Colorado Tennis Begins Season at Milwaukee Tennis Classic

GLENDALE, Wis. — Colorado tennis steps into its new season this weekend not with a gentle warm-up, but with a statement stage.

The Buffaloes open their fall campaign at the 50th annual Milwaukee Tennis Classic, a three-day test at the Nicolet Tennis Center from Sept. 11-13, and the tone around the program is clear: this is where the work starts.

Head coach Anthony Pham is taking a tight, focused group to Wisconsin. Returners Heidi Crncan, Ema Bubalo and Lera Alexin make the trip, joined by newcomer Louise Ternstroem, who will make her Colorado debut when play begins at 9 a.m. Friday in ITA competition.

Ternstroem is the only fresh face on an eight-player roster, but she has wasted no time trying to close the gap. The Swede from Taby has spent the past three weeks in Colorado locked into training, intent on proving she belongs in the lineup from day one.

"She's a super hard worker, really serious about her tennis," Pham said. "It will be good for her to be around the other teammates and competing."

The Milwaukee Tennis Classic offers exactly the kind of grind Pham wants for his team. The singles draw features 32 players, the doubles draw 16 teams. Friday will be busy: doubles round of 16, plus singles rounds of 32 and 16, all packed into the opening day.

The format guarantees volume, not just pressure. Doubles pairs are assured three matches before quarterfinals hit on Saturday afternoon. Singles players are guaranteed four matches before the semi-finals. That means no one flies in for a single quick loss and a quiet exit; everyone gets reps, everyone gets tested.

There is also a serious carrot at the end. Win the Milwaukee Tennis Classic, and it comes with direct entry into the All-American regional rankings — a significant early-season boost for any player looking to climb the national ladder.

For Colorado, this is the first stop on a 10-tournament fall schedule that is built for development as much as results. The months ahead include heavyweight events such as the ITA All-Americans and the Bedford Cup before the dual-match regular season begins in January.

Pham has been clear about the purpose of this stretch.

"The most important thing is making sure that you are getting better," he said. "Doing the things that you have to do every day in order to make you a better player, a more complete player."

His words carry weight inside the program. Named ITA Rocky Mountain Region Coach of the Year last season, Pham recently signed a contract extension through 2029, cementing his status as a long-term architect of Colorado tennis and extending his tenure as the seventh head coach in CU history.

So the scene in Glendale is more than just an early-season road trip. It is a snapshot of a program settling into its identity: a trusted coach under contract for the long haul, a core of returners, and a single newcomer eager to break through.

The fall starts here, on hard courts in Wisconsin, with rankings, confidence and future lineups all quietly on the line.