Carlos Bracho enters his fifth season as an assistant with USD men's tennis in 2025-26. He joined the USD men's tennis staff in August 2021.
Since his arrival, USD has gone 90-20 (.818) in four seasons, winning seven total WCC regular season and tournament titles, achieved a program-best ITA national ranking of No. 6 during the 2025 season and made four straight NCAA Tournament second rounds. Individually, he's aided in the development of three WCC Players of the Year, three WCC Freshmen of the Year and five individual All-American campaigns, including a sweep of the 2025 ITA All-American National Championship singles and doubles titles and helping a player to centre court at Wimbledon.
The 2024-25 season was a remarkable one that had it all for Bracho and the Toreros. It started in the fall when Oliver Tarvet (singles and doubles) and Stian Klaassen (doubles) became the nation's first All-Americans and national champions, sweeping both ITA All-American National Championship titles, just the fifth time a player has won both in tournament history, first since 2015. Tarvet and Klaassen were the program's first ever duo to wear the No. 1 overall seed tag at the NCAA individual championships in doubles, while Tarvet was No. 2 in singles.
The Toreros got off to the best start in program history to begin the 2025 fall dual campaign with eight consecutive wins – five against top-25 opponents – en-route to qualification and the second round of the program's first ever ITA Team Indoor National Championships. USD continued the success, finishing with a 25-4 overall record, an undefeated 9-0 to claim both WCC regular season and tournament titles. San Diego also hosted an NCAA regional for the first time in program history after achieving a best-ever ITA ranking of No. 6, finishing ninth nationally.
In the summer of 2025, Tarvet, under the assistance of Bracho, not only earned a wildcard at Wimbledon qualifiers but made it to the second round of the main draw, facing world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on centre court.
Bracho comes to USD from the famed John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York, N.Y. where he worked as one of the Directors of the program from 2018-2021. Prior to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, he worked as Director of Junior Programs at the 4-star Tennis Academy and Jack Schore Tennis Academy in Mclean, Va. from 2011-2017.
He spent four seasons as an assistant tennis coach for the men's and women’s teams at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. from 2007-2011.
Bracho began his coaching career as a tennis professional at the Van der Meer Tennis Academy from 2004 to 2007, working with top-ranked juniors. In addition, he worked as a hitting partner for WTA player Ai Sugiyama in 2004 when she achieved her highest ranking of eight in the world.
Bracho is originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela, where he was a former top-five junior in singles and doubles.
"Carlos has been our secret weapon for the past three years," Keckley said in 2024. "His commitment and competitiveness is unrivaled. His ability to motivate, mentor and connect with student athletes is truly spectacular. He is one of the primary reasons why this program has seen modest success these past three seasons. One of the best in the business, plain and simple."
