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Lincoln, Neb. - The University of Nebraska women’s tennis team has officially announced the signing of Kristina Novak, one of the top prospects in all of Europe, to its 2019 recruiting class. A native of Radovljica, Slovenia, Novak has been ranked as high as No. 921 in the WTA Singles rankings and No. 844 in the WTA Doubles rankings.
She’s currently the No. 386 player in the world in the ITF World Tennis Singles rankings and No. 65 in the ITF World Tennis Doubles rankings. Novak earned 13 WTA points in 2018 and also participated in the Grand Slam-Australian Open Juniors tournament in 2018.
Huskers Head Coach Scott Jacobson, now in his 28th year in charge at NU, believes the sky is the limit for Novak when she gets to campus.
“Kristina is hard-working, dedicated, committed and an incredibly gifted tennis player,” Jacobson said. “Her aspirations to play professionally are admirable and we believe attainable. She has the heart of a lion and has the opportunity to become one of the best in Husker history.”
She’s had a plethora of success playing in Europe in the past few years, winning ITF Pro Women’s doubles circuit events in both Solarino and Ortisei, Italy. Novak has also won a total of seven ITF Junior Doubles tournaments in Austria, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina (twice), Hungary and Slovenia.
NU’s Jaime Sanchez-Cañamares Rios, a first-year assistant coach with the program, built an excellent relationship with Novak in the recruiting process. He talked about his excitement to work with her when she gets to campus this fall.
“Kristina is one of those players that you want on your team,” Sanchez-Cañamares Rios said. “Her ability to compete at the highest level with a tremendous discipline and commitment to her game makes her very special. At Nebraska, we look for prospects with strong aspirations to develop and improve, which is required to become a successful professional tennis player. Kristina fits that description. Welcome to your new home, Kristina!”
Besides Nebraska, Novak had been recruited by several top programs from the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.