In a final that had all of it — a weather delay that led to the game lasting for over seven hours and a winner-take-all tiebreak, it was sophomore Matthew Forbes who delivered the decisive point.

But before anything, the green and white began their run into the Big Ten Tournament by asserting their dominance straight away. 

MSU opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over No. 9 seed Indiana in the quarterfinals. After splitting doubles matches early, the Spartans secured the point behind the pairing of redshirt senior Aristotelis Thanos and sophomore Danial Rakhmatullayev, ultimately taking control in singles. 

Senior Ozan Baris and sophomore Mitchell Sheldon each earned straight-set victories, while Forbes added a composed win at No. 2 singles, helping MSU quickly move into the semifinals.

A day later, the Spartans handled UCLA 4-2 with one of their most complete performances of the season. The top of the lineup set the tone again, Thanos, Forbes and Baris all won in straight sets, with Baris' 6-2, 6-2 result at No. 3 underscoring MSU’s ability to dominate from multiple spots. 

Junior Taym Alazmeh added a hard-fought win at No. 5, and while doubles proved competitive, MSU’s depth in singles proved decisive.

That consistency set up a championship clash with one of the nation’s best.

Facing No. 3 Ohio State, MSU needed a fast start — and got one. The Spartans claimed the doubles point behind strong performances from Forbes, Baris, Alazmeh and Sheldon, immediately putting pressure on a Buckeyes team used to dictating matches.

Singles, however, turned the swing back.

Baris continued his standout tournament with a straight-set win at No. 3, showing exactly why he remains the most decorated player MSU has ever seen, and Rakhmatullayev followed with a composed victory at No. 4 to give MSU control. Alazmeh added another point in comeback fashion at No. 5, rallying after dropping the first set to push the Spartans to the brink of the title.

But Ohio State responded.

With MSU leading and two matches remaining, momentum began to shift — and then the conditions did too. Heavy rain swept through Ojai, forcing a delay at a critical moment and disrupting the rhythm of both remaining matches. When play resumed, the energy had changed.

At No. 1 singles, Thanos — who had been steady throughout the tournament — fell in a tight three-set battle, leveling the team score at 3-3. Suddenly, the championship came down to one court: Forbes at No. 2.

The sophomore embraced it.

Facing Jack Anthrop, Forbes split the opening two sets in a match filled with long rallies and narrow margins. With the title on the line, the third set stayed on serve, eventually forcing a tiebreak to decide the championship. In the biggest moment of his season, Forbes played aggressively and with clarity, jumping ahead early and never giving the lead back. He closed the breaker 7-3, clinching the match and the Big Ten title for MSU after 59 years. 

MSU entered the tournament ranked No. 25 nationally, but its performance in Ojai will carry far beyond that number. The Spartans defeated multiple ranked opponents, including a top-three team and did so by leaning on the depth and composure that has defined their season.

For a program that has climbed so high, just in the year itself, under head coach Harry Jadun, this week in Ojai is a much deserved victory. The win not only delivers a conference championship back home in East Lansing but also secures MAU an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where the Spartans are now positioned for a significantly stronger seed heading into regional play.