Nell Miller and Gina Dittmann clinch the doubles point ❗️ pic.twitter.com/D8aqB0AOx5

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 17, 2023

doubles vs Wake Forest

#1 Shnaider/Smith 6-4
#2 Abrams/Rencheli 2-6
#3 Dittmann/Miller 7-5

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 6-1
#2 Smith 5-2
#3 Abrams 6-0
#4 Rencheli 3-3
#5 Dittmann 5-2
#6 Zyryanova 5-3

doubles vs Wake Forest

#1 Shnaider/Smith 6-4
#2 Abrams/Rencheli 2-6
#3 Dittmann/Miller 7-5

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 6-1, 2-3
#2 Smith 6-4, 1-1
#3 Abrams 6-0, 2-2
#4 Rencheli 5-5
#5 Dittmann 6-2, 4-1
#6 Zyryanova 6-3, 6-0 NC State leads match 2-0

doubles vs Wake Forest

#1 Shnaider/Smith 6-4
#2 Abrams/Rencheli 2-6
#3 Dittmann/Miller 7-5

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 6-1, 5-5
#2 Smith 6-4, 3-4
#3 Abrams 6-0, 4-4
#4 Rencheli 5-7, 1-0
#5 Dittmann 6-2, 6-2 NC Stat leads 3-0
#6 Zyryanova 6-3, 6-0 NC State leads match 2-0

doubles vs Wake Forest

#1 Shnaider/Smith 6-4
#2 Abrams/Rencheli 2-6
#3 Dittmann/Miller 7-5

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 6-1, 7-5 NC State clinches match 4-0
#2 Smith 6-4, 5-6
#3 Abrams 6-0, 6-5
#4 Rencheli 5-7, 2-2
#5 Dittmann 6-2, 6-2 NC Stat leads 3-0
#6 Zyryanova 6-3, 6-0 NC State leads match 2-0

doubles vs Wake Forest

#1 Shnaider/Smith 6-4
#2 Abrams/Rencheli 2-6
#3 Dittmann/Miller 7-5

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 6-1, 7-5 NC State clinches match 4-0
#2 Smith 6-4, 7-6 NC State leads match 5-0
#3 Abrams 6-0, 7-6 NC State leads match 6-0
#4 Rencheli 5-7, 4-3
#5 Dittmann 6-2, 6-2 NC Stat leads 3-0
#6 Zyryanova 6-3, 6-0 NC State leads match 2-0

WOLFPACK WINS!!!!!!
@PackWTennis opens ACC play with a 7-0 sweep on the road over Wake Forest edging a close doubles point and several close singles matches to move to 6-1 on the season. Next up a big match at 6th ranked Ohio St next Wednesday at 6pm

WOLFPACK WINS!!!!!!@PackWTennis opens ACC play with a 7-0 sweep on the road over Wake Forest edging a close doubles point and several close singles matches to move to 6-1 on the season. Next up a big match at 6th ranked Ohio St next Wednesday at 6pm#GoPack 🐺🐾

— Simon Earnshaw (@CoachEarnshaw) February 18, 2023

Tenth-ranked NC State women's tennis (6-1, 1-0 ACC) swept Wake Forest (5-4, 0-1 ACC) 7-0 to open up conference play against in-state foe.
NC State battled on all three courts to earn the doubles point. A new pairing of Gina Dittmann and Nell Miller fought to take their match to an extra set to snatch the doubles point from Wake Forest. Diana Shnaider and Alana Smith continued to pave the way for the Wolfpack as they added another tally in their win column by defeating the No. 10 pairing in the nation.
Freshman, Anna Zyryanova asserted her dominance with a quick 6-3, 6-0 win on court six to start the Wolfpack's singles tab. In similar fashion on the next court over, Dittmann made quick work with a 6-2, 6-2 win to push the NC State lead to three. The two set the pace for the rest of the team as it continued to be easy cruising from then on out.
Shnaider secured the ACC win for the red-and-white when she picked up the fourth point on court one with a 6-1, 7-5 decision. Smith finished with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win on court two to extend the lead even further after battling through a tiebreaker set. Abrams match on court three also went to a tiebreaker set that concluded with a 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) win for her. Rencheli officially snagged the first ACC win when she also went to a tiebreaker set, finishing 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8).
Results:
#10 NC State 7, Wake Forest 0
Doubles Results
Order of Finish: (2, 1, 3)
1. Diana Shnaider/Alana Smith (ST) def. #10 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth (WF) 6-4
2. Mia Ahmad/Casie Wooten (WF) def. Sophie Abrams/Abigail Rencheli (ST) 6-2
3. Gina Dittmann/Nell Miller (ST) def. Nevena Carton/Whitley Pate (WF) 7-5
Singles Results
Order of Finish: (6, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4)
1. Diana Shnaider (ST) def. #29 Casie Wooten (WF) 6-1, 7-5
2. #15 Alana Smith (ST) def. Anna Brylin (WF) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
3. #64 Sophie Abrams (ST) def. Brooke Killingsworth (WF) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4)
4. #35 Abigail Rencheli (ST) def. Nevena Carton (WF) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)
5. Gina Dittmann (ST) def. Whitley Pate (WF) 6-2, 6-2
6. Anna Zyryanova (ST) def. Maddie Lynch (WF) 6-3, 6-0
A short turn-around sends the Wolfpack to Columbus this coming Wednesday, Feb. 22. First serve with the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes is set for 6 p.m.

