Completed Event: Women's Tennis at #1 Auburn on May 8, 2026 , Loss , 2, to, 4
/
Final
Women's Tennis
2
at #1 Auburn
4
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Eight Blue Devils Listed in Preseason ITA Women’s Tennis Rankings
8/25/2026 8:12:00 PM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released the preseason singles, doubles and newcomer rankings Tuesday with eight different members of the Duke women's tennis team ranked nationally.
In the singles rankings, junior Irina Balus was No. 7, sophomore Aspen Schuman was No. 31, junior Liv Hovde was No. 58, freshman Nina Vargova was No. 79 and freshman Mimi Xu was No. 81. Vargova and Xu were also No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the newcomer rankings.
Duke featured four doubles teams ranked in the preseason poll – Vargova and Xu (No. 1), Schuman and Hovde (No. 18), Balus and senior Shavit Kimchi (No. 51) and sophomore Claire An and senior Eleana Yu (No. 61).
Coming off an impressive sophomore season for the Blue Devils, Balus was listed at No. 7 nationally in singles. She closed the 2025-26 campaign at No. 9 after collecting a 22-9 record and winning 13 of her final 16 matches. Balus, who hails from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, notched six wins against top-50 opponents a season ago.
Schuman, who is from Menlo Park, California, joined the Duke squad in January and made an immediate impact, totaling a 16-5 singles mark with five wins against ranked opponents. She finished the season ranked No. 58 nationally and begins the 2026-27 campaign ranked No. 31.
Over the last two years, Hovde has totaled 21 singles and 44 doubles victories for the Blue Devils. She has been ranked as high as No. 49 nationally in singles and No. 2 in doubles. Hovde, a product of Daniel Island, South Carolina, opens the season ranked No. 58.
Duke's standout freshman class of Vargova and Xu were ranked No. 79 and No. 81 nationally in singles, while earning No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the newcomer singles rankings.
Xu, a native of Swansea, United Kingdom, owns an Intercollegiate Tennis Federation (ITF) career-high ranking of No. 8 and a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-high ranking of No. 230 in singles. She owns eight career professional titles.
A product of Slovakia, Vargova has an ITF career-high ranking of No. 11 and has won 14 titles. She owns a WTA career-high ranking of No. 305 in singles and No. 181 in doubles, winning 19 professional titles.
In doubles play, Duke's rookie tandem of Vargova and Xu were listed No. 1 nationally. The duo has combined to win 21 career WTA doubles titles between the two.
Coming off a season in which they teamed together to post a 9-2 record in doubles, Schuman and Hovde were ranked No. 18 in the preseason poll. After notching three wins together a season ago, Balus and Kimchi were listed No. 51 nationally in doubles. The duo totaled a pair of ranked wins last season, including a victory against the No. 8 team in the nation. Duke's An and Yu were also ranked No. 61, after reaching as high as No. 29 nationally and totaling 13 wins together in 2025-26.
#GoDuke
In the singles rankings, junior Irina Balus was No. 7, sophomore Aspen Schuman was No. 31, junior Liv Hovde was No. 58, freshman Nina Vargova was No. 79 and freshman Mimi Xu was No. 81. Vargova and Xu were also No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the newcomer rankings.
Duke featured four doubles teams ranked in the preseason poll – Vargova and Xu (No. 1), Schuman and Hovde (No. 18), Balus and senior Shavit Kimchi (No. 51) and sophomore Claire An and senior Eleana Yu (No. 61).
Coming off an impressive sophomore season for the Blue Devils, Balus was listed at No. 7 nationally in singles. She closed the 2025-26 campaign at No. 9 after collecting a 22-9 record and winning 13 of her final 16 matches. Balus, who hails from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, notched six wins against top-50 opponents a season ago.
Schuman, who is from Menlo Park, California, joined the Duke squad in January and made an immediate impact, totaling a 16-5 singles mark with five wins against ranked opponents. She finished the season ranked No. 58 nationally and begins the 2026-27 campaign ranked No. 31.
Over the last two years, Hovde has totaled 21 singles and 44 doubles victories for the Blue Devils. She has been ranked as high as No. 49 nationally in singles and No. 2 in doubles. Hovde, a product of Daniel Island, South Carolina, opens the season ranked No. 58.
Duke's standout freshman class of Vargova and Xu were ranked No. 79 and No. 81 nationally in singles, while earning No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the newcomer singles rankings.
Xu, a native of Swansea, United Kingdom, owns an Intercollegiate Tennis Federation (ITF) career-high ranking of No. 8 and a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-high ranking of No. 230 in singles. She owns eight career professional titles.
A product of Slovakia, Vargova has an ITF career-high ranking of No. 11 and has won 14 titles. She owns a WTA career-high ranking of No. 305 in singles and No. 181 in doubles, winning 19 professional titles.
In doubles play, Duke's rookie tandem of Vargova and Xu were listed No. 1 nationally. The duo has combined to win 21 career WTA doubles titles between the two.
Coming off a season in which they teamed together to post a 9-2 record in doubles, Schuman and Hovde were ranked No. 18 in the preseason poll. After notching three wins together a season ago, Balus and Kimchi were listed No. 51 nationally in doubles. The duo totaled a pair of ranked wins last season, including a victory against the No. 8 team in the nation. Duke's An and Yu were also ranked No. 61, after reaching as high as No. 29 nationally and totaling 13 wins together in 2025-26.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Monday, January 26
Monday, January 26
Saturday, May 10
Saturday, May 10
