CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini sophomore Ariel Madatali has been named to the 2026 Big Ten Women's Tennis Players to Watch List, the league announced on Monday. The St. Louis native is headed into her second dual season with the Orange and Blue. Madatali is one of 18 athletes named to the Players to Watch List.
Madatali is coming off of a successful freshman campaign that featured a team-best 18-10 overall singles record and a 5-7 overall mark on the doubles courts. The rookie appeared between singles courts 3-5 and at No. 3 doubles.
Madatali earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and was honored as an ITA Scholar-Athlete. She clinched three matches during her freshman campaign (Northwestern, Chicago State, and Penn State). Madatali got off to a quick start in 2024-25, picking up a ranked win in the fall with a 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 victory over Wisconsin's No. 95 Taylor Cataldi.
This past fall, Madatali competed at the ITA All-American Championships in both the singles and doubles events. The sophomore tallied a 4-4 singles record and picked up two wins on the doubles courts this fall as well.
