DE PERE (NBC 26) — Kegan McDonough has earned his place in the record books.
The De Pere High School senior recently became the Redbirds’ all-time leader in career tennis wins, notching his 87th victory. But he’s quick to credit someone else on the court for making that milestone possible: his longtime doubles partner, Tudor Cristescu.
“Of course, without Tudor, I wouldn't even be close to that board,” McDonough said. “He's been a very key component of a lot of my wins. He's also been a great partner throughout all of this. I love playing with him.”
McDonough and Cristescu have played as a team for the past three years, but their chemistry dates back much further. The two first met on the court when they were just 6 years old.
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They say their success comes not only from time but also from how their playing styles complement each other.
“He’s really good at the net. He knows when to go for volleys, when to put points away,” Cristescu said. “I’m stronger from the baseline, so when he’s up and I’m back, that works best.”
Their bond began with a competitive moment that still gets laughs today.
“He got mad at me because I beat him at one point, and he smacked the ball and hit me in the leg,” Cristescu said. “At the next practice, he brought me an apology letter. If you told me I’d be playing doubles with him for more than half of high school, I wouldn’t believe you.”
That competitive fire hasn’t faded, making for intense matches.
“If you're watching them, you probably wouldn't say, wow, they really click,” said Redbirds head coach Scott Harpt. “They fight like brothers — because they’re close enough to get upset with each other. But it works for them.”
As graduation nears, McDonough and Cristescu are chasing one last run together.
“I'm really looking forward to the state tournament,” McDonough said. “I'm hoping to win at least two, maybe three rounds. Trying to get to that final eight — we'll see.”
With a 26-2 record this season — one of the best in the state — Harpt believes they can go the distance.
“They can hit with anyone in the state. I promise you that,” he said. “Anyone in the state — they’re right there and can go toe-to-toe with them.”
McDonough will graduate this spring, bringing an end to their long-running partnership. But if Cristescu keeps winning, he may be the next to climb the program’s all-time leaderboard — especially if he catches up to his longtime doubles partner.
In a fitting twist, McDonough’s place at the top might eventually be passed on to the very teammate who helped him reach it.
