Hernandez Cortes, Vaksmann set for ITA All-American Championships

Mississippi State's Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Raphael Vaksmann will compete in the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this week. The tournament will mark both players' first action of the fall season.

Vaksmann will begin in the qualifying stage Monday, facing Illinois' Jeremy Zhang at 1:30 p.m. He is the No. 17 seed in the qualification bracket. Hernandez Cortes will begin in the main draw Wednesday, with the main-draw pairings scheduled for release Tuesday night.

Both Bulldogs enter the tournament ranked among the top 100 in the ITA preseason rankings. Hernandez Cortes is ranked No. 61 nationally, while Vaksmann is No. 95.

Hernandez Cortes reached the main draw at the 2025 All-Americans after winning four matches across the prequalifying and qualifying stages. Vaksmann also competed in the 2025 event, defeating North Carolina's Constantinos Djakouris in the prequalifying stage.

Vaksmann's preseason ranking is the highest of his career; he reached No. 123 nationally in 2025. Hernandez Cortes climbed as high as No. 34 in the nation last season.

The two players are key returners for Mississippi State's 2026-27 team, which is led by head coach Matt Roberts. Under Roberts, the Bulldogs have reached consecutive NCAA quarterfinals and have continued to compete in the SEC and nationally.

Source: Mississippi State Athletics.