Auburn Tigers confirm two vital additions to bolster squad depth

The Auburn University women’s tennis team has welcomed Alice Battesti and Ava Hrastar to its 2024-25 roster. Head coach Jordan Szabo announced the additions, marking his fourth signing since taking on the role. In July, he also brought in Merna Refaat and Emma Tothová. The Tigers will kick off their fall season at the Debbie Southern Fall Classic on September 13.

 

 

Ava Hrastar was named to the third-team All-ACC in 2022 and has twice qualified for the NCAA doubles championship. She started her college career at Georgia Tech, where she achieved a 35-23 singles record and a 38-24 doubles record over three seasons. The Duluth, Georgia native earned ITA Doubles All-American honors in 2022 after reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship. After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2023, Hrastar joined Ole Miss for the next season, posting a 14-14 singles record and a 13-16 doubles record. She primarily played at the top of the singles lineup and partnered with Briana Crowley at the top of the doubles lineup. The pair finished the season ranked No. 65 in doubles, while Hrastar was ranked No. 108 in singles.

Before college, Alice Battesti attended Lycée Saint Paul in Ajaccio, where she participated in soccer, handball, basketball, ping-pong, and swimming, alongside playing tennis. She joins the Auburn Tigers from the University of Bordeaux in France. Battesti won the 2023 French U18 Vice Championship and the French University Tennis Championship earlier this year. She also claimed the Corsica Tennis Championship junior title from 2018 to 2021, and both the adult and junior titles in 2022 and 2023.

“I am thrilled to have Alice and Ava join us for this new era of Auburn women’s tennis. Alice is one of the best players in France, and Ava is one of the best players in college tennis. They both have big goals with their tennis, and I am grateful that they have chosen us to guide them on their tennis journey. We will do everything we can to help them improve and take Auburn to new heights,” said head coach Jordan Szabo.