Texas women’s tennis will open its spring season on Jan. 18 with a home match against the Pepperdine Waves at the Texas Tennis Center.

Home-court advantage has played a significant role in the Longhorns’ recent success. Texas is coming off an 18–11 record last season in which the team won 11 of its 14 home matches. That success contrasts with a 5–5 record in away matches and a 2–3 record when playing at neutral sites. 

Pepperdine finished last season at 15–12 and struggled on the road, going 8–8 in away matches.

Texas enters the spring ranked No. 12 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, while Pepperdine is just nine spots below at No. 21. The Longhorns went 5–9 against top-25 opponents last season, while the Waves finished 2–10 against top-25 competition. 

Sophomore standout Carmen Andreea Herea leads the Longhorns and enters the spring season ranked No. 2 by the ITA in singles. Herea reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championships in November, falling to North Carolina senior Reese Brantmeier, the current No. 1 player in singles. 

Herea’s only other singles loss came against Stanford sophomore Valerie Glozman, ranked No. 4, which left Herea with a 7–2 record to conclude the fall season.

Texas also added Italian international player Anastasia Abbagnato, who is set to join the roster this spring. While she currently ranks No. 418 in the world in singles and has previously reached a career high of No. 400, in doubles, Abbagnato has climbed as high as No. 188 and currently sits at No. 229. 

Abbagnato has racked up 11 professional titles, with 10 of them in doubles, and is expected to be an X-factor for the Longhorns.

For Pepperdine, sophomore Anastasiia Grechkina enters the season ranked No. 7 in singles after posting a 17–3 record last fall. Grechkina is paired with sophomore Alexia Harmon to form the No. 78-ranked doubles team. The duo finished 6–3 last fall.

Texas has been one of the nation’s most consistent programs in recent years, compiling a 133–30 record since 2020. The team’s 11 losses last season marked its highest total since the 2014-15 season and the only time the Longhorns have reached double-digit losses since then.

Following its spring season opener, Texas will host the Arizona Wildcats on Jan. 24 as part of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kick-Off Weekend.