Women's Tennis

Paula Del Cueto Castillo

ClassJunior
HometownSevilla, Spain

Honors & Awards

  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2017, 2018)
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2017, 2018)
  • Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2017, 2018)
  • Nebraska Herman Award (2018)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018; Spring 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2017)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • ITF Valladolid Champion (2014, 2105)
  • Ranked No. 54 Doubles in Spain Open Division
  • Ranked No. 35 in Spain Junior Division
  • Andalucia Junior Doubles Champion (2013)
  • Ranked No. 1 Junior in Andalucia (2014, 2015)
  • Junior Regional Andalucia Champion (2015)
  • Spanish Championship of Juniors Doubles Finalist (2013)
  • Ranked No. 929 in WTA Professional Doubles

2017-18: Junior
Paula Del Cueto Castillo had an impressive junior season on the court for the Huskers, while also serving as one of Nebraska's three team captains. 

During her third spring season with the Huskers, Del Cueto Castillo recorded 12 singles wins and 17 doubles victories. Paired with Brianna Lashway, Castillo had the most successful doubles season of her Nebraska career. Del Cueto Castillo also found her rhythm in singles with a 12-8 record in the spring and a 6-4 mark during the fall invitational season. 

Del Cueto Castillo went 6-3 in singles and 7-2 in doubles during the Big Ten season, assisting Nebraska to a 7-4 Big Ten regular-season finish and a Big Ten Tournament appearance.

2016-17: Sophomore
Del Cueto Castillo had a stellar singles season, amassing 12 victories, with nine out of the No. 3 position for the Huskers. She added a team-best five wins in Big Ten play. In doubles play, she picked up 12 victories, with 10 wins in the No. 1 spot for the Huskers. She earned all 10 victories with outstanding doubles partner Mary Hanna. The duo also went 4-4 in Big Ten play.

Off the court, Del Cueto Castillo was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. An academic All-Big Ten selection, she also claimed spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award. 

2015-16: Freshman
Del Cueto Castillo broke into the lineup in her first season as a Husker, playing in the No. 5 and 6 spots while teaming up with fellow freshman Vasanti Shinde at times in the No. 2 doubles spot. Del Cueto Castillo also paired with Katerina Matysova at No. 3 doubles during the season.

Del Cueto Castillo finished the season with a 3-2 singles mark, including a victory in her only Big Ten match of the season. She went 1-0 at No. 2 doubles with Shinde during the season, while going 0-2 with Matysova at No. 3 doubles.

Off the court, Del Cueto Castillo earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2015-16. She was also a member of the 2016 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Before Nebraska
Del Cueto Castillo was highly decorated as a junior player in Sevilla, Spain, ranking as high as No. 35 nationally. Aggressively pursuing her goal of playing professional tennis in the future, Del Cueto Castillo claimed championships in the Andalucía Junior Doubles (2013), ITF Valladolid (2014, 2015), and Junior Regional Andalucía (2015) competitions. She was also a Spanish Championship of Juniors doubles finalist in 2013. Del Cueto Castillo snagged rankings in WTA Professional Doubles (No. 929), the Spain Open Division (No. 54), the Spain Junior Division (No. 35) and as No. 1 Junior in Andalucía in 2014 and 2015. 

Personal
The daughter of Alberto Del Cueto Muioz and Isabel Castillo Caro, Paula was born on July 28, 1997, in Sevilla, Spain. Paula has one brother, Alberto. A psychology major, she earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2019. She was a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and academic All-Big Ten selection. She was an eight-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She was the women's tennis team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner in 2017. She was also a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. In May of 2018, she participated in the Nebraska Life Skills Service Trip Abroad to Bocas del Toro, Panama.

Outside of competing in tennis, Paula enjoys playing soccer.  

Why Del Cueto Castillo Chose Nebraska
"I chose Nebraska because they have a very good tennis team, I love the city, and I think that In Nebraska, I can improve my tennis and at the same time study for a degree."  

SINGLES

Year Spring Big Ten  Fall Total
2015-16 3-2 0-1 0-0 3-2
2016-17 12-3 5-3 0-0 12-3
2017-18 12-8 7-4 6-4 17-12
Totals 27-13 12-7 6-4 33-17

DOUBLES

Year Spring Big Ten  Fall Total
2015-16 1-2 0-2 0-0 1-2
2016-17 12-7 4-4 0-0 12-7
2017-18 17-4 7-2 6-4 23-8
Totals 17-4 11-8 6-4 36-17