https://gopack.com/news/2023/2/17/womens-tennis-10-wolfpack-sweep-acc-opener-at-wake-forest.aspx

No. 10 NC State women's tennis didn't mess around in its 2023 ACC opener, sweeping Wake Forest 7-0 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina thanks to another seamless performance from the red-hot Wolfpack. NC State (6-1, 1-0 ACC) used both its doubles and singles prowess to complete the sweep, making short work of the Demon Deacons (5-4, 0-1 ACC) while on the road. Boasting some of the best doubles squads in the nation, the Pack expectedly took the early point from Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons put up a fight, however, and even claimed a win on court two over juniors Sophie Abrams and Abigail Rencheli. Still, NC State's two other pairs came through, winning their courts to earn a 1-0 lead. While freshman Diana Shnaider and graduate student Alana Smith defeated the No. 10 pair in the nation 6-4, junior Gina Dittmann and fifth-year senior Nell Miller clinched the point on court three with a 7-5 win. Once singles started, it was easy sledding for the Wolfpack. Freshman Anna Zyryanova got the party started with a quick 6-3, 6-0 win on court six to double NC State's lead. Dittman made short work of her opponent as well, winning 6-2, 6-2 on court five. With a 3-0 lead in hand, Shnaider clinched the Pack's first ACC win of 2023 with a win on court one. After taking her first set 6-1, she came from behind in the second, winning it 7-5 to take the victory. From there, the Wolfpack kept on rolling. Even though she had to fight through a tiebreaker, No. 15 Smith won in straight sets on court two, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). The No. 64-ranked Abrams mimicked Smith, winning her first set easily but clinching her match via tiebreak. Abrams ultimately won 6-0, 7-6 (7-4). Finally, the No. 35-ranked Rencheli took the final Wolfpack win thanks to a clutch performance in her superbreaker that decided the split-set match. Her 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8) win finished off the 7-0 sweep. The crushing win extends NC State's win streak to four, and it doesn't look like the Pack is planning to stop anytime soon. Next up for the red-and-white is a road match with Ohio State on Wednesday, February 22 at 6 p.m.

https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/no-10-nc-state-women-s-tennis-rolls-wake-forest-7-0-in-acc-opener/article_ab79a97c-af2a-11ed-bc68-7f87436cfac9.html

ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ 😏 pic.twitter.com/df9eLd9aC5

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 21, 2023

ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴅᴏᴜʙʟᴇꜱ ʀᴀɴᴋɪɴɢꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴘ 25 pic.twitter.com/MYKrR8nCog

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 21, 2023

ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇꜱ: ɴᴏ. 17 ᴍɪʟʟɪᴇ ʀᴀᴊᴇᴄᴋɪ pic.twitter.com/SwrW3k5ir8

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 21, 2023

ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇꜱ: ɴᴏ. 52 ᴅɪᴀɴᴀ ꜱʜɴᴀɪᴅᴇʀ pic.twitter.com/IQnlS2i16O

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 21, 2023

ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇꜱ: ɴᴏ. 69 ꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ᴀʙʀᴀᴍꜱ pic.twitter.com/N8ttkhkNhX

