4Women’s Doubles: Brantmeier/Perry (USA) def. Johnson/Piper (GBR) 6-1, 6-7, 10-3Mixed Doubles: Connel/Johnson (GBR) def. Kotzen/Perry (USA) 6-1, 4-6, 10-7
