ATHENS, Ga. – For the second straight season, the University of Georgia women’s tennis team will open the year as the No. 1 ranked team in the country, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) after announcing its preseason poll Wednesday.

Under the direction of Drake Bernstein, the defending NCAA and ITA National Team Indoor Champions went 29-3 last season and ended their campaign on a nine-match win streak. The Bulldogs fantastic finish included wins over Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Duke who all start 2026 in the Top Ten of the ITA Preseason Poll.

The ITA highlighted that the 2026 Bulldog squad features a mix of experienced returners coupled with standout newcomers into the spring. Returning from last year’s squad are seniors Haley Gaudette, Anastasiia Lopata, Sofia Rojas and Alexandra Vecic along with junior Aysegul Mert and sophomore Hayden Mulberry. Bulldog newcomers include Emily Deming, Deniz Dilek, Emma Dong, Anastasiia Gureva and Patricija Paukstyte.

Rounding out the top six of the Jan. 7 ITA Preseason Rankings are Texas A&M (No. 2), North Carolina (No. 3), Auburn (No. 4), LSU (No. 5) and Oklahoma (no. 6).

Georgia’s dual match season begins on Jan. 24-25 with ITA Kickoff Weekend where the Bulldogs will play host to San Diego State, Washington State and Maryland. Georgia will face Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 24, in a first-round matchup while San Diego State and Washington State will meet in the other contest. The two winners will battle on Sunday, Jan. 25 with a ticket to the ITA Indoor National Championships on the line. The two losers from Saturday will also play a consolation match on Sunday.

The ITA Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the ITA National Ranking Committee. The National Ranking Committee is made up of the 13 ITA Region Chairs, with each chair casting an individual, secret ballot.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Women’s Tennis on X @UGAWomensTennis, on Instagram @UGAWomensTennis, and on Facebook @GeorgiaWomensTennis or check out information online at GeorgiaDogs.com.