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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Entering his second full year leading the Belmont University men’s tennis program, head coach Jeff Cero announced his 2025 signing class Thursday afternoon. The Bruins welcome a trio of newcomers for 2025-26, including Drake transfer Will Ecklund and freshmen Bautista Durrels Rojo and Austin Yack.
The three will only add further depth to Belmont’s roster, which returns seven letter winners from last season’s championship team.
A native of Clive, Iowa, Ecklund spent his first four years at Drake where he was a part of two Summit League Championship titles and two NCAA Championship appearances. In his final season in Des Moines, Iowa, Ecklund led the Bulldogs in total victories in both singles and doubles as team captain. He was a multiple-time Summit League Player of the Week and earned a spot on the 2025 Summit League All-Academic Team. Receiving his bachelor’s degree from Drake, Ecklund will play for the Bruins as a graduate student.
In juniors, Ecklund achieved a top-50 singles national ranking and reached the top 20 in doubles. Ranked as high as No. 1 in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Missouri Valley region, Ecklund competed in several notable tournaments, including Kalamazoo Nationals. At Waukee High School, Ecklund was an all-state performer and finished as the school’s all-time winningest player in both singles and doubles. The three-time district champion and first-team academic all-state honoree led the Warriors to their first-ever state championship and an undefeated season as a senior after winning the doubles state title as a sophomore.
“I’m very excited for Will’s passion and desire to come to Belmont,” spoke coach Cero. “He brings a good wealth of college tennis experience that will be beneficial to our team as we move forward this next year. He also brings a workman’s mentality and determination to see our program grow to the next level, which I’m pumped to work with.”
From Buenos Aires, Argentina, Durrels Rojo is a Saddlebrook Academy product who spent the last few years training at the famed tennis academy in Wesley Chapel, Florida, alongside 2025 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Charlie Robin. An experienced international player, Durrels Rojo has played in many of the world’s most famous junior tournaments, including the Easter Bowl, Les Petits As – Le Mondial and the 16U Mutua Madrid Open.
“I’m thrilled Bautista will be joining us at Belmont this fall as a freshman,” said coach Cero. “He brings great energy and passion and he’s ready to contribute to the team growing together. He also has a heart and hunger to develop his own game to reach new heights, which I’m excited to see where we can take him. I’m proud of Bautista becoming a Bruin.”
Hailing from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, right outside Toronto, Yack trained at LAT Tennis Academy in Boynton Beach, Florida. Significantly increasing his Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), Yack competed in both ITF and USTA junior tournaments. Off the court, Yack received the Anne Marie D’Amico Ball Crew Scholarship in 2024 for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers and won the Anne Marie D’Amico Customer Service Award in 2023. Studying at Langstaff Secondary School, Yack was a recipient of the HPA Co-op Academic Award.
“I’m extremely excited for Austin to join us, as he brings so many attributes that we value at Belmont,” commented coach Cero. “He is a hard worker and shows a passion for development and growth in his game and as a part of the Belmont tennis program. He also cares about the people he’s surrounded by, and I’m looking forward to investing and giving him every opportunity to grow as a player, teammate, and person.”
This past spring, Belmont captured its second Horizon League Championship title in three seasons and third consecutive Horizon League South Division crown. The Bruins reached their fourth NCAA Championship in program history and third in the last five years.
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