Cincinnati girls tennis athletes are ready to take to the courts as the Ohio High School Athletic Association season kicks off Aug. 7.
The Queen City has long been a hotbed for tennis talent, and 2025 was no exception. As the OHSAA state tournament returned to the newly renovated Lindner Family Tennis Center, seven local singles and doubles teams reached the semifinals of their respective bracket. In the end, the Division I doubles title returned to Cincinnati for the third straight year.
As the new season gets underway, here are the top storylines and players to know in 2026.
Mason returns 2 former state champions to lead Division I
The Mason Comets continued their run of dominance on the court with a historic showing in 2025.
Mason became the first team in OHSAA history to send three doubles teams to the state semifinal and won its ninth straight Ohio Tennis Coaches Association team title. Saanvi Reddy and Adriana Moreno dethroned teammates Emma Wagner and Pratyusha Chaudhuri, winning their first doubles title 6-1, 6-4. Both Reddy and two-time former champion Wagner are returning for their senior season in 2026. Joining them will be juniors Bhavana Singidi and Vanmayi Podili, who finished fourth overall in the doubles competition.
Other challengers to Mason’s reign in the Greater Miami Conference include Sycamore and Oak Hills.
Sycamore junior Serena Sayles, after having a 14-5 season in first singles, teamed up with her now-graduated sister, Allison, to take third place in the state doubles tournament. She led the Aviators to a 19-3 overall record and second place in the conference.
Oak Hills junior Renee Harper went 20-3 in first singles play, ending her season in the quarterfinals against eventual state champion Soleil Cordell. Harper has a claim as arguably the best returning singles player in the city, having defeated nearly all of the top returning players. Paige Lint, a sophomore, is also back after a 13-1 season in second doubles play.
Walnut Hills and Turpin led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference last season, and each returns a top player from 2025. Walnut Hills senior Perasa Poompanit went an unblemished 13-0 in first singles competition during the regular season, earning ECC Player of the Year honors. Turpin junior Alyssa Dittman returns after a 13-1 record in first singles play in 2025.
The Girls Greater Catholic League was highly competitive between Ursuline Academy and St. Ursula, which finished tied atop the league standings. Though Ursuline graduated the conference’s player of the year, the team returns three standouts from last season. Senior Ciara Molinky went 10-0 in singles and 14-3 in doubles play, while juniors Josie Fitzpatrick and Emily Burkhardt never lost a regular-season doubles match in combination with other players. St. Ursula brings back senior Becca Wilson and junior Abby Jagers, each of whom shone in singles play and earned first-team all-conference honors.
Other Cincinnati Division I girls tennis players to watch
Challengers look to dethrone Indian Hill in Division II
Indian Hill rose to the top of Cincinnati’s Division II schools in 2025, representing Southwest Ohio at the OTCA team tournament for the third straight year. With the departure of three seniors who qualified for last year’s state tournament, young talent will need to step up. Sophomore Elle Mikula earned first-team all-conference singles honors in her first season; senior Genevieve Chasar was a second-team nod for her junior-year performance in doubles.
Mariemont will give Indian Hill a run for its money within the Cincinnati Hills League. Leading the charge will be senior Lucy Hanser, who qualified for the state doubles tournament a season ago. Other key returners from 2025’s 18-3 season include senior Katie Tully, senior Mia Eberlein and junior Allie Tully.
The Miami Valley Conference was a two-horse race between Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and Cincinnati Country Day.
CHCA returns a pair of OHSAA tournament semifinalists in seniors Corinne Labin and Miranda Wang, making the Eagles the top threats to return to the OTCA state tournament for the first time since 2022. Cincinnati Country Day will be led once again by senior Reema Arebi, who guided the Nighthawks to a league-best 15-2 record.
Other Cincinnati Division II girls tennis players to watch
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top Cincinnati girls tennis players, teams to watch in 2026
Reporting by Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
