With the 2024-25 season underway, Florida women’s tennis finds itself in a situation it hasn’t faced often.
The Gators boast seven national championships in their storied history, four of which have come in coach Roland Thornqvist’s 24 years running the program. However, in the last seven years, the Gators haven’t surpassed the round of 16.
With the fall season just around the corner, Florida looks to right the ship and pursue its eighth national championship.
Entering his 25th season leading the Gators, Thornqvist’s group is coming off of a second-round finish in the 2024 NCAA tournament. The Gators showed promise throughout the year, winning 10 consecutive games to close out SEC play. The success didn’t translate to the postseason.
Now, the Gators hit the court again.
This fall will feature a variety of contributors on the Florida roster, but likely none more important than Rachel Gailis. Gailis returns to the Gators for her junior year, ranked as the No. 7 singles player in the nation by the ITA.
Thornqvist described her as “one of the best players in the country," emphasizing the value she brings to the team playing in the No. 1 spot.
He noted her value as a leader in Florida as well.
“We’re gonna go as far as Rachel will lead us,” Thornqvist said.
Gailis finished the 2023-24 season with a 22-8 overall singles record, finishing the season as an ITA All-American. In addition to her break-through sophomore campaign, Gailis won her first pro singles title this summer at the Lakewood, California W15.
In addition to Gailis, Florida is led by two senior contributors, each returning from injuries issues over the past few years.
Alicia Dudeney and Emily De Oliveira are both back for their fourth season. The pair of Gator seniors have had their highlights in their first years in the swamp. Now, they each enter the 2024-25 season in the ITA’s singles rankings.
De Oliveira is the Gators’ second-highest-ranked singles player, coming in at No. 29. She didn’t log a match of SEC singles last season, but in 2022-23 she finished with a 25-8 overall singles record. As a previous walk-on, De Oliveira’s rise to national ranking has been meteoric, with Thorqvist noting her experience en route to her current ranking.
“Emily is a also obviously very seasoned [player],” Thornqvist said. “[Her] experience is going to be invaluable.”
Dudeney is a similar story in relation to injuries, but on a much different timetable for her success. As a freshman, Dudeney was selected as second-team All-SEC, winning her last nine matches of the season. That run included a victory over the top player in the country, Mary Stoiana of Texas A&M, dropping her 6-3, 6-3. Since then, Dudeney has faced challenges staying on the court. In 2024-25, the Gators hope to bring her back to her freshman form.
“I just hope that we can keep her healthy because, at the conclusion of her freshman year, quite honestly, she was the talk of college tennis,” Thornqvist said.
De Oliveira and Dudeney will play a critical role in creating balance for the Florida team, as the Gators will likely lean on a heavy contribution from underclassmen.
“Having young talent and good players with experience is the formula for a championship team,” Thornqvist said.
Some of that aforementioned young talent can be seen in that of Qavia Lopez.
Lopez, a former No. 1 recruit, is entering her second season with the Gators, coming off of a year that saw her recognized on the SEC All-Freshman team. Lopez was a force in both singles and doubles, finishing the season with a 23-11 overall singles record and 24-14 in doubles. She enters the 2024-25 season ranked in both singles and doubles, looking to expand on her freshman campaign.
Joining Lopez are three other underclassmen, all three of whom are freshmen.
The Gators welcome a recruiting class made up of entirely international players, each of whom is bringing professional experience to the Gators. The group is headlined by Talia Nielson-Gatenby.
Nielson-Gatenby enters the 2024 season ranked in singles and doubles, along with being recognized as a top 10 newcomer to collegiate women’s tennis.
“She’s fast, quick, great technique, and she is a very, very good competitor," Thornqvist said.
Nielson-Gatenby raved about her experience with the Florida program in her first few months, detailing her goals for this season.
“[I’d] like to be able to clinch for the team,” Nielson-Gatenby said. “And just help the team do as good as we can.”
Freshman Nikola Daubnerova pointed at the unselfish nature of Florida’s roster as the reason she thinks they’ll have success this fall.
“I think everyone on the team is great as a team player, and if we all bring that together, then that's what makes the team work,” Daubnerova said.
Florida’s hopes of pursuing another national championship will begin in the spring, but first they will tune up with a challenging fall schedule.
The Gators will open the season with the Kitty Harrison Invitational at the University of North Carolina. The field features four teams ranked in the top 25 by the ITA, including No. 14 Florida. Florida will begin its season against Old Dominion on Friday, Sept. 13.
From there, the Gators will be on the road for ITA All-American play Sept. 21-29, the Bedford Cup Sept. 27-29 and the ITA Regional Championship in Atlanta Oct. 10-14.
For Halloween, the Gators will be in Norman, Oklahoma, playing in the Norman 35K Oct. 28-Nov. 3. They’ll follow that with three more road tournaments before the holidays, competing in the ITA Conference Masters Championship, Sectionals and the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships all between Nov. 7 and 24.
Florida will close its fall schedule back in the Sunshine State, hosting the Florida Invitational Jan. 11-12.
With the fall season only a day away, Florida women’s tennis will look to adjust its recent shortcomings in hopes of national glory. A storied program, the Gators aim to be back in the hunt for their eighth national championship in 2024-25.
Contact Noah White at nwhite@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @noahwhite1782
Noah White is a sophomore majoring in journalism and public relations and The Alligator's Women's Tennis Reporter. In his free time, Noah writes some more and plays soccer and volleyball. He also knows more about Liberty League women's soccer than you do.
