AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's tennis team added a top international talent as Anastasia Astakhova has signed to play for the Tigers, head coach Caroline Lilley announced today.
Astakhova comes to The Plains from Kazakhstan, where she was her country's top-ranked junior player for three years (2017-19).
"Anastasia's extensive experience at the highest level of junior tennis will be a tremendous asset to our team," Lilley said. "Her work ethic fits extremely well with the development focus of our program, and her commitment to being great in all areas associated with being a student-athlete is a testament to the standard she sets for herself. We are excited to welcome her to the Auburn Family!"
A two-time ITF Doubles Champion, Anastasia has extensive experience playing on the junior circuit making deep runs in both singles and doubles at the highest level of junior tennis. She attained an ITF ranking as high as No. 161 and was the Kazakhstani national champion in both singles and doubles in 2018.
"Auburn offers one of the best opportunities to get a high-quality education, meet wonderful people, and improve my tennis, which opens up new horizons and opportunities for my future," Astakhova said. "I am beyond grateful and proud to be a part of the Auburn Family."
Astakhova is the third new addition to the women's tennis team for the 2020-21 season, joining incoming freshman Adeline Flach (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Fresno State transfer Shir Azran (Bat-Yam, Israel).