STANFORD, Calif. – Two of the nation's top recruits will join the Cardinal for the upcoming 2022-23 campaign, as Alexis Blokhina and Emma Sun have signed on with Stanford.
"We are very excited to have Alexis and Emma join the team this fall," said Lele Forood, Stanford's Peter and Helen Bing Director of Women's Tennis. "They will both bring a lot of talent, experience and energy to the team as we continue to build a championship caliber roster."
The Cardinal is a 20-time NCAA champion, most recently winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Last year, the Cardinal advanced to the Super Regionals after winning the Pac-12 Tournament and will return nearly its full lineup of players.
Alexis Blokhina • San Francisco, Calif. • Broward Virtual SchoolQuick Highlights: Ranked as high as No. 4 nationally by Tennis Recruiting and as high as No. 1 by USTA ... career-high ranking of 774th in the world by the WTA and 25th in the ITF junior rankings ... Indian Wells (Easter Bowl) junior singles champion in 2022, finishing as runner-up in doubles ... semifinalist at 2022 International Open of San Diego ... has played in 11 women's pro tournaments in singles, with a semifinal finish at the W25 Orlando in 2022 ... best singles performance at a Grand Slam was the Round of 16 at the 2021 U.S. Open ... quarterfinalist in doubles at the 2022 Australian Open ... youngest player to ever win the girls' 18s USTA Florida "Bobby Curtis" Junior State Singles Championship, doing so at the age of 13 ... USTA Level 2 national champion at the 12s, 14s and 16s levels ... USTA 14s Gold Ball recipient for clay court doubles ... competed in all four Grand Slams in both singles and doubles by the age of 17 ... practiced with Venus Williams prior to competing at Wimbledon in 2022 ... won a gold medal in singles and doubles with Team USA at the Maccabiah Games in Israel the summer of 2022.
Why Stanford?: "At Stanford, I can fulfill my dreams and aspirations, combining strong academics and a top competitive environment. Tennis is not just a sport for me, it is my life, and I believe at Stanford, I can get a high-quality education, continue my tennis training, and, eventually, play on the Pro Tour after graduation."
Personal: Daughter of Lyana Blokhina and Oleg Blokhin ... has a younger brother, Nathan... born in Redwood City, California ... Moved to Miami, Florida at the age of 10 to play tennis where family currently resides ... enjoys horseback riding and volunteering at the local animal rescue shelter ... anticipated major is journalism or international relations.
Emma Sun • Thousand Oaks, Calif. • WestlakeQuick Highlights: Ranked as high as No. 10 nationally by Tennis Recruiting at No. 1 by Universal Tennis Rating ... three-year captain while playing for Westlake High School ... team was undefeated in Marmonte League all four years of high school ... CIF Open Division champion in 2022 and runner-up in 2021 ... CIF California State regional champion in 2021 and 2022 ... two-time high school All-American in 2021 and 2022 ... 2021 LA Daily News Player of the Year ... four-time Marmonte League and Ventury County first-team, named 2020 Ventura County Player of the Year ... runner-up at 25K Newport Beach
Why Stanford?: "Stanford has always been my dream school and to be able to make this dream come true is an incredible feeling. I always knew I wanted to study something with computer science, and Stanford is the perfect place to pursue both my academic goals along with playing tennis. The girls on the team are so fun to be around and I'm very excited to work with Coach Lele and Coach Frankie!"
Personal: Born in Santa Monica, California ... award winning pianist, finishing as runner-up in international competition two years in a row ... has completed certificate of merit level 10 in piano with full honors and has performed with the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic three times ... anticipated major is computer science.