University of San Diego women’s tennis alumna Zuzana Lesenarova has been elected to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026, the ITA announced on May 18.
Lesenarova’s induction highlights her achievements as one of the most successful athletes in USD history. She is the only player from USD to win an NCAA Division I national championship, capturing the singles title in 1999 and finishing that season as the nation’s top-ranked player.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be recognized,” said Lesenarova. “I had such a wonderful, happy time at USD. I really just had fun playing the sport that I love, on such a great women’s tennis team, surrounded by friends and supported by great people and coaches from our athletic department.”
During her career from 1996 to 2000, Lesenarova earned four ITA All-American honors and set multiple program records for wins in both singles and doubles. Her overall record stands at 202-55, including a single-season record of 39 singles wins in 1999. She also won three collegiate Grand Slam events in one year and accumulated five national titles during her college career.
Current head coach Nadia Abdala said, “This is an honor that Zuzana has earned many times over. The records she set, the titles she won, the way she represented this program — it is all extraordinary. This Hall of Fame recognition is long overdue, and I know I speak for everyone who has ever been a part of this program when I say how proud we are of her today.” In addition to her athletic achievements, Lesenarova was recognized with several academic honors during her time at USD.
The ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to women’s collegiate tennis. The Class of 2026 will be officially inducted on October 10 at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia alongside Jill Craybas (Florida), Louise Gengler (Princeton), Laura Granville (Stanford), Sheila McInerney (Arizona State), and Lesenarova herself.
“This recognition is for USD,” said Lesenarova. “Thank you USD, for selecting me and allowing me to come study in 1996. I will always cherish my memories and everything I learned – well, one little regret: I was too afraid to try surfing!”