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 21, 2023

9th-ranked NC State women's tennis (6-1, 1-0 ACC) is headed to the 2nd-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (7-2) home court to battle out a top-10 matchup for the first time this season. The first serve is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The match will be streamed live on PlaySight here, and live scores are available on StatBroadcast here.

https://gopack.com/news/2023/2/21/womens-tennis-9-wolfpack-traveling-to-2-ohio-state-for-first-top-10-matchup.aspx

#ACCWTEN in the Top 25 🤩 pic.twitter.com/h8QzcIGSzy

— The ACC (@theACC) February 21, 2023

Remaining On Top ‼️

Check out the Division I Women’s Team, Singles, and Doubles Computerized Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point below ⬇️

📊 https://t.co/FuA3AaAEic#WeAreCollegeTennis x @tennis_point_US pic.twitter.com/Rthmppkhb1

— ITA (@ITA_Tennis) February 21, 2023

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith
#2 Miller/Rajecki
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 3-2
#2 Smith 7-6
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 2-3
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 3-2
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

#23 Shnaider and Smith clinch the doubles point over Ohio State in a tiebreaker🐺 pic.twitter.com/FIjS4eP5qK

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 22, 2023

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6
#2 Smith 7-6, 2-2
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 5-4
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 2-1
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 1-0
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6, 1-2
#2 Smith 7-6, 3-4
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 6-4 NC State leads match 2-1
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 2-3
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 3-1
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6, 3-4
#2 Smith 7-6, 4-6, 1-1
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 6-4 NC State leads match 2-1
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 3-5
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 4-3
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6, 3-5
#2 Smith 7-6, 4-6, 2-1
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 6-4 NC State leads match 2-1
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 4-6 match tied 2-2
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 4-4
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6, 5-5
#2 Smith 7-6, 4-6, 4-1
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 6-4 NC State leads match 2-1
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 4-6 match tied 2-2
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 Ohio State leads match 3-2
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6, 6-6
#2 Smith 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 match tied 3-3
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 6-4 NC State leads match 2-1
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 4-6 match tied 2-2
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 Ohio State leads match 3-2
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

doubles vs Ohio State

#1 Shnaider/Smith 7-6
#2 Miller/Rajecki 6-3
#3 Dittmann/Rencheli 3-6

NC State wins doubles point and leads match 1-0

singles
#1 Shnaider 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 NC State wins match 4-3
#2 Smith 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 match tied 3-3
#3 Rajecki 6-4, 6-4 NC State leads match 2-1
#4 Rencheli 6-3, 0-6, 4-6 match tied 2-2
#5 Dittmann 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 Ohio State leads match 3-2
#6 Zyryanova 4-6, 1-6 match tied 1-1

Wow, what an incredible match. They beat #2 Ohio State in Columbus 4-3. It was tied at 3 points/matches to 3, with Shnaider's match going to a 3rd set tie-break to decide it. Shnaider was down a break in the 3rd set, but battled back. The Wolfpack's #4/5 singles player Sophie Abrams didn't play at all today...don't know if she was injured or sick or why. But I saw her on the live stream walking around normal, but just not dressed out, and was wearing flip flops. If they would have had Abrams, they likely would have won more easily, probably 5-2 or even 6-1. Dittman should have won her match at #5 singles...she was up 3-0 in the 3rd set. Regardless, this is absolutely huge for the program and for the rest of this season.

WOLFPACK TAKE DOWN THE #2 BUCKEYES #GoPack pic.twitter.com/7DqmDCJMSz

— NC State Women's Tennis 🐺🎾 (@PackWTennis) February 23, 2023

WOLFPACK WINSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@PackWTennis wins an absolute thriller in Columbus to take down 2nd ranked Ohio St 4-3 winning both the doubles point and the deciding singles match in a tie-break to complete the victory!!#Trajectory #GoPack 🐺🐾 pic.twitter.com/FoDci7MWkD

— Simon Earnshaw (@CoachEarnshaw) February 23, 2023

At this point, NC State women's tennis seems unstoppable, especially after earning its most impressive win yet against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

The No. 9 Wolfpack (6-1) went blow-for-blow with the second-best team in the nation for four hours in the top-10 matchup. Despite falling behind 2-3, NC State claimed a 4-3 comeback victory thanks to some heroic efforts from freshman Diana Shnaider and graduate student Alana Smith, handing the Buckeyes (7-3) a loss in Columbus, Ohio.

