Wisconsin Women’s Tennis Opens Big Ten Play at Illinois

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women’s tennis team (7-2) begins Big Ten competition this Friday, February 20, 2026, with a road matchup against the Illinois Fighting Illini (3-5) at 5 p.m. CT. The Badgers are looking to continue their strong start to the season and build momentum as they enter the conference schedule.

Recent Successes

Wisconsin concluded a successful Arkansas road trip with consecutive victories. They defeated Arkansas 4-1 and followed up with a 4-0 sweep of Kansas. A key moment from the weekend was Maria Sholokhova’s upset win over No. 22 Carolina Gomez Alonso, which set the tone for the Badgers’ success. Parker Christensen clinched the win against Kansas with a straight-set victory at No. 6 singles.

Scouting the Illini

Illinois enters the contest with a 3-5 record, having recently secured a 4-3 road win at Iowa State. The Illini rallied in singles play, earning wins from Tess Bucher, Cara Mester, and Lizzie Isyanov, with Isyanov ultimately clinching the match in three sets. Despite dropping the doubles point, Illinois demonstrated resilience in their victory.

Series History

Wisconsin holds a 29-24 advantage in the all-time series against Illinois. Last season, the Badgers defeated the Illini 4-1 at home.

Projected Lineups

Doubles

• No. 1 – Maria Sholokhova and Lucie Urbanova
• No. 2 – Ekaterina Ivanova and Ellison Reynoldson
• No. 3 – Tianna Rangan and Kaede Usui

Singles

• No. 1 – Maria Sholokhova
• No. 2 – Ekaterina Ivanova
• No. 3 – Tianna Rangan
• No. 4 – Ellison Reynoldson
• No. 5 – Kaja Jacobson
• No. 6 – Kaede Usui

Looking Ahead

Following the match at Illinois, Wisconsin will return to Nielsen Tennis Stadium to host UCLA on Friday, March 6, and USC on Sunday, March 8, at 12 p.m. CT.