The 2024 NCAA Division 1 tennis season has officially concluded with both men’s and women’s singles plus doubles champions crowned this past weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The tournament followed the team championship which saw TCU win the men’s trophy and Texas A&M capture the women’s.
Alex Noel Wins Women's Title
University of Miami redshirt junior Alexa Noel (UTR 11.42) claimed the women’s singles title with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win in the final over University of Georgia sophomore Anastasiia Lopata (UTR 10.81) in the final.
Noel spent two seasons at the University of Iowa before transferring to Miami. The former top junior recruit injured her ankle at the end of her freshman season while competing in the 2021 NCAA Singles Tournament and eventually decided to get surgery. After missing the entire 2022 spring semester to recover, she transferred to Miami where she flourished with a 61-16 overall record in singles for the Hurricanes.
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“Alexa is undoubtedly one of the toughest competitors in the country,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She took it to another level to be able to flip that match physically, tactically, and emotionally on that stage says a lot about who she is and what she represents.”
The USTA customarily grants US Open main draw wildcards to NCAA champions who are American, and has already confirmed Noel will receive one for later this summer.
Lopata remarkably was slotted all the way down at the No. 4 singles spot this season for the Bulldogs, the SEC champions and NCAA finalists.
One of the players stationed above Lopata in the Georgia lineup was junior Dasha Vidmanova (UTR 11.15) at the No. 1 singles spot and she won the NCAA doubles title with freshman Aysegul Mert (UTR 10.48). The duo defeated top-ranked Savannah Broadus (UTR 11.00) and Janice Tjen (UTR 11.01) of Pepperdine 7-6(4), 2-6, 1-0(9) in the final.
Filip Planinsek Makes History
On the men’s side, University of Alabama junior Filip Planinsek (UTR 13.44) sealed his program’s first national title with his 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 win in the singles final over Columbia’s Michael Zheng (UTR 13.72). The Slovenian also earned straight-set victories in his respective quarterfinal and semifinal wins over Ozan Baris (UTR 13.57) of Michigan State and Cooper Williams (UTR 13.62) of Harvard.
“So incredibly proud of and happy for Filip," Alabama head coach George Husack said. “He played for himself, his family, and the University of Alabama. We are so proud of him and this historic first for our program. There ain't no mountain high enough and Filip will continue climbing."
Zheng will receive a wild card for the US Open qualifying draw in August.
Ohio State claimed the men’s doubles title for the second consecutive season, as Robert Cash (UTR 13.53) & JJ Tracy (UTR 13.80) beat Frenchmen Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc (UTR 13.97) and Joshua Dous-Karpenschif (UTR 12.50) of Florida State 5-7, 6-0, 1-0(5) in the final. Last year the Buckeyes duo of Andrew Lutschaunig and James Trotter won the title.
Cash and Tracy will compete in the US Open men's doubles draw, thanks to a wild card.
