University of Tennessee Athletics
October 30, 2026 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head women's tennis coach Alison Ojeda announced Friday the signing of Antonia Vergara Rivera. Vergara Rivera will join the Lady Vols in January ahead of the 2027 dual slate.
"Our program is absolutely thrilled to add Antonia to our team," Ojeda said. "A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of watching her compete at the U.S. Open juniors and I remember vividly how hard she competed for every single point she played. Her tenacity and passion fit right in with what being a Lady Vol is all about."
A native of Santiago, Chile, Vergara Rivera has found success on the pro tennis circuit, currently sporting a No. 451 WTA singles ranking and a No. 621 WTA doubles ranking. She has previously reached career-high rankings of No. 340 in singles and No. 469 in doubles in ranking updates earlier this year.
"We are very excited to welcome Antonia to our family," assistant coach Martim Prata said. "She is an incredible competitor, and her love for the game is going to have an immediate impact on our team. We can't wait to help her develop and see her thrive on Rocky Top."
Among the top players in Chile, Vergara Rivera has competed for her country in the Billie Jean King Cup every year since 2023, amassing 10 combined singles and doubles wins in King Cup competition. She is just the 12th athlete to tally double digit wins for Chile in the world's premier international tennis tournament.
The Lady Vols boast a history of Latin American players representing their home countries in the World Cup of Tennis, with Sofia Cabezas and Vanesa Suarez competing for Venezuela and Leyla Britez Risso doing so for Paraguay in the past three years. Vergara Rivera will again represent Chile in the 2027 edition of the tournament, continuing the tradition of the Lady Vols in the Cup.
A decorated junior player, Vergara Rivera reached a world juniors ranking as high as No. 13, hitting that peak in 2024.
Vergara Rivera has faced a number of current or former collegians in her recent professional performances, taking wins over Vanderbilt's Trinetra Vijayakumar and Mississippi State's Chiara Di Genova in tournaments this past summer.
Vergara Rivera twice played LVFL Leyla Britez Risso this past June, with each taking one win. Vergara Rivera claimed the first matchup, taking a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 decision in the semifinals of the Luque WTT W15 tournament in Paraguay and she would go on to win the title match the following day. Britez Risso, a 2026 All-SEC second-team selection for the Lady Vols, claimed their rematch the next week by a 6-1, 6-1 margin in the quarterfinals of the Asuncion WTT W15 tournament.
In her young professional career, Vergara Rivera has earned three professional singles titles. Along with the aforementioned W15 crown in Luque, Vergara Rivera won 10 straight singles matches from August 11-23, 2025 to take two WTT W15 singles titles in her hometown of Santiago.
"Our program is absolutely thrilled to add Antonia to our team," Ojeda said. "A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of watching her compete at the U.S. Open juniors and I remember vividly how hard she competed for every single point she played. Her tenacity and passion fit right in with what being a Lady Vol is all about."
A native of Santiago, Chile, Vergara Rivera has found success on the pro tennis circuit, currently sporting a No. 451 WTA singles ranking and a No. 621 WTA doubles ranking. She has previously reached career-high rankings of No. 340 in singles and No. 469 in doubles in ranking updates earlier this year.
"We are very excited to welcome Antonia to our family," assistant coach Martim Prata said. "She is an incredible competitor, and her love for the game is going to have an immediate impact on our team. We can't wait to help her develop and see her thrive on Rocky Top."
Among the top players in Chile, Vergara Rivera has competed for her country in the Billie Jean King Cup every year since 2023, amassing 10 combined singles and doubles wins in King Cup competition. She is just the 12th athlete to tally double digit wins for Chile in the world's premier international tennis tournament.
The Lady Vols boast a history of Latin American players representing their home countries in the World Cup of Tennis, with Sofia Cabezas and Vanesa Suarez competing for Venezuela and Leyla Britez Risso doing so for Paraguay in the past three years. Vergara Rivera will again represent Chile in the 2027 edition of the tournament, continuing the tradition of the Lady Vols in the Cup.
A decorated junior player, Vergara Rivera reached a world juniors ranking as high as No. 13, hitting that peak in 2024.
Vergara Rivera has faced a number of current or former collegians in her recent professional performances, taking wins over Vanderbilt's Trinetra Vijayakumar and Mississippi State's Chiara Di Genova in tournaments this past summer.
Vergara Rivera twice played LVFL Leyla Britez Risso this past June, with each taking one win. Vergara Rivera claimed the first matchup, taking a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 decision in the semifinals of the Luque WTT W15 tournament in Paraguay and she would go on to win the title match the following day. Britez Risso, a 2026 All-SEC second-team selection for the Lady Vols, claimed their rematch the next week by a 6-1, 6-1 margin in the quarterfinals of the Asuncion WTT W15 tournament.
In her young professional career, Vergara Rivera has earned three professional singles titles. Along with the aforementioned W15 crown in Luque, Vergara Rivera won 10 straight singles matches from August 11-23, 2025 to take two WTT W15 singles titles in her hometown of Santiago.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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