Chilcote claims 93rd News Journal Tennis Tournament title after three-week delay
Jake Chilcote defeated 2024 champion Ethan Remy in a tiebreaker final at Lakewood Racquet Club, capping a tournament suspended for scheduling conflicts.
Jake Chilcote has secured the men’s singles title at the 93rd News Journal Tennis Tournament, defeating former Lexington High School teammate and 2024 champion Ethan Remy 6-1, 1-6, 10-8. The final, held at Lakewood Racquet Club in Lexington, concluded an event that had been suspended for three weeks to accommodate the schedules of the finalists.
The tournament’s conclusion marks the fourth different champion in four years, following the end of Nicky Wong’s four-year reign in 2022. Previous winners include Justin Csepe in 2023, Ethan Remy in 2024, and Dylan Catanese in 2025. This year’s competition saw Chilcote emerge as a consistent force in close matches, earning him the moniker “Mr. Tiebreaker” after winning his last three matches via 10-point tiebreakers.
Chilcote’s path to the final was defined by his performance in these decisive mini-sets. He defeated former champion Alex “Bones” McCann in the quarterfinals and 2024 finalist Cooper Remy, Ethan’s younger brother, in the semifinals, with both victories decided by tiebreakers. Prior to these matches, Chilcote also defeated T.J. Michalski of Akron 6-3, 6-2.
In the final, the two players traded lopsided sets before the match was decided in the third-set tiebreaker. Chilcote established early leads of 3-1 and 5-2, but Remy rallied to take an 8-7 advantage. The momentum shifted rapidly when Remy committed back-to-back unforced errors, allowing Chilcote to serve for the match.
Chilcote, a fourth-year student at Otterbein University majoring in finance and accounting, began his senior year last Wednesday. He attributed his success in tiebreakers to his experience as a college player and the confidence gained from previous victories in the tournament.
The final point was secured after Chilcote sliced a forehand to draw Remy to the net, where Remy returned the next shot into the net. The victory concludes a tournament that required a three-week hiatus to ensure both finalists could compete.
