CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced the addition of rising sophomore transfer Cara Mester to the program. The Cluj-Napoca, Romania, native played her freshman season at Oklahoma.
As a freshman with the Sooners during the 2024-25 campaign, Mester finished 14-7 overall in doubles – all on court one in dual play – with six of those matches against nationally-ranked opponents. In her first dual doubles match, 28th-ranked Mester/Shcherbinina defeated Tulsa's 26th-ranked Hutchings/Berlanga, 6-3. Later, 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.
Mester returned home to Romania this summer 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.
In her junior career, Mester won two singles titles, including the Cairo J1, and nine doubles titles, including Klosters. Additionally, Mester has made appearances in all four Junior Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, Roland Garros, US Open, and Wimbledon. She climbed as high as No. 40 in the ITF junior rankings while having a WTA career-high of 1060 in singles and 1422 in doubles.
Why she chose Illinois:
"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."
Clark on Adding Cara Mester:
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Cara to the Fighting Illini Women's Tennis family. Finding the right fit is key, and after spending time with Cara and seeing the instant connection she made with both the team and the coaches, it was clear that Illinois is where she's meant to be. We're confident that Cara will thrive in the culture we've built within our program and take immense pride in representing the Orange and Blue as she begins this exciting new chapter!
Cara is an exceptional tennis player, but even more so, she's an incredible person. She brings a wealth of experience, a relentless work ethic, and an inspiring competitive spirit. We feel incredibly fortunate to have her join us for the 2025-2026 season. We believe her best tennis is ahead of her, and we can't wait to help her reach her full potential both on and off the court. We are certain that Cara will have an outstanding college tennis career in an Illini uniform.
Welcome to Illinois, Cara."
