University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Sign Pair of 2023 Recruits
November 14, 2022 | Women's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia women's tennis head coach Jeff Wallace announced Monday, Nov. 14, the signing of Gracie Epps and Aysegul Mert (pronounced Eye-sa-gul) to the Bulldog tennis program.
"We are thrilled to welcome Gracie and Aysegul to our 2023 class," said Georgia associate head coach Drake Bernstein. "Both are of high character and will each bring impressive resumes to Athens. They are eager to work and hungry to represent the University of Georgia."
Epps, a native of Norman, Oklahoma is the fourth-ranked American in the class of 2023 — She ranked as high as No. 1 back in 2019 – and has a career-high International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior ranking of No. 80. She also has a pair of ITF titles under her belt after successfully defending her title at the Grade 3 Cancun in 2022 — both on hard courts.
Throughout her career, Epps has posted a career-high 10.58 Universal Tennis Rating — UTR is a global rating system that promotes fair and competitive play across the tennis world on a scale between 1 and 16.50 based on actual match results.
"Gracie has consistently been one of the top junior tennis players in the US, but what is most impressive about her is the way that she competes every day," said Bernstein. "In practice and matches, she brings fire to the court and will certainly be a catalyst for those around her."
Mert, a native of Istanbul, Turkey has climbed as high as No. 52 in the ITF junior rankings and has a 10.43 UTR rating. She has played in numerous Junior Grand Slams and has eight ITF titles to her name, including the Grade 2 Oberhaching in Germany. Mert has competed in various 15K and 25K tournaments throughout her career, with her best win coming over Miriam Kolodziejova (WTA 247) in 2021.
"Aysegul plays a very powerful game and has the ability to take the racquet out of her opponent's hands on any given day," said Bernstein. "We look forward to working with her and maximizing her strength and weapons over the next four years."
Georgia concluded its Fall slate, accumulating 86 wins — 66 singles and 20 doubles. The Bulldogs will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 13, when they kick off the Spring season at the Palm Springs Classic in Palm Springs, Fla.
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