Kyle McNally wins the Edwardsville Open on June 14, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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Zachary Trimpe hits a return shot during the Edwardsville Open on June 13, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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William Mroz with a backhand shot during the Edwardsville Open on June 13, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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Dia Kannan smashes a shot during the Edwardsville Open on June 13, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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Erik Weiler with a serve during the Edwardsville Open on June 13, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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William Mroz during the Edwardsville Open on June 14, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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Kyle McNally during the Edwardsville Open on June 14, 2026, in Edwardsville.
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Kyle McNally races to the net for a shot during the Edwardsville Open on June 14, 2026, in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Kyle McNally made sure his first trip to Edwardsville would not be his last this summer.
McNally swept the men’s singles and doubles championships at the Edwardsville Open on June 14 at the EHS Tennis Center, earning wild card berths into the Edwardsville Futures professional tournament.
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“It means a lot,” McNally said. “After college, I’m going to try to go pro, so this is definitely a good start for me.”
McNally outlasted William Mroz 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to win the men’s singles championship.
“I was really playing well out there,” McNally said. “I was serving well, and my returns were coming along pretty good.”
McNally later teamed with Shaan Patel to defeat Liam Spiers and Adrian Dibildox 6-1, 6-2 in the doubles championship, giving him a second title and another wild card berth.
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McNally, a Chicago native, is coming off a standout spring junior season at Dayton. He was named the Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Player and earned First Team All-Conference honors after going 20-1 in singles and 18-4 in doubles for the Flyers.
His singles championship came against Mroz, who recently completed his fourth season at Illinois. Mroz went 18-7 in singles and 13-10 in doubles for the Illini.
McNally will return to Edwardsville to compete in the region’s only professional tennis tournament from July 26 to Aug. 2.
It will be the professional debut for McNally.
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“To be able to play in a professional tournament before college is over means a lot to me,” McNally said. “You don’t get this opportunity very often, so I have to make the most of it. Over the next month or so, I have to really prepare and get on top of my training to get ready for it.”
McNally said he had heard about the Edwardsville Open before making the trip.
“This was my first time playing down here,” McNally said. “I’m from the Chicagoland area, and I had some buddies play in this tournament in the past. I play tennis at the University of Dayton, and some of our former alumni have played in this tournament before.
“I saw it on the list of tournaments and thought it would be a good idea to sign up and see how it goes.”
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McNally’s path to the championship included a 6-3, 6-1 win over Finn Wartick in the second round, a 6-0, 6-1 win over Emmanuel Akwanor Wettey in the third round, a 7-5, 6-2 win over Jake Cohen in the quarterfinals and a 6-0, 6-2 win over Nicholas Shirley in the semifinals.
In doubles, McNally and Patel defeated Paxton Garland-Sutter and Kyle Shipman 8-1 in the second round, Patrick Joss and Zach Trimpe 8-1 in the quarterfinals and Shirley and Siddhartha Lama 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) in the semifinals.
While McNally’s sweep highlighted the men’s open divisions, the Edwardsville Open also showcased a mix of college and high school talent across five divisions of men’s and women’s singles and doubles, along with a men’s 4.0 18-and-over division.
The Edwardsville Open is presented by the Opel Bash Group.
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Other champions included Ryan Cochran in the men’s 4.0 18-and-over division, Ashley Hayes in the women’s open division and Dia Kannan and Hayes in the women’s doubles division.
Hayes was a double winner, posting a 6-3, 6-1 win over Albina Selimi in the finals of the women’s open division and teaming with Kannan to defeat Amelia Hill and Grace Hohman 6-0, 6-1 in the women’s doubles division.
Hayes, a two-time Missouri state qualifier, is a rising junior at Francis Howell Central.
Selimi, Kannan and Hill are all rising juniors at Edwardsville, and Hohman is a rising sophomore.
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The mixture of high school and college tennis players competing on the same court was one of the major draws of the tournament, according to sponsor Erica Bash.
“Edwardsville community tennis is such a strong program, and it has been for so long. We just love to encourage that,” Bash said.
Bash said the women’s divisions were another important part of the tournament.
“I love that this tournament has a women’s division. It’s important to encourage women in the pursuit of greatness in tennis,” Bash said.
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Bash and her family have been longtime fans of Edwardsville tennis, and they open their doors to players for the Edwardsville Futures.
She said it is a tremendous opportunity for the community to see the sport’s next stars close to home.
“For people who haven’t been out here to watch this level of play, it is so exciting,” Bash said. “You sit here on the edge of your seat watching excellent tennis. I hope that message gets out — this is really high-level tennis that we’re able to see right here in our backyard. It’s an honor to be part of it.”
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