Murray State women’s tennis announced the signing of Varvara Alexeyeva on Tuesday morning as the Kazakhstan native signed her National Letter of Intent. Alexeyeva is the lone signing for the Racers tennis team for the 2023 class.

 

A native of Almaty, Kazakhstan, Alexeyeva has emerged as one of the best young players in the country winning the International Tennis Federation J5 Cholpon Tournament in May. At 16 years of age competing in the 18U circuit, Alexeyeva also played in two more semifinals in ITF J5 events this year.

 

“There are many reasons why I chose Murray State University. One of the reasons is the town, as it is considered one of the safest and friendliest. I also really liked Coach Caetano, and how he is really thoughtful towards his team, he really cares about the physical and emotional condition of each girl on the tennis team,” said Alexeyeva. “In addition, I loved that there is a cozy and supportive atmosphere in the team between the girls and it made me feel like I found a home away from home.”

 

Alexeyeva holds a career-high 1407 ranking from the ITF while also holding a 9.12 Universal Tennis Rating.

 

“What’s striking with Varvara is how motivated she is to grow and how well-supported she is by her family. She is focused, hard-working, and was looking for a place where she can focus on academics and on developing her game,” Head Coach Jorge Caetano said. “Even though she is young, she has seen great success on the international level and her experience competing in the ITF Junior and Pro Tour will help her with some of the challenges that college tennis presents. I can’t wait to start working with her and help her grow here at MSU.”