Chambana Sun

Fighting Illini Women's Tennis has announced the addition of two new players, Risa Ueno and Elizabeth Isyanov, during the recent signing period. Head Coach Evan Clark confirmed that both athletes have signed Big Ten Athletics Aid Agreements.

Elizabeth Isyanov comes from Elmhurst, Illinois, where she attended York High School. Over the past two years, she has been ranked as a blue-chip recruit and is currently a five-star recruit according to tennisrecruiting.com. She holds the No. 3 rank in Illinois for the 2025 class and was runner-up at the Illinois State High School competition in 2024. Academically, Isyanov has consistently made the high honor roll and is recognized as an AP scholar with honors. "I chose Illinois because it's an excellent school where I can pursue both my academic and tennis career with an amazing team and coaches," said Isyanov.

Risa Ueno hails from Hiroshima, Japan, attending Sanyo Girls' High School. At the Junior ITF level, she has won one singles championship and three doubles championships. Ueno holds a 10.05 UTR rating and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 393 in Junior ITF competitions. She reached the semifinals at the National Spring High School Championship in 2024. Ueno expressed her reasons for choosing Illinois: "I chose Illinois because of the high academic standards and how welcoming the team was on my visit. I feel that the coaching staff is enthusiastic and also very caring."

Both players bring strong athletic credentials to Fighting Illini Women's Tennis as they join their new team.