The Gators women's tennis roster is shaping up strong for the upcoming season.
This past year, the Gators welcomed three new players: Jana Hossam, Capucine Jauffret and Allegra Korpanec Davies to The Swamp. Jauffret and Davies are both freshmen, while Hossam is a junior transferring from the University of Southern California.
Hossam is starting the season ranked No. 82 in singles, having finished the previous season at No. 25. She received the 2025 ITA Singles All-American and 2025-26 All-Big Ten First Team honors.
Jauffret and Davies are ranked No. 65 in the nation in doubles, with Davies also being ranked No. 98 for singles. She has won seven ITF titles while Jauffret has won three.
Each with their own backgrounds, they are entering the fall hoping to have a successful season for not only themselves but the team as a whole.
Davies and Hossam both come from international backgrounds, joining a team that is no stranger to foreigners. Being from the United Kingdom, Davies has begun training in the humidity and adapting to the new playing environment.
“It’s kind of just being adaptable,” Davies said. “Understanding that adjusting will take time and kind of being patient with myself.”
While getting acclimated will be a factor while playing, each athlete agreed that their competitive nature is what will drive them on the court, something they are hoping to utilize to their advantage throughout the preseason tournaments.
“I don’t like losing, so I think also what motivates me is getting better,” Hossam said. “Waking up, going to practice, knowing that every day is a new chance to get better.”
Hossam is from Alexandria, Egypt, but trained an hour and a half away in Cairo for most of her life. Her first two years were with Southern California, before she transferred to Florida in the spring.
Hossam was used to having a team setting to rely on, but Davies and Jauffret both expressed their excitement for having a team to support and drive them throughout the year.
“I was training by myself, so I’m very excited for this next chapter,” Jauffret said. “I feel like when you're around people who constantly want to get better, then it pushes you to do better too, and that’s something I didn’t really have at home.”
With the new and exciting energy surrounding them, the athletes set their sights on the first tournament of the preseason.
The ITA All-American Championship will give each of them a chance to showcase their individual talent while representing Florida.
“We’re getting ready for the tournament, hopefully to qualify for NCAA,” Hossman said.
“I’m super excited to go too, even though it’s an individual tournament, to just be there as a team and support your teammates through their matches,” Davies said.
Contact Alisa Gershman at agershman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @angershman.
