Teah Chavez has already had a smashing season — and there’s a chance it could get even better.
After being named the NCAA Big 10 Conference women’s tennis player of the year in her third year at Ohio State, the 20-year-old Regina product is competing in a pair of pro-level tournaments this summer, which could put her in contention to earn a wildcard spot to play in the National Bank Open, the largest pro tennis event in Canada.
“All a Canadian kid can think of growing up is playing at the National Bank Open because it’s the biggest tournament in Canada, and everyone wants to do it,” said Chavez. “Being a contender for that is pretty cool and I’m just trying my best every day to you know put my right foot forward and just do the best I can.”
Regina’s Teah Chavez competes in the International Tennis Federation W25 Saskatoon Challenger in Saskatoon, SK on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Matt Smith / Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Growing up in Regina, Chavez got into tennis around the age of six. While it started as “something fun” her and her older sister Anya could do together, it turned into a passion that Teah started to take more seriously around the age of 15 while attending Martin Collegiate, where she enrolled in the Premier Academy.
“I would go to school from 7 a.m. to 12, and then I would train in the afternoon, which was super cool,” said Chavez. “It’s a super awesome program if you want to be successful in your career.”
Teah Chavez tosses a ball to Nathan Morrison at the Lakeshore Tennis Club in Regina on Sunday June 21, 2015. Michael Bell / Regina Leader-Post
After being ranked No. 1 in Saskatchewan and in the top 10 in Canada, Chavez earned a scholarship at Ohio State University and recorded a 19-16 record in singles in her freshman season in 2023-24.
In 2024-25, she finished with a 26-9 singles record before being named the Midwest region’s most improved player and an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American.
Last season, she had a 23-6 singles record as she was named an All-American for a second straight year before also earning Big 10 Conference player-of-the-year honours in April.
“That was one of my goals, and I’m really happy that I was able to cross that off,” said Chavez, who finished the year ranked No. 5 after being ranked as high as No. 2 in the country at one point during the season. “Getting the recognition was awesome, and not only doing it for myself, but also my team.
“I think it’s pretty cool to recognize Ohio State like that. They built me to who I am right now as a player and as a person. So, I think it’s pretty cool for them to get that recognition as well.
“In my freshman year, I lost more than I won,” she continued. “It was a very different dynamic for me. I wasn’t really used to playing that much or being on court that much.
“With the help of Ohio State, I was able to grow so much, not only as a tennis player but also as a person, and it made me really develop my way of going about the court and how I approach different situations and my maturity.
“I just think I’m a much better person and tennis player because of Ohio State because of the situation that they put me in and I’m super grateful for them.”
Regina’s Teah Chavez is in contention for a wildcard spot for the 2026 National Bank Open. Mark Ritchie / Tennis Canada
Before she heads back for her fourth season with the Buckeyes, Chavez is playing in a pair of professional events this summer with the hopes of qualifying for another.
Last week, she competed in a W75 event in Granby, losing to Japan’s Kayo Nishimura in the first round, and next week, she’s playing in the Pro Tennis Classic in Saskatoon, which is a W35 event held at the Riverside Badminton and Tennis Club from July 20-26.
More than 50 professional players from across the world will compete for a prize pool of US$30,000 and valuable ranking points on the WTA World Tennis circuit.
If she earns enough pro points this summer in Tennis Canada’s Road to the NBO initiative, Chavez, who was ranked sixth among wildcard contenders heading in, could earn a spot in the National Bank Open, a WTA 1000-level event set to be played Aug. 2-13 in Toronto.
The field for the event includes World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu and seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams. (Regina’s Keegan Rice, who plays at the University of Virginia, is also a contender for a wildcard spot in the men’s tournament in Montreal).
“It would mean so much,” said Chavez. “To get the opportunity to play with the best of the best would be super cool.
“All these Canadian girls that are competing for it are very high level. We’re all very comparable in levels of success, and I think it’s really cool to be able to share that with them.
“I’m definitely hoping to be one of the front runners, and I’m just going to keep working every day and see how it goes from there.”
Regardless of whether she qualifies or not, Chavez is poised to head back to Ohio State next season for her fourth year before having to make a decision to turn pro following her senior season or head back to school for a fifth year.
She’s hoping playing in some of these pro events this summer will help her with that choice.
“I think every college kid has a goal of making it pro, but it’s just super tough,” said Chavez. “Even the girls that are not even in the top 100 are very good. It’s a very hard ceiling to break.
“This summer I just really want to show that I can play with the top level here at the pro level. I just want to do my best and see how I can manage evolving outside of college.
“Seeing how I can do and seeing if it’s the right fit for me is definitely something that I’m interested in. Just going about it as almost my job because that could possibly be my future.
“I have a lot of decisions to make after that fourth year. Maybe I go pro. Maybe I save my fifth year. I’m not really sure yet, but only time will tell. I just have to keep working and see what the right decision is for me at the end of the day.”
tshire@postmedia.com