The Tar Heels will begin the 2021 season as the No. 1 women’s tennis team in the country, according to the Preseason Oracle ITA Division I rankings released on Thursday.

After ending last season prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC brings back its entire roster thanks to an NCAA rule granting all players in spring sports an extra year of eligibility.

A total of five All-Americans will take the court for head coach Brian Kalbas’s team, which also welcomes three top freshmen.

Filling out the top five behind UNC are: No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Stanford and No. 5 Pepperdine.

ACC rivals Duke (No. 6), NC State (No. 8), Florida State (No. 9) and Virginia (No. 10) are also among the top 10, while the conference is also represented by No. 12 Georgia Tech and No. 16 Wake Forest.

The Tar Heels will make their first appearance on the court since March this weekend when it hosts the UNC Invitational, and will have their first dual match on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at home against UNC-Wilmington.

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Tennis Sweeps South Carolina, Advances to NCAA Super Regionals
UNC beat South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday at the Chewning Tennis Center to advance to the tournament’s Super Regional round. It’s the 16th consecutive tournament in which the Tar Heels have advanced to the Super Regionals. Heels are headed to Supers‼️#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Z7SsPWUFqc — Carolina Women's Tennis 🐏🎾 […]
UNC Women Win, Men Lose in 1st Round of NCAA Tennis Tournament
Both the UNC men’s and women’s tennis teams were in action in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday. The women won their opening-round match against Charleston Southern, while men fell to Michigan State and saw their season come to an end. The women, playing as the No. 5 overall seed in the field, […]
UNC's Reese Brantmeier Settles NCAA Lawsuit, Lifting Prize Money Restrictions
The NCAA has settled a lawsuit filed by UNC women’s tennis star Reese Brantmeier which took issue with the organization’s restrictions on student-athletes accepting prize money in non-NCAA events before enrolling in college. Under the terms of the settlement, the Associated Press reports the NCAA will pay more than $2 million in damages to both […]
UNC Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Each Earn Bids to NCAA Tournament
Both the UNC men’s and women’s tennis teams will compete in the NCAA Tournament this year, as both earned bids during the selection show Monday. The women are the No. 5 overall seed in their field, while the men are an unseeded team. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels enter the tournament with a […]
UNC's Reese Brantmeier Named ACC Women's Tennis Player of the Year for 2nd Straight Year
UNC’s Reese Brantmeier was named the ACC Player of the Year this week for the second consecutive season, and four other teammates earned All-ACC honors as well. Your back-to-back 𝘼𝘾𝘾 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙀𝙍 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍 🐐#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/BwpgcCnNkf — Carolina Women's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@UNC_wtennis) April 23, 2026 Brantmeier was named first team All-ACC honors in both singles […]
UNC Women's Tennis Earns Wins vs. No. 9 NC State, No. 1 Georgia
The UNC women’s tennis team notched a pair of high-quality wins during a snowy weekend in North Carolina, beating No. 9 NC State in Cary Friday and then returning to the Chewning Tennis Center to beat No. 1 Georgia Sunday. Against the Wolfpack Friday, the Tar Heels won the match 4-3 despite falling in an […]
UNC's Reese Brantmeier Wins NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship
UNC senior Reese Brantmeier defeated Cal’s Berta Passola Folch in an all-ACC championship match at the NCAA Women’s Singles Championship in Orlando Sunday. Brantmeier won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. OUR CHAMP 🏆🎥 pic.twitter.com/ZU3PlvOJqu — Carolina Women's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@UNC_wtennis) November 23, 2025 Sunday’s win capped off a thrilling week for Brantmeier, who played three-set […]
UNC Women's Sports Programs Win 2024-25 Capital One Cup
UNC has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Capital One Cup, awarded annually to the most successful women’s athletic program of the season. The winner is determined by accumulating points in a combination of NCAA championship wins and major poll finishes. Four women’s sports programs at UNC – field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and tennis […]
UNC Women's Tennis Falls to No. 1 Georgia in NCAA Semifinals
Playing without ACC Player of the Year Reese Brantmeier, UNC struggled in its national semifinal match against No. 1 Georgia in Waco, TX Saturday. The Bulldogs controlled the match throughout and defeated the Tar Heels 4-0, ending Carolina’s season. Georgia won the doubles point thanks to wins on No. 1 and No. 2 court. UNC […]
Chansky's Notebook: Gritty Wins
Art Chansky will no doubt appreciate that both the Celtics and the Tar Heels earned gritty wins despite distressing injury news.
›