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The Harvard women’s tennis team returned to the courts for the first time in the 2024 fall season with an emphatic display at the Harvard Fall Classic. Fresh off an historic 2023-24 campaign, which saw the team achieve 19 victories, a second-place Ivy League finish, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010, the Crimson appeared determined to carry that momentum into the new season. Over the three-day Harvard Fall Classic tournament, Harvard faced a trio of local rivals—Boston College, Boston University, and Providence—and left no doubt about their potential, notching a string of dominant victories.

Leading the charge for the Crinson was senior Holly Fischer and sophomore Stephanie Yakoff, whose achievements last season earned them spots on the ITA Division-I Women’s Collegiate Tennis National Preseason Rankings. Fischer, ranked No. 93 in singles, played primarily at the No. 1 position and compiled a 17-5 record last season. Yakoff, ranked No. 105, shone in her first collegiate season with 18 singles victories. The dynamic duo also secured a No. 62 national doubles ranking after leading Harvard to 14 victories as a pair last season, underscoring their importance to the team.

DAY 1: Harvard Sweeps Doubles and Shines in Singles Against Boston College

Harvard wasted no time asserting its dominance on the first day of the tournament. Kicking off the Harvard Fall classic on Friday, the Crimson delivered a clean sweep in doubles matches with commanding performances against Boston College. Yakoff and senior Maxi Duncan set the tone for the tournament with a dominant 6-2 victory. Fischer and senior Rachel Arbitman closely followed suit, decisively defeating their competitors in a 6-3 matchup. The doubles sweep was completed by sophomore Kate Kim and junior Angel You, who powered their way to a 6-4 win to round out the doubles action.

The Crimson found similar success against the Eagles in singles play. Duncan, fresh off her doubles victory, swiftly defeated her opponent in a commanding 6-4, 6-1 showing, exhibiting her versatility across the courts. Sophomore Kavya Karra soon followed suit, breezing past her opponent 6-3, 6-0, dropping the fewest games of any Crimson player that day and reflecting the team’s sharp competitive edge and deep talent pool.

While Karra’s dominance set the tone for the first day of play, the rest of the squad would rise to meet her level of prowess on Saturday in the squad’s next showing against Providence.

DAY 2: Harvard Dominates Again Against Providence

Harvard continued its commanding showing on Saturday, this time against Providence. In doubles action, the standout performance was delivered by the new pairing of Yakoff and freshman Natasha Rajaram, who crushed their Friar opponents with a flawless victory 6-0. Arbitman and Karra secured the Crimson’s second doubles victory of the weekend, cruising past their competition in a dominant 6-1 decision. Meanwhile, freshman Anna-Raphaëlle Serghi and You teamed up to replicate the scoreline, overpowering their Providence rivals 6-1.

In singles action, Kim and Yakoff delivered strong performances, each conceding only a single game in their respective matches, to bring home the hardware 6-1, 6-0. Kim’s precision in shot placement and fluid movement on the court proved too much for her opponent, while Yakoff’s consistency and resilience showed why she is a rising star in collegiate tennis. Rajaram added to Harvard’s impressive tally with her first collegiate singles win in a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over her opponent, signaling the beginning of what promises to be a successful freshman campaign. Karra capped off a stellar day for the Crimson with a straight-sets victory, securing her second singles win of the tournament with a commanding 6-4, 6-0 victory and highlighting her growth since last season.

As the Crimson bench continued to prove itself against its local rivals, a perfect sweep of the tournament would come down to one last win against the Boston University Terriers.

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DAY 3: Harvard Finishes Strong with More Wins against Boston University

As the tournament drew to a close on Sunday, the Crimson maintained its intensity and showed no signs of letting up against the Terriers. Harvard claimed victory in three of its four doubles matches, starting with Arbitman and Karra who completed an undefeated weekend as a formidable duo by defeating their BU rivals 6-4. Kim and You also earned their second victory of the tournament with a 6-3 triumph over their opponents, and in what proved to be the most thrilling doubles match of the day, Duncan and junior Charlotte Owensby battled to a tiebreak win, edging out their competitors in a dramatic 7-6 (5) victory.

In singles play, the Crimson continued its strong weekend, with Karra once again shining in the spotlight. Following a hard-fought first set, which saw the sophomore triumph 7-5, Kara powered through the second set, 6-2, to secure her third victory of the tournament. Her impressive performance throughout the weekend displayed her calm under pressure and ability to close out tough matches, cementing her as one of Harvard’s key players this fall.

Yakoff was pleased with the team's result, saying that the “weekend overall went really well” and that Harvard had “a lot of great competition”.

Looking Forward: Another Promising Season Awaits

With the fall season now underway, Harvard is poised for another standout year. Armed with last season’s records of winning 90% of their singles wins and 70% of their doubles victories, the talent on display at the Fall Classic highlights the team’s depth and potential.

Fischer and Yakoff, already national contenders in both singles and doubles, are joined by rising stars like Karra, Kim, and the promising freshman class led by Rajaram and Serghi. The Crimon’s lineup with a combination of seasoned veterans and emerging talents makes this squad one to watch in the Ivy League and beyond.

“We will definitely improve together as a team, especially since these matches were the first of the fall,” Yakoff said. “We’re also super grateful to have Coach RJ [Nagel] on our team, and we’re excited to see what’s in store for this season.”

Next up, Harvard will host the ITA New England Regionals starting on October 10, followed by the Harvard Fall Invitational in November. As the fall season heats up, the team will be eager to continue building on its early success.

—Staff writer Emma S. de Jong can be reached at emma.dejong@thecrimson.com