Seven new players have been introduced on the women’s tennis team for the 2025-26 season. Many of the players are coming from overseas.
UTA women’s tennis has undergone a complete revamp this year, with five freshmen introduced to the team and the campus.
Here are the seven new members, all coming from different corners of the globe, who make up the women’s tennis program.
Graduate student Elizaveta Mladentseva is in her fifth year playing collegiate tennis. Mladentseva is from Samara, Russia, and is the oldest on the women’s team.
Elizaveta Mladentseva
Elizaveta Mladentseva is the eldest member on the women’s team, assuming her fifth year playing collegiate tennis, with this year being her first as a Maverick. Originally from Samara, Russia, the graduate student transferred to UTA from the University of the Pacific following her time at Oakland University for her freshman and sophomore years.
Mladentseva picked up a racket around the age of four. Before her collegiate debut, she played in two International Tennis Federation junior tournaments in 2019: the J5 Aktobe and the J4 Samara in her hometown.
With the abundance of freshmen on the UTA team, she has assumed a leadership role in the program.
“It’s nice, but it makes me feel more responsible,” she said. “It’s great to share your experience with others and teach them something.”
Mladentseva spends her time outside of her busy academic and athletic schedule exploring the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She also dedicates time to learning Spanish, since three of her coaches are Spanish speakers, she said.
As for her future, she said she would love to pursue the sport after getting her master’s, but a lingering back injury has created hesitation. Mladentseva said it was challenging for her mentally, but she has stuck with the rehab plan and tried to focus on her game.
Freshman Diana Kaibara is from Russia and has played tennis her whole life. Kaibara said that she wants to go pro.
Diana Kaibara
Like Mladentseva, freshman Diana Kaibara is a Russian native who has played her whole life and looks to go pro one day, saying college is a good stepping stone into that world. Kaibara said her favorite aspect of collegiate tennis is the tournaments she gets to participate in and the reciprocal support her teammates provide in matches.
In 2023, Kaibara competed in the ITF J30 Dushanbe, going flawless through the finals in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Her most recent junior ITF competition wrapped up after a single first-round win in the J60 Telavi in Telavi, Georgia.
Coming overseas, she said she prefers doubles play and has grown into the college atmosphere. Having a team was not something she was used to, but she has learned to enjoy having people in her corner.
While taking the time to learn the city she now calls home, she said she has enjoyed driving and likes to try different restaurants.
Journalism freshman Sofia Selle is from Cavalese, Italy. Selle has claimed regional championships in her home country.
Sofia Selle
Sofia Selle, a freshman from Cavalese, Italy, settled into her new home just one month before the season began, but said she was quick to get adjusted. Despite coming here so recently, the bond she and the other international players have made has eased the culture shock, but the one thing she does miss is her hometown food.
Selle has competed across Italy, claiming regional championships in singles and mixed doubles and reaching the finals of the Mountain Tennis Trophy Master. Aside from tennis, Selle is a journalism major and is particularly interested in sports journalism.
“I really like to know about things and also spread news to other people, especially in sports,” she said. “My dream would be to broadcast in matches such as tennis matches as well, baseball matches — Skiing, I really love skiing because I come from the mountains, so it’s something that I would really like to do.”
Selle said the connection with head coach Diego Benitez and assistant coach Imanol Arconada was unique from the jump and influenced her decision to come to UTA. She said she resonated with their ideas and ethics and having now joined the Mavericks, she is keen on improving her game under their leadership.
Flora Farkaslaki, a biology and psychology freshman, is from Hungary. Farkaslaki grew up playing tennis at a court near her home.
Flora Farkaslaki
Flora Farkaslaki, biology and psychology freshman, grew up with a tennis court near her home in Hungary, where her dad would take her to play, she said. Aside from having talent, she said she likes tennis because it’s a ball sport and a mentally-oriented game.
She started when she was 5 and wrapped up her junior ITF career picking up a first-round win at the J100 in Poland. She also dabbled in other sports such as figure skating and played chess but fell in love with tennis as a front-runner for her pursuit.
If she could play with any tennis professional in the world, Farkaslaki said she would choose Jannik Sinner, who became the first Italian to hold the No. 1 world ranking in 2024.
The freshman has had some struggles as she contracted mono in 2024 and was out for nearly half a year due to the illness, she said. She had to start almost completely from scratch and since recovering, she said she has put in a lot of work to get back to top shape.
Management freshman Natalia Gonzalez is an Argentine native from Buenos Aires. Gonzalez used to do musical theater and is considering pursuing it as a minor at UTA.
Natalia Gonzalez
Management freshman Natalia Gonzalez plans on picking up a minor in theater or communication, something she said she is more interested in. She’s originally from Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, where all of her family lives and where she used to do musical theater.
“It’s the first time I don’t have my family near,” she said. “But now, honestly, I’m enjoying Arlington; it’s becoming my home, and the girls are also becoming my family.”
At UTA, she said, the team’s culture is unique. Gonzalez said the athletes recognize that and are focused on honing their relationships, embracing their differences as they grow more familiar with each other.
Gonzalez is diligent, writing down what skills the coaches say she needs more of a presence on. She said she jots down the notes in a journal after practice.
In her free time, she likes to create videos and take pictures, taking a camera with her to remember the memories she has created.
Computer science freshman Tasnime Ahamout is an 18-time national title winner and two-time international title winner from Tetouan, Morocco. Ahamout is the youngest player on the women’s team.
Tasnime Ahamout
Computer science freshman Tasnime Ahamout is a national champion from Tetouan, Morocco. Despite being the youngest member of the team, Ahamout has won 18 national titles and two international titles.
She started her accoladed tennis career young, wanting to imitate her siblings Nizar and Intissar, listening to what her father would teach them and training on her own.
“One day, I grabbed a racket and I just went to play against the wall,” Ahamout said. “I asked my dad to play in real court, and he was really impressed and from that day to now, I still play.”
She said her move to Arlington was to pursue an education while still playing a high level of tennis. Her journey to UTA was initiated by assistant coach Arconada, who reached out to her via the women’s tennis Instagram account in December and she has been grateful for the opportunity, she said.
Communication sophomore Vanja Cado is a collegiate transfer from the University of Louisiana Monroe. Cado is from Karlskrona, Sweden.
Vanja Cado
Communication sophomore Vanja Cado is one of the two collegiate transfers at UTA this year, joined by Mladentseva. She is originally from Karlskrona, Sweden, and moved to the U.S. last August to pursue an education and play tennis at the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Her decision to leave ULM was sudden, as the tennis program was cut at the university. She came to UTA because of the connection she formed with the coaches, and enjoys the larger-scale environment of Arlington.
Her transition has been smooth, and she’s loved the change, she said, noting the team and the coaches’ contributions to ease her into the new school.
One of her favorite activities outside of tennis is traveling. During the summers, she said her family often visit different places, with Croatia being a yearly destination and cherished family tradition.
Cado said she is a perfectionist, maintaining specific routines throughout her day. She said her friends would describe her as a calm spirit. However, when it’s time to compete, she flips a switch — her energy surges as she locks in and focuses.
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