Raleigh's red-and-white squad claimed the early doubles point thanks to some clutch play by none other than Shnaider and Smith. With both teams splitting the first two courts NC State's coming via a 6-3 by the No. 5-ranked pair of junior Amelia Rajecki and fifth-year senior Nell Miller it was up to the No. 23-ranked pair of Shnaider and Smith to finish the job. The duo did just that, knocking off their No. 11-ranked opponents in a tense tiebreak, 7-6 (7-1).

Roughly three hours later, those two once again delivered in the clutch. With the Buckeyes threatening to clinch, they stayed cool and each beat their respective ranked opponents to deliver NC State the come-from-behind win.

The No. 15-ranked Smith, made it 3-3 with a grueling 7-6 (13-11), 4-6, 6-2 win, one that she finished off with her second tiebreaker win of the day at the end of her first set before cruising through her third.

After the graduate tied the score on court one, it was all down to the No. 52-ranked Shnaider to decide the match. She pulled off her own grueling three-set victory against a ranked opponent to seal the deal, remaining undefeated in singles matches on the season with the 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) win.

To begin the singles round, Ohio State got out to an early lead, but NC State quickly responded. The Buckeyes defeated freshman Anna Zyryanova 6-4, 6-1 to knot the contest up at 1-1. Soon after, though, the No. 17-ranked Rajecki got her own straight sets victory on court three, 6-4, 6-4.

The Buckeyes then pulled away from the Pack, winning matches on courts four and five over juniors Abigail Rencheli and Gina Dittmann, respectively. But Shnaider and Smith's thrilling wins were already in the works and not long after, they overcame the 2-3 deficit to claim the Wolfpack's fifth-straight win and fourth-straight ranked win.

With NC State rolling over its competition no matter the rank, it sets its sights on its first home match since Feb. 5. The red-and-white will square off with Georgia Tech on Friday, March 3 at 3 p.m. at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh.

https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/red-hot-pack-women-s-tennis-continues-streak-defeats-no-2-ohio-state-4-3/article_293dc764-b334-11ed-886b-17bd197e4d76.html

Not to put any sort of slight damper on this win over Ohio State, but I'm a little puzzled as to why they are currently ranked #2 in the nation. They had two losses prior to us beating them yesterday (to Texas A&M 0-4, and to Michigan 1-4). I'm not following any other teams matches (and thus don't know other circumstances, such as what players could have been not available or injured in the matches, etc), but just based on a quick look at the results, I would have ranked both Texas A&M and Michigan (who both only have one loss on the season) higher than Ohio State.

As I said in my previous post, I think we would have beat Ohio State by a score of 5-2 or 6-1 if we would have had Sophie Abrams playing. So that would put us on the level of Texas A&M and Michigan. If I had to re-rank the top 10 women's tennis teams nationally, I would have UNC at #1, and then I would put us right there with Michigan and Texas A&M at 2/3/4. Then Texas, Iowa State, and Ohio State at 5/6/7. Both Georgia and Auburn lost to Ohio State 0-4. So Auburn and Georgia at 8/9.

Of course the transitive property doesn't always work in tennis (just as other sports) and we'll need to wait until we face some of these teams head-to-head, but I think with Shnaider and a fully healthy line-up, we are definitely one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the nation with a very good chance to beat UNC and win the ACC and the national title.

9th-ranked NC State women's tennis (7-1, 1-0 ACC) edged past the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-3) Wednesday night after a nail biting 4-3 finish in Columbus. The match was the first win over a No. 2 ranked opponent for the program, previously beating the No. 3 ranked team three times in the past two seasons.

Both the doubles point and final singles point came down to a tiebreak set on court one, featuring the freshman, Diana Shnaider. On court three Gina Dittmann and Abigail Rencheli paired up for the first time this dual match season but ending up falling to their opponent 3-6. No. 5 Nell Miller and Amelia Rajecki reunited to show their talent and claim the first doubles victory, 6-3. The doubles point came down to court one with No. 23 Shnaider and Alana Smith who battled to a tiebreak set against the No. 11 ranked doubles pair to get the edge for the Wolfpack that would end up being critical.

