Senior Jonny Rigby will be honored as one of the most successful men’s tennis players in SIU history before the match against Illinois State on Saturday for Senior Day.

Rigby has 140 combined doubles and singles wins, which ranks second in Saluki history. Mickey Maule holds the record with 160. The former also has 65 doubles wins as an individual, which is the most at SIU.

He is the lone senior on the team.

“With this being Jonny’s last home match, we want to send him out in style,” said coach Dann Nelson. “It is what it is, we want to win.”

Rigby said SIU changed his life by giving him an opportunity to graduate last semester with a bachelor’s degree in business management and minor in accounting. He is currently working on his master’s in sport studies.

“It’s been my home for four years,” Rigby said. “It will probably be quite upsetting. But it will be fun at the same time.”

The Lancashire, England, native’s family will be in attendance on Saturday for support.

“I’m just worried about my mom,” Rigby said. “She always cries. Stuff like that. I’ll try and keep my emotions to myself though.”

Rigby has been a MVC All-Conference team member three times in singles and two times in doubles. He won one individual doubles conference championship with now-junior Michal Kianicka in 2013.

“He’s meant a ton to this program,” Nelson said. “When we got Jonny, he was the first English guy that I’ve recruited. I went and recruited a whole bunch more hoping they would be like Jonny.”

Aaron Graff can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3334