CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Women’s Tennis players Shona Nakano and Andrea Chacon begin play in the 2026 ITA All-American Championships in Cary, North Carolina, on Saturday (Sept. 19).
Nakano is in the pre-qualifying singles draw while the duo will play together in the pre-qualifying doubles draw. Nakano will face Elena Mercioiu from Sacramento State in singles on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. before she and Chacon battle Patricija Paukstyte and Bella Payne of Georgia later that day at 4 p.m.
The pre-qualifying stage of the ITA All-American Championships features 160 singles players and 32 doubles teams.
The top 20 singles players (winning three matches) will advance to the Qualifying Draw, where they will join 44 players with byes into that round. Winning two matches in the Qualifying Draw puts a player into the 64-person Main Draw.
For doubles, the top eight teams (winning two matches) will advance from the Pre-Qualifying Draw to the Qualifying Draw, in similar fashion to singles play. Of the 32 teams in the Qualifying Draw, the top eight will advance to the 32-team Main Draw.
