Ranked No. 23 in the nation in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, Florida heads into the 2026 spring season with confidence after a strong fall showing. The Gators spent the fall season gaining experience and building momentum through several tournaments.
Following the fall season, several Florida players earned national honors for their strong performances, laying the foundation for a promising spring. The Gators enter the spring 2026 season focused on continuing their success as a program.
“Everything we’re doing right now is to set up for the spring,” head coach Per Nilsson told The Alligator on Nov. 21, 2025.
At the Bedford Cup, Florida went undefeated in doubles with a combined 5-0 record.
Sophomore Nikola Daubnerova and senior Xinyi Nong went 2-0 after receiving a first-round bye. For Daubnerova, this doubles success isn’t new, as she opened last fall with a three-match win streak in doubles alongside Noemie Oliveras. Freshman Lucie Pawlak and sophomore Gabia Paskauskas finished 3-0 together, making a statement in their debut as a pair.
In singles, Florida went 9-6 overall. Three of the losses came after Paskauskas was forced to retire from her matches due to an undisclosed injury. Daubnerova finished the weekend with a 3-0 record, while Nong, Pawlak, and junior Valery Gynina each went 2-1. Before coming to UF, Nong recorded a 7-5 fall record as a junior at the University of Miami.
At the ITA Southeast Regionals Championships, Nong advanced all the way to the singles quarterfinals before losing to Georgia’s Anastasiia Gureva. The senior made a statement win earlier in the tournament, defeating the No. 16 Scarlett Nicholson of Georgia Tech in a three-set match.
In doubles, Nong and Daubnerova continued their strong performance, reaching the tournament's semifinals before falling to Gureva and Aysegul Mert of Georgia in three sets. This is their best season finish as a pair, pushing them from No. 45 to No. 17 in the rankings.
The duo was among four Gators named in the final ITA fall rankings, showing clear improvement within the team.
Paskaukas led the group with a 9-3 record and climbed from No. 55 in the preseason to No.11 in the nation. Two players moved into the top 100 after starting the fall unranked. Nong improved to No. 86 with a 9-4 finish, while Daubnevora’s 7-3 record placed her at No. 105.
Additionally, all returning Gators maintained or improved their rankings in the fall season.
UF Head coach Per Nilsson, entering his second season with the program, added four new players to the roster. Juniors Brooke Black, Capucine Jauffret and Allegra Korpanec Davies are all set to join the team beginning in 2026.
Florida also added nationally ranked transfer Scarlett Nicholson from Georgia Tech. The junior earned All-ACC honors last season and led the Yellow Jackets with a 13-4 singles record.
The Gators’ season came to an end at the NCAA Individual Championships, where Paskaukas, Nong and Daubnerova represented the team in the singles and doubles draws. Paskauskas had the standout performance, advancing to the round of 32 before falling to NC State sophomore Mia Slama in straight sets.
Florida will open the spring season Saturday as it travels north to face Charleston Southern University. The Gators face the unranked Buccaneers at 1 p.m. EST.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @alamosofiaa.
