University of Tennessee Athletics
Britez Risso Tabbed as ITA Ohio Valley Region Most Improved Player
June 09, 2026 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee women's tennis standout Leyla Britez Risso has been tabbed as the ITA's most improved player from the Ohio Valley region, it announced Tuesday.
"Anytime you win a regional award and are up for national recognition, it's a great thing," Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. "What I absolutely love about this award is that it is all about development. We live in a world where technology has created less patience, and more of a need for an instant response. We [as a coaching staff] do the best job that we can to create an environment where our program understands the importance of patience while developing their craft.
"Leyla is an incredible example of what improving looks like, and she's done so while competing at the highest level in college tennis," Ojeda praised. "We are very proud of her."
Britez Risso becomes just the fifth player in program history to earn the regional most improved player award. All five honors have come in the Ojeda era (since 2017).
"I am very grateful to have received this honor," Britez Risso said. "These four years have been full of learning from my mistakes, growing and working hard. I want to thank all my teammates for always pushing me into be a better version of myself, and also thank Alison for helping me mature, be disciplined and grow throughout these four years at Tennessee."
A senior from Asunción, Paraguay, Britez Risso finished the 2026 regular season with a 16-1 singles record, including a perfect 11-0 ledger on her home courts in Knoxville. She opened the dual season on an 11-match win streak, which extended to a 14-match streak including her last three matches of individual action. She collected seven ranked singles wins with a 7-2 record against ranked opponents this dual season, including four top-50 victories.
The 2026 All-SEC Second Team pick logged two crucial singles triumphs at the ITA National Indoor Team Championships, aiding Tennessee to wins over No. 15 Virginia (Feb. 7) and No. 8 Oklahoma State (Feb. 8), clinching the 4-2 victory for Tennessee in the former.
In SEC play, she delivered an 11-1 singles record, including a comeback result over Vanderbilt's No. 25 Mia Yamakita, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, for her highest-ranked singles victory of the dual season on March 27.
Britez Risso posted a 7-4 doubles record in SEC competition, including a 6-2 mark in conference play alongside Catherine Aulia. She won six of her final seven doubles decisions to end the regular season. She tallied three ranked doubles wins, defeating No. 75 Martinez/Amariei of Texas A&M (March 20), No. 71 Ionescu/McNeil of Texas (March 22) and No. 30 Erickson/McDonald of LSU (April 11). All three came in the final eight completed doubles matches of the season.
Britez Risso ended the season ranked as the No. 42 singles player in the nation and No. 29 in doubles alongside Aulia. She reached rankings as high as No. 18 in singles and No. 15 in doubles, both career bests, during the 2025-26 season.
As a junior in 2024, she went 16-4 while playing most of her matches on courts three and four. She posted a 3-3 record against ranked opponents, with her top victory coming against then-No. 48 Bridget Stammel of Vanderbilt, the only top-50 win in her career before her senior season. She finished that campaign ranked No. 59 in singles.
"Anytime you win a regional award and are up for national recognition, it's a great thing," Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. "What I absolutely love about this award is that it is all about development. We live in a world where technology has created less patience, and more of a need for an instant response. We [as a coaching staff] do the best job that we can to create an environment where our program understands the importance of patience while developing their craft.
"Leyla is an incredible example of what improving looks like, and she's done so while competing at the highest level in college tennis," Ojeda praised. "We are very proud of her."
Britez Risso becomes just the fifth player in program history to earn the regional most improved player award. All five honors have come in the Ojeda era (since 2017).
"I am very grateful to have received this honor," Britez Risso said. "These four years have been full of learning from my mistakes, growing and working hard. I want to thank all my teammates for always pushing me into be a better version of myself, and also thank Alison for helping me mature, be disciplined and grow throughout these four years at Tennessee."
A senior from Asunción, Paraguay, Britez Risso finished the 2026 regular season with a 16-1 singles record, including a perfect 11-0 ledger on her home courts in Knoxville. She opened the dual season on an 11-match win streak, which extended to a 14-match streak including her last three matches of individual action. She collected seven ranked singles wins with a 7-2 record against ranked opponents this dual season, including four top-50 victories.
The 2026 All-SEC Second Team pick logged two crucial singles triumphs at the ITA National Indoor Team Championships, aiding Tennessee to wins over No. 15 Virginia (Feb. 7) and No. 8 Oklahoma State (Feb. 8), clinching the 4-2 victory for Tennessee in the former.
In SEC play, she delivered an 11-1 singles record, including a comeback result over Vanderbilt's No. 25 Mia Yamakita, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, for her highest-ranked singles victory of the dual season on March 27.
Britez Risso posted a 7-4 doubles record in SEC competition, including a 6-2 mark in conference play alongside Catherine Aulia. She won six of her final seven doubles decisions to end the regular season. She tallied three ranked doubles wins, defeating No. 75 Martinez/Amariei of Texas A&M (March 20), No. 71 Ionescu/McNeil of Texas (March 22) and No. 30 Erickson/McDonald of LSU (April 11). All three came in the final eight completed doubles matches of the season.
Britez Risso ended the season ranked as the No. 42 singles player in the nation and No. 29 in doubles alongside Aulia. She reached rankings as high as No. 18 in singles and No. 15 in doubles, both career bests, during the 2025-26 season.
As a junior in 2024, she went 16-4 while playing most of her matches on courts three and four. She posted a 3-3 record against ranked opponents, with her top victory coming against then-No. 48 Bridget Stammel of Vanderbilt, the only top-50 win in her career before her senior season. She finished that campaign ranked No. 59 in singles.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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