Photo by: Ohio State Athletics
Tucker Signs Transfer Matthew Forbes
5/9/2026 2:42:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Forbes played the last two seasons at Michigan State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ty Tucker, Ohio State head men's tennis coach, announced the addition of Matthew Forbes to the program Saturday.
Forbes, the son of Roger and Denise Lawson-Forbes, is from Raleigh, North Carolina. He transferred from Michigan State University and will have two years of eligibility in Columbus.
He is currently ranked No. 15 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings with a No. 38 ranking in doubles. His highest career ranking in singles was No. 3 at the beginning of the 2026 dual season.
Forbes helped the Spartans win their first Big Ten Tournament title this year since 1967, clinching the victory with a three-set singles triumph in a 4-3 battle against Ohio State.
Forbes played at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions this season, where he went 20-9. He was 16-10 in doubles.
"I'm super excited to have the opportunity to play for a national championship with Ohio State," Forbes said. "They have a great reputation when it comes to producing pros as well as having a great team culture. I'm pumped to get to work with the Buckeyes."
As a sophomore this season, Forbes earned a spot on the 2026 All-Big Ten First Team.
He joins Victor Lilov, Ilija Palavestra and Denis Patek as newcomers to the Ohio State roster for 2026-27. Lilov and Palavestra joined the Buckeyes for the 2026 spring season. Petak and Forbes will join in the fall.
Tucker said Ohio State is familiar with the Forbes family.
"Matt Forbes is a tremendous addition to a talented team," Tucker said. "He has been a National Junior Champion and a Collegiate All American. We recruited Matthew hard coming out of high school and we are excited to start working with him this summer. His father Roger and I hit it off a couple of years ago on the recruiting trail, so now we have a chance to finally spend some time together."
Ohio State defeated Illinois, 4-0, Friday to advance in the 2026 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament. The Buckeyes earned a spot in the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner next Thursday in Athens, Georgia, of the Stanford/TCU match today (2 p.m.).
Noting Matthew Forbes
Forbes, the son of Roger and Denise Lawson-Forbes, is from Raleigh, North Carolina. He transferred from Michigan State University and will have two years of eligibility in Columbus.
He is currently ranked No. 15 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings with a No. 38 ranking in doubles. His highest career ranking in singles was No. 3 at the beginning of the 2026 dual season.
Forbes helped the Spartans win their first Big Ten Tournament title this year since 1967, clinching the victory with a three-set singles triumph in a 4-3 battle against Ohio State.
Forbes played at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions this season, where he went 20-9. He was 16-10 in doubles.
"I'm super excited to have the opportunity to play for a national championship with Ohio State," Forbes said. "They have a great reputation when it comes to producing pros as well as having a great team culture. I'm pumped to get to work with the Buckeyes."
As a sophomore this season, Forbes earned a spot on the 2026 All-Big Ten First Team.
He joins Victor Lilov, Ilija Palavestra and Denis Patek as newcomers to the Ohio State roster for 2026-27. Lilov and Palavestra joined the Buckeyes for the 2026 spring season. Petak and Forbes will join in the fall.
Tucker said Ohio State is familiar with the Forbes family.
"Matt Forbes is a tremendous addition to a talented team," Tucker said. "He has been a National Junior Champion and a Collegiate All American. We recruited Matthew hard coming out of high school and we are excited to start working with him this summer. His father Roger and I hit it off a couple of years ago on the recruiting trail, so now we have a chance to finally spend some time together."
Ohio State defeated Illinois, 4-0, Friday to advance in the 2026 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament. The Buckeyes earned a spot in the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner next Thursday in Athens, Georgia, of the Stanford/TCU match today (2 p.m.).
Noting Matthew Forbes
- 2023 Orange Bowl Doubles Champion
- 2024 USTA Boys Nationals Champion
- 2025 25k Norman finalist-Professional ATP Future Event
- 2025-26 Singles All-American
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