AUGUSTA, GA. – On the eve of the annual conference tournament, the Peach Belt Conference has announced the 2026 Men's Tennis Major Awards and All-Conference teams.

Columbus State secured three of the major awards, including Player of the Year (Thomas Cardona), Freshman of the Year (Hugo Didier), and Coach of the Year (Evan Isaacs).

Cardona, a senior, went undefeated in conference play at No. 1 singles and is currently ranked ninth in the latest ITA Rankings. The Medellin, Colombia native finished the regular season with a 14-2 overall singles record with eight wins over nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles play, Cardona and teammate Samer Al Tori had a 12-5 record.

Didier was honored as the Freshman of the Year after finishing 5-1 in PBC play and 12-4 overall in the No. 2 singles position. He tallied wins over two nationally-ranked opponents and is currently No. 37 in the ITA.

Isaacs, the winningest coach in Peach Belt history, won his eighth PBC Men's Coach of the Year title after guiding the Cougars to a ranking as high as No. 4 to go along with a 17-2 record and a perfect 6-0 mark against league opponents.

This is the seventh time a Cougar has been named the League's Player of the Year and the sixth Freshman of the Year accolade.

Cardona and Didier each earned a spot on the All-Conference Singles First Team, while CSU was represented on the Doubles First Team by the senior duo of Elias Peter and Andrea Sandrone. Columbus State's top doubles tandem, currently ranked No. 24, was 14-1 in the spring and turned in a perfect 4-0 conference mark, winning their last nine matches to close out the schedule.

Another senior doubles team, Daniel Hammond and Benedek Szombathelyi, earned a place on the Doubles Second Team finished 12-4 in the regular season and also had a perfect PBC mark at 5-0 in the third flight.

Columbus State kicks off the postseason this weekend as the No. 1 seed in the Peach Belt Conference Championship at the John W. Walden Tennis Center. Following a first-round bye, the Cougars will face the winner of Lander vs Middle Georgia on Saturday, April 25, at 1:00 p.m.


First Team All-Conference Singles
Thomas Cardona, Columbus State
Hugo Didier, Columbus State
Aniss Rafiq, Flagler
Ilian Borlee, Flagler
Harry Pugh, Lander
Pedro Liborio, North Georgia

First Team All-Conference Doubles
Andrea Sandrone / Elias Peter, Columbus State
Aly El Rafie / Noah Paterson, Flagler
Harry Pugh / Brendan Jayaprakash, Lander

Second Team All-Conference Singles
David Perret, Augusta
Aly El Rafie, Flagler
Simon Malis, Flagler
Chase Martin, GCSU
Daniel García Suárez, Middle Georgia
Alejandro Vizoso Ansedes, Middle Georgia
Joao Silva, North Georgia

Second Team All-Conference Doubles
Alexis Bailhache / David Perret, Augusta
Daniel Hammond / Benedek Szombathelyi, Columbus State
Juan Cruz Blanco / Ben Brandl, North Georgia

Player of the Year
Thomas Cardona, Columbus State

Freshman of the Year
Hugo Didier, Columbus State

Coach of the Year
Evan Isaacs, Columbus State

Elite 18 Award
Arthur Valette, Augusta