University of Illinois
Battle for the Boot JAE Foundation Open
October 22, 2026 | Women's Tennis
Preview
| Battle for the Boot JAE Foundation Open | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Oct. 23-25 / Fort Worth, Texas |
| Follow Along | No Stream | Live Scoring (Check back) |
| Illinois Team Info | Roster | Schedule |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois women's tennis will close its October slate in Fort Worth, Texas, as the Fighting Illini travel to TCU for the Battle for the Boot JAE Foundation Open from Oct. 23-25. All 10 Illini student-athletes will compete at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
The event will be contested in a hidden dual format, giving Illinois a chance to compete in a team-style setting during the fall. Additional squads at the TCU-hosted event include Arizona, BYU, Houston, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Purdue, Rice, Texas A&M, UT Arlington, and Utah.
The trip to Texas follows a strong showing at the ITA Midwest Regionals, which Illinois hosted at Atkins Tennis Center from Oct. 8-12. Junior Ariel Madatali led the way with a run to the singles semifinals, the furthest she has advanced at a regional. Madatali then fell to Michigan's Olivia Traynor in the third-place match. Freshman Shravani Chennamsetty made her own statement, winning four straight singles matches after opening in the qualifying draw. That stretch included a three-set victory over Notre Dame's 10th-seeded Sophia Holod. Her run ended against teammate Lizzie Isyanov, who then met Madatali in an all-Illini quarterfinal.
In doubles, the 11th-seeded duo of Alice Xu and Cara Mester reached the quarterfinals. Tess Bucher and Lyla Messler added an upset of Notre Dame's 16th-seeded pairing.
Following the Battle for the Boot, Illinois will wrap up its fall season with a busy stretch in early November. The ITA Conference Masters in Rome, Ga., and the ITA Sectionals in Fort Worth, both run from Nov. 5-8 if the Illini earn a selection. The Spartan Invite in East Lansing, Mich., will also take place from Nov. 6-8.
