Rutgers tennis had a reason to celebrate on Tuesday when head coach Hillary Ritchie announced the signing of Jelena Vico. The Ontario native is set to join the Scarlet Knights next fall. However, she brings an impressive resume to Piscataway.
The future Scarlet Knight competed in events worldwide during the ITF World Tennis Tour this year. Those tournaments included stops in Guatemala, Canada, and Europe. In 2022, she earned her first-ever ITF title at a J5 in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.
Due to her past success, many at Rutgers, including Ritchie, are excited for Vico to arrive on campus.
Jelena is going to be a terrific addition to our team,” Ritchie told Rutgers Athletics. “She has a ton of natural power in her game. Her international competition experience is going to be an asset in Big Ten play.”
It’s official ✍️
Welcome to Rutgers, Jelena! 🎾⚔️
📰: https://t.co/6VzQwymVZm#GoRU | #RTennis pic.twitter.com/m8aHPtbIW8
— Rutgers Tennis (@RutgersTennis) December 5, 2023
While Vico has thrived on the tennis courts, she has also excelled in the classroom. At Richview Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke, she has been an honor student every year. When she wasn’t on the tennis court, Vico was a member of the school’s Book Club, Leadership Club, and volleyball team.
Although her collegiate debut is still months away, Vico looks forward to how Rutgers will impact her future.
” It’s not just about hitting the tennis courts, but also being a part of a supportive team and getting a top-notch education in something that I love. Rutgers is the right place for me to grow both athletically and academically,” Vico said in a statement about her signing with the program.