Anna Zyryanova came up short on court six 4-6, 1-6 to give the Buckeyes their first point and tie the team score 1-1. Shortly after, NC State was back on top 2-1 as No. 17 Amelia Rajecki on court three defeated her opponent 6-4, 6-4. On court four, No. 51 Abigail Rencheli was unable to battle back in her three set match after originally taking the first set, 6-3, 0-6, 4-6. With the Buckeyes now ahead, play on courts one, two, and five became intense to attempt to snag any points for the squad. Ohio State tallied another singles point to lead 3-2 after taking down Gina Dittmann on court five in a three set show finishing 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 for the junior.

With all eyes on courts one and two, No. 15 Alana Smith rallied past her No. 33 ranked opponent after winning the first set in a tiebreak 13-11. She then fell behind and gave up the second set 4-6, forcing a third that was smooth cruising for her, finishing 6-2. Smith's win tied up the team score at three a piece, keeping everyone on their toes as they watched No. 52 Shnaider finish out the fight. Familiar with her No. 22 ranked opponent from doubles play prior, Shnaider had to battle for every point. Landing the first set 7-5, she fell behind in the second 4-6, extending to a third set. Shnaider brought the win home for her team as she came from behind to force a tiebreak she claimed with a 7-3 triumph.

Results:
#9 NC State 4, #2 Ohio State 3
Doubles Results
Order of Finish: (3, 2, 1)
1. #23 Diana Shnaider/Alana Smith (ST) def. #11 Sydni Ratliff/Irina Cantos Siemers (OSU) 7-6 (7-1)
2. #5 Amelia Rajecki/Nell Miller (ST) def. Isabelle Boulais/Shelly Bereznyak (OSU) 6-3
3. Kolie Allen/Danielle Willson (OSU) def. Gina Dittmann/Abigail Rencheli (ST) 6-3

Singles Results
Order of Finish: (6, 3, 4, 5, 2, 1)
1. #52 Diana Shnaider (ST) def. #22 Sydni Ratliff (OSU) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3)
2. #15 Alana Smith (ST) def. #33 Irina Cantos Siemers (OSU) 7-6 (13-11), 4-6, 6-2
3. #17 Amelia Rajecki (ST) def. Kolie Allen (OSU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Isabelle Boulais (OSU) def. #51 Abigail Rencheli (ST) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
5. #105 Shelly Bereznyak (OSU) def. Gina Dittmann (ST) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
6. Lucia Marzal (OSU) def. Anna Zyryanova (ST) 6-4, 6-1

Next weekend, the Wolfpack is returning home for their first hosting of an ACC matchup this season to take on Georgia Tech next Friday, March 3rd at 3 p.m.

https://gopack.com/news/2023/2/23/womens-tennis-9-wolfpack-beat-2-ohio-state-in-a-gritty-finish.aspx

WTA #90 Diana Shnaider clinches @PackWTennis’s 4️⃣-3️⃣ win over #2 Ohio State in Columbus.

Shnaider saved a match point and ultimately won 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3) over ITA #22 Sydni Ratliff. pic.twitter.com/ILah5s4VDm

— John (@JTweetsTennis) February 23, 2023

I was thinking about this recently...it's curious how there is a huge disparity between the interest/viewership of women's basketball and tennis at the professional level, versus the college level. Based on the best info of ratings that I could find (and just from "anecdotal" evidence), there is far more interest in and viewership of women's professional tennis than women's professional basketball. Almost nobody cares about the WNBA, even though it is heavily promoted and shown on television. Meanwhile, 7 of the top 10 highest paid female professional athletes are pro tennis players (eg, Serena Williams, Osaka, Swiatek, Gauff, etc), and the television ratings of women's tennis is high.

I think a lot of the reason for this disparity is marketing, and the fact that the television networks have just chosen to promote women's college basketball heavily (by putting it on television all the time, etc), and have chosen to largely ignore women's college tennis (among other sports). Whatever the powers-that-be decide to promote usually ends up creating a demand for that product. If the television networks did the reverse, and heavily promoted women's college tennis and aired the matches on television (and largely ignored women's college basketball), then the reverse would quickly occur and you'd have much more interest in women's college tennis than women's college basketball.

If you remove NC State from the equation, and I just had to choose to watch any other college teams compete in women's sports, I would much prefer to watch tennis (or volleyball) than basketball. Watching women play basketball is "painful" and boring (eg, WNBA). For example, I love watching the women's NCAA volleyball tournament each year, even though NC State is never a factor. Meanwhile, I couldn't care less about the women's NCAA basketball tournament, unless NC State is involved.