Women's Tennis Inks Two to 2026 Signing ClassWomen's Tennis Inks Two to 2026 Signing Class
Conor Kvatek / UCF Athletics

Women's Tennis Inks Two to 2026 Signing Class

by Aiden Kocol

ORLANDO – In honor of national signing day, the UCF women’s tennis team has inked two, Wei Zhangqian and Marta Makarova, to its 2026-27 roster, as announced on Monday by head coach Bryan Koniecko.

“We are thrilled to welcome Wei and Marta to our UCF Tennis family. They bring a genuine love for the sport and a commitment to getting better every day, which aligns perfectly with the standards our team has set. Coach Francesca and I are excited to continue their development on and off the court. We are confident they will make an immediate impact and further strengthen the winning culture our players have built at UCF.”

Head Coach Bryan Koniecko

Wei Zhangqian
Zhangqian joins the Knights with an impressive international resume, holding an ITF junior ranking of No. 94, having captured four ITF Junior Titles, while also bearing a national ranking of No. 36 in China. 

One of her most impressive performances to date came earlier this calendar year at the J100 Huzhou, where she only dropped one set across all five rounds of play, eventually taking down China’s Ru Xi Wu in a dominating 6-2, 6-1 win in the final round to take home the champion title.

Hailing from Kaifeng, China, Zhangqian has already showcased her ability to compete amongst the best, having qualified for both the 2025 Junior Australian Open and U.S. Open.

Marta Makarova
Ranking No. 57 nationally in 18U in her home country, Makarova comes to Orlando from Kirov, Russia, boasting an impressive junior training campaign.

Markarova brings a competitive edge to the squad, having captured three ITF Junior titles and achieved an ITF Pro ranking of 248.

Most recently, Makarova won back-to-back singles titles at the J60 Tsakhadzor. The first of the titles included a hard-fought win over top Russian player, Felitsata Dorofeeva-Rybas, after dropping the first set 5-7, Makarova came back to take the next two sets with decisive 6-2, 6-4 wins to bring home the singles champion title.