If you’ve ever watched the Oregon men’s tennis team, you may have noticed that two of the players look somewhat alike. You might also notice they have the same last name. Matthew and Cameron Burton are teammates, roommates and brothers. 

Ahead of this season, Cameron, a true freshman, arrived in Oregon to begin his college career on the tennis courts, but he wasn’t the first in his family to pick up a racket in Eugene. After one season of college in Australia, Matthew made the transition to Oregon in 2023 where he still plays today.

Matthew and Cameron grew up in Attadale, Western Australia. Tennis ran in their family as both parents played from the beginning of the boys’ lives.

“I started when I was really young, maybe like 4 or 5,” Matthew Burton said. “My parents played, so they kind of got me into it. I kept going down, watching my dad play, and my mum, and then I just picked up the racket myself and kept playing.”

It’s no surprise that Cameron followed in the same footsteps with his parents and older brother at the courts so much.

“It was kind of just in the family,” Cameron said. “I always had a tennis racket, so I asked dad if I could go have a hit with him and I loved it from there.”

Matthew Burton didn’t come to the United States immediately upon finishing high school. He started at a college closer to home, but like so many other college tennis players, leaving to come to the U.S. presented the best opportunity to pursue academics and athletics.

“I didn’t want to stay in Western Australia for the rest of my life,” Matthew said. “I ended up looking at colleges, using my tennis to come here, and now I travel around the world, meet a whole new group of people, network and I love it.”

For Matthew, Eugene was exactly the change of scenery he was looking for with a welcoming community.

“I wanted something completely different from Western Australia in terms of weather, people,” Matthew said. “People here are so welcoming, the facilities are unbelievable, the coaches and the team are so good and all that combined just added up.”

Matthew arrived in Eugene in 2023 and immediately found himself in the No. 1 doubles spot with Quinn Vandecasteele. They went 14-9, with four of their wins coming against ranked opponents. In singles, he went 11-11 and gradually moved up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup, where he recorded three of his wins.

Last season, Matthew remained at No. 3 in singles, going 13-11. In doubles, he was paired with Lenn Luemkemann and they went 14-11 from the No. 1 spot. They finished the season as the No. 77 doubles pair in the country.

This season, still at No. 3, he sits at 10-6 in singles. In doubles, Matthew is still in the top spot, now partnered with Pierre Mouesca and they are 14-4. The difference? He is no longer the only Burton on the court.

“Such a special thing now that (Cameron) is here,” Matthew Burton said. “I’m glad I get two years with him here. We’ve had so many fun memories already, and next year and a half is going to have even more.”

Prior to college, Cameron was the Australian U14 National Champion for singles in 2022. Talking with his older brother certainly played a role in his decision to come to Oregon.

“(Matthew) told me all these stories,” Cameron said. “All of them were positive, and he loves it here, so I thought I would love it here too, and I do.”

As a true freshman, Cameron is 10-6 in doubles, primarily partnered with Lachlan Robertson, along with one match with Vlad Breazu, which they won. He’s been rotated in and out of the singles lineup. When he has played, he’s been in the fifth or sixth spot and is currently 4-2.

As the Ducks prepare for their final weekend stance of the regular season at home against UCLA and USC, the Burtons will be looking to lead the team to the best spot possible ahead of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments before returning for one more season together in Eugene.