September 16, 2021

By Izabelle Cool

Sophie Chappell

Missouri tennis begins its 2021-2022 season with new additions that will push the Tigers toward eligibility at the conference and national level.

Over the summer, the Tigers added Gabriela Martinez, a junior transfer student from South Carolina, to the roster. Martinez altogether won 15 singles and doubles matches during her time with the Gamecocks. She will have three years of eligibility left when the season begins. 

In 2017, Martinez ranked No. 57 in the International Tennis Federation junior rankings. Her dominance on the court is sure to push the Tigers to more wins this season. 

Along with announcing that Gabriela Matinez would be joining Missouri Tennis, the Tigers announced that Katarina Adamovic would become the assistant coach to coach Chris Wottoon. Adamovic spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Cincinnati. During her time in Cincinnati, she led the team to its second-best record in program history. 

Adamovic played collegiately for Oklahoma State from 2014-2017. She had a 79.8 win percentage in doubles, and her 91 doubles victories ranked her third in the Big 12. In her home country of Serbia, she won the national championships in the Seniors, U18, U16, U10 and Juniors levels.

Missouri has returning talent in place from last season. Last season, senior Bronte Murgett became the first Missouri tennis player in program history to win in the singles tournament at the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships. Murgett will return this season along with four of the five players who won singles matches in conference play.

The Tigers struggled against the other SEC teams this past season, finishing with a 15-16 record. The new and returning players, alongside the coaching staff addition, should lead the team to more wins and prepare more players to vie for the NCAA Championship.

Missouri’s season opener will be a duel against UT Martin on Sept. 11 and will end the season at the ITA Regionals in Iowa City, Iowa, from Oct. 21-24. The Tigers’ short fall season will prove their readiness for their top team spring season lineup. 

Edited by Mason Arneson | marneson@themaneater.com