AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn men’s and women’s tennis were named ITA All-Academic Teams, and 13 student-athletes were tabbed ITA Scholar-Athletes, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Monday.
Men’s tennis finished the 2025-26 season with a 3.59 team GPA, earning ITA All-Academic Team honors for the seventh consecutive season. Freddy Blaydes, Billy Blaydes, Hamza Nasridinov, Jake Kennedy, Joey Phillips, Nicholas Heng, Thomas Kennedy and Iker Urribarrens were each named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
On the women’s side, Auburn earned ITA All-Academic Team honors for the 11th consecutive season. Ashton Bowers, Angella Okutoyi, Eva Ionescu, Isabella Kruger and Alice Battesti were each named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
In 2026, 1,008 Division I men’s student-athletes were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, while 1,501 Division I women’s student-athletes earned the honor. Additionally, 162 men’s tennis programs and 231 women’s tennis programs were named ITA All-Academic Teams.
To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, a player must have a grade-point average of at least 3.5 for the current academic year. To be named an ITA All-Academic Team, a program must have a team grade-point average of 3.2 or higher for the current academic year.
Originally founded in 1956 by legendary UCLA men’s tennis coach J.D. Morgan, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men’s and women’s varsity tennis at all levels.