STANFORD, Calif. – The nation’s No. 1 recruiting class is coming to The Farm. Stanford's Peter and Helen Bing Director of Women's Tennis Frankie Brennan announced the signings of highly-touted prep standouts Alyssa Ahn, Monika Ekstrand and Tianmei Wang to athletic financial aid agreements on Tuesday.
All three are blue-chip recruits according to the Tennis Recruiting Network and among the nation’s top five high school seniors that will enroll on college campuses this fall.
“We are thrilled to bring in exceptional players of this caliber,” Brennan said. “They’re fantastic people who will undoubtedly help us on the court and will also be great adds to the culture of Stanford women’s tennis. All three of these young women are perfect fits for Stanford. They are high academic achievers who really want to represent this university, and that's really important to us.”
Ahn is currently rated as the No. 2 recruit in the country per Tennis Recruiting and the highest-ranked recruit attending college, with a World Tennis Number of 13.4. A three-time participant in the San Diego Open WTA 500, she won the singles title at the 2022 USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s National Championships and was also the doubles champion at the 2024 FILA International Junior Championships (ITF J300). Ahn won the 2021 CIF-San Diego Section Individual singles championship as a 14-year-old freshman at Torrey Pines High School and was the 2021 San Diego Section Player of the Year.
“Alyssa is a great talent with immense potential,” Brennan said. “She’s already had a lot of success, and we are excited to get on campus and begin working with her. Her work ethic is very high, and she loves the game of tennis. She is a Stanford person through and through.”
"I chose Stanford because I can succeed with the endless opportunities that a world-class institution like Stanford provides, with both academic excellence and an unmatched athletic reputation,” Ahn said of her decision.
Ekstrand is ranked as the No. 4 recruit nationally and has been in the top five for her class throughout the past two years. She competed at both the 2024 US Open Junior Championships and Roland Garros Junior Championships. Ekstrand has played nearly 30 ITF events over the past three years and boasts a career-high ITF junior ranking of 71.
“Monika will bring a lot of experience,” Brennan said. “She’s played a lot of pro events and has been out there working very hard on her game. She brings a big serve and we’re expecting her to compete high in the lineup. Monika comes from a phenomenal family and is a terrific person, and we’re very excited she chose Stanford.”
“Stanford was always a school I aspired to attend due to its excellence in both athletics and academics,” Ekstrand said of her commitment. “I am on a professional tennis path and believe that Stanford will be the best fit for helping me grow as a person on court and off. One of my goals is to help the team add another NCAA title to its list!”
Wang is currently ranked as Tennis Recruiting’s No. 7 senior prospect with a career-high ITF juniors ranking of 138. She won a title at the 2024 Easter Bowl in addition to the 18s singles title at the 2022 USTA Winter National Championships and the 2021 14s Clay Courts. She played her freshman and sophomore years at San Marino High School outside of Los Angeles and was the team MVP as a freshman in 2021. Her team was the 2021 Division I champions and won the Open Division title in 2022.
“Tianmei is another hard worker, a very quick and tenacious player,” said Brennan. “She had a lot of wins over some top college players last summer, won the Easter Bowl and has put together a lot of good play. She’s just a wonderful person and we can’t wait to get her on campus.”
“At Stanford, the chance to develop as an athlete in a program renowned for its success, while pushing myself academically at a world-class institution, provides the ideal foundation for pursuing my future goals and endeavors,” Wang said of her college choice. “I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the Stanford community. Competing alongside such talented, driven student-athletes will push me to elevate my game while fostering a strong sense of camaraderie. I look forward to joining a team that values academic rigor and athletic achievement equally.”
The current Cardinal is the No. 4 seed at the Northwestern site for this weekend's ITA National Team Indoor Championship and will face No. 5 seed Auburn at 1:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Feb. 7.