Flagler College's men's tennis team celebrates its national championship victory. | Flagler College
Published on May 28, 2026 at 12:58 pm
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Flagler College’s men’s tennis team celebrated a big victory Sunday, taking home a national championship trophy and beating a rival team in the process.
The Division II win marks the first national championship for the tennis team since the 1980s, and the team’s first since competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
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The team came close to a national championship in 2024, landing as the runners-up. Aly Elrafie was on the team then, too, and in a very similar spot where he had the chance to score the winning point.
Elrafie says he was even getting the same cramps as two years ago.
“It was like memories coming back,” he says. “Now that I was able to win it for the team it was unbelievable.”
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Originally from Egypt, Elrafie has been playing tennis since he was a kid. He came to the U.S. to attend Flagler College in St. Augustine, where he is now in his junior year.
After he graduates, Elrafie hopes to bring his tennis skills back to his home country, maybe even to play for Egypt’s national team.
“For Egypt, tennis is not that big as it is for soccer, for example,” he says. “I really want to try to make it bigger in Egypt, make the sport bigger and make it more famous for this country.”
Big wins in tennis and beyond
Flagler College’s two previous championship wins came when the school played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, a smaller governing body for sports than the NCAA.
The win against Barry University also ended a 23-match losing streak that dates back to 1994.
Outside of tennis, it’s been a good year for Flagler College athletes. Baseball players and golfers from the school have received national recognitions, and the school’s women’s lacrosse team advanced further than they ever had in national championship contention.
