Cara Mester

Photo by: Illinois Fighting Illini

Photo by: Illinois Fighting Illini

Posted the second-most singles wins for Illinois during the 2026 campaign, owning an 18-6 effort including a 12-4 mark in dual play and 7-2 reading in Big Ten outings
Led the team in wins on the doubles courts with an 18-11 overall record while going 12-8 in dual play and 7-3 in Big Ten matches -- all team bests
Secured a 6-2 upset doubles win over the No. 77-ranked tandem in Illinois’ win over Northwestern.
Went 3-0 at No. 5 singles and 9-4 at No. 6.
Posted a 4-3 record at No. 2 doubles and 8-5 reading at No. 3.

Finished 14-7 overall in doubles – all on court one in dual play
Six of doubles matches against nationally-ranked opponents
In her first dual doubles match, 28th-ranked Mester/Shcherbinina defeated Tulsa's 26th-ranked Hutchings/Berlanga, 6-3
Against No. 14 Cal, Mester/Shcherbinina won the deciding doubles match via tiebreak en route to the team's 4-1 victory
Mester and Shcherbinina closed the season ranked No. 67 in the final ITA doubles ranks and rose as high as No. 28 during the campaign
Oklahoma finished the year ranked 10th in the ITA team rankings while posting a 20-7 overall record and 11-4 reading in SEC play

ITF career-high rankings of 64
WTA career-high of 1060 in singles and 1422 in doubles
Won two singles titles, including the Cairo J1, and nine doubles titles, including Klosters
Made appearances in all four Junior Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, Roland Garros, US Open, and Wimbledon

Birthday is January 17
Majoring in psychology
Returned home to Romania summer 2025 and collected a $15K ITF title in doubles. At the W15 Focsani hosted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Mester and compatriot Vanessa Ioana Georgiana Popa Teiusanu teamed up to win the doubles draw on clay, dropping just one set across four matches
- It was Mester's second ITF victory after coming back to win the W15 Bucharest title in May 2024
"I chose the University of Illinois because it offers the perfect balance of strong academics and a competitive tennis program. I really connected with the team and the coaches on my visit and I could feel the passion and dedication from both the team and the coaches. It's a place where I see myself thriving both on and off the court and where I believe I can develop to reach my full potential."