The University of Texas women’s tennis signed three standout athletes on National Signing Day on Nov. 8. Head coach Howard Joffe added three athletes with professional experience under their belts.
Joining the program in January is Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz, a native of Glengowrie, Australia. Kempenaers-Pocz caught the attention of Joffe with her track record of wins in both singles and doubles against current Women’s Tennis Association professionals.
“Charlotte’s commitment is a major coup for our program,” Joffe said. “She is one of the top players for her age in the world and has the ability to play tennis at the highest level.”
Kempenaers-Pocz holds a career-high ranking of No. 35 out of the top juniors players in the world, along with being ranked as high as No. 760 in singles and No. 447 in doubles by the WTA.
The Australian made her ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour main draw debut in 2019. Over the course of her professional career, she has won numerous titles, including five ITF juniors titles in 2021. In 2022, she was both a singles and doubles semi-finalist at the 2022 Juniors Australian Open. She also made appearances in both the juniors US Open and Roland Garros that same year.
With this kind of experience on the court, Joffe is ready to take Kempenaers-Pocz’s game to the next level at the Forty Acres as she starts the season in the spring.
“I chose Texas because I really love the girls on the team and the coaches, as well as Austin itself,” Kempenaers-Pocz said. “I’m looking forward to embracing the Texan spirit and being part of such a successful team.”
One of the top juniors players in the world is next on the list of signees. Maya Joint from Grosse Pointe, Michigan has a career-high juniors ranking of No. 29. She is rated as a Blue Chip recruit by TennisRecruiting.net, which has listed her at No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in Michigan.
Joffe is thrilled that Joint chose Texas to continue her career, especially since the program will face some significant changes after this upcoming season.
“In a year where our program loses four seniors, the need to replace our roster with high talent and quality people has never been greater,” Joffe said. “With the signing of Maya Joint, I believe we are well on our way.”
Throughout her career, Joint has earned several titles, including 14 juniors titles and singles titles in Gladbeck, Germany and Woodbridge, Canada. This year, she appeared at the juniors US Open and the Roland Garros tournaments. More recently, the Australian-affiliated player topped three players who all have WTA rankings lower than No. 170 at the W60 Sydney in Australia.
Joint looks forward to pursuing both her academic and tennis goals at Texas next fall, saying that having the ability to do this in a city like Austin is a “dream come true.”
“I’m excited and determined to help the team win another NCAA title during my time in Texas,” Joint said. “I’m equally excited to be part of the UT family.”
Finally, joining the program from Westbury, New York is Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo, who chose Texas over some of the strongest programs in collegiate tennis.
“Ariana is a player that Texas fans are going to love to watch,” Joffe said. “Her tennis abilities and achievements will be remembered on the 40 acres long after she has played here.”
Having competed at competitions such as the juniors French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, Anazagasty-Pursoo is used to competing at the highest level of competition and has excelled at that level. She has five juniors titles under her belt, including doubles at the IFT J300 Pan American Closed in Houston where she played with fellow Texas commit Maya Joint in 2022.
Anazagasty-Pursoo is ready to continue developing her game at Texas, noting that Texas is the ideal environment to work toward achieving her long-term goals.
“It is the best place for me to continue growing as a person on and off the court through the experiences I’ll have there,” Anazagasty-Pursoo said. “I love the energy the coaches, players and staff bring every day, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
