Australia will once again take its place at the 18th edition of the Master’U BNP Paribas Team Event – widely recognised as “The World Event of University Tennis” – to be held in Reims, France from 5 to 7 December 2025.
The invitation-only competition features eight countries and brings together many of the world’s top-ranked university athletes from both National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions, as well as other university systems from around the world.
Australia made its debut in 2022 and has since secured bronze (2022), fourth place (2023) and another bronze in 2024.
The following players have been selected to represent Australia:
- Jeremy Jin, 21 – University of Florida
- Nikita Volonski, 24 – University of Tulsa
- Alex Bulte, 23 – Florida State University
- Tina Smith, 23 – WTA University Program
- Melisa Ercan, 20 – Oklahoma State University
- Catherine Aulia, 21 – University of Tennessee
“I absolutely love this event,” returning athlete Catherine Aulia said.
“I love the team aspect and playing for my country. It is going to be a lot of fun and I’m so excited to get started!”
Coaching the team in 2025 will be David Hodge and Ebony Panoho, who have coached the team together since 2022. Panoho is an Arizona State University graduate, All-American and a former college coach while Hodge coached at Stanford University, the University of Colorado and graduated from Baylor University where he too was an All-American.
The Master’U BNP Paribas event continues to be an invaluable part of Australia’s college pathway, delivering international experience and exposure at a world class level.
“This event is a brilliant showcase of the strength of the college pathway, and our athletes continue to prove that Australians thrive in this space,” Hodge said.
“Our players are keen to represent their country, and we’re excited about what this team can achieve. Ebony and I can’t wait to support them as they take on some of the best university nations in the world.”
Last year’s team featured rising star Maya Joint, who has since become Australia’s top-ranked woman and climbed to world No.32, highlighting the calibre of players showcased at this event.
Previous competitors who have appeared at the event include Adam Walton (AUS), Danielle Collins (USA), Chris Eubanks (USA) and Ena Shibahara (USA, JPN).