Ekua Youri celebrates after scoring a point for the Gauchos. Courtesy of UCSB Athletics

Junior transfer women’s tennis player Ekua Youri celebrated her first year at UC Santa Barbara, demonstrating dominance all season and earning the 2026 Big West Women’s Tennis Player of the Year award.

“I was super happy to get it, it’s obviously a really big achievement,” Youri said, “but my goals definitely don’t stop there. I want to do better things. I wanna get ranked.”

Youri’s ambitions go beyond the Big West. She emphasized that she strives to lead a team to the NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championship Sweet 16 and eventually compete in a national championship. 

Youri’s award marks the Gaucho’s sixth straight season and 10th overall time earning the honor. This season, Youri went 12-7 overall and 4-1 in the Big West conference. As a singles player, she went 8-6 at No. 1 and 4-1 at No. 2. She also found success in doubles alongside freshman Caroline Beard; they went 9-3 overall with a 5-2 conference mark. 

From a young age, Youri has had high expectations for her tennis career. “My goals have always been to be professional since I was young, so that’s not changed.” Youri said, “I still feel like it’s something that I can do.” Youri began playing tennis at the age of five, inspired by her older brother, and by the age of seven, she began to play competitively. 

Youri is an international student from Kingsworth, England. As an English-African woman, she looks up to the accomplished female tennis player, Serena Williams.

“Serena Williams, by far, obviously, as a Black woman who has gone through so much adversity and so many challenges,” Youri said.

Williams has inspired her to persevere and put in the work on the court. Youri believes that Williams is a prominent figure for all athletes of color. 

“She inspired other young Black children to just keep doing what you’re doing,” she said.

After spending her first two years at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Youri transferred to UCSB after being recruited by the women’s tennis team. Youri highlighted that she particularly enjoys the breathtaking environment of the California coast. She loves the unique beach access the UCSB campus provides.

“I felt like there weren’t as many things in San Antonio,” Youri said, “but here … you can go on walks, you can go on hikes in the mountains, and it’s quite refreshing.” 

As a powerhouse team, UCSB women’s tennis won both the regular-season Big West title and championship this year. Unlike her previous team at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Youri believes the Gauchos carry out their ambitious efforts during practices. 

“They just bring your energy up, because there are so many of us,” Youri said. “It’s just nice to be in a court where someone’s smiling or laughing, even when you’re not having a good day.” 

 Youri acknowledged Head Coach Simon Thibodeau’s contributions to her growth as a player, helping her with gaining skills in clinching tough matches. One particular moment she highlighted was during a strenuous third set.

“He has helped with my progress a lot,” Youri said. “ He’s found a way of getting me over the hurdle for a lot of my really difficult matches.” 

However, the transition to the UCSB quarter system presented unexpected challenges for Youri. She admits that balancing academics and tennis has been difficult for her. 

“I would say, but now that we don’t have as many matches, I have more time to focus on school,” she said. 

With each match bringing unique challenges, Youri said she enjoys watching tennis matches and laying out her outfit before competing. “I usually have the same breakfast for home games. I always have eggs with toast and avocados and cottage cheese,” Youri added.  

With years of tennis under her belt, Youri added that tennis has grounded her, allowing her to deal with emotions on and off the court.

“It’s definitely helped me to be more of a mindful person, just because so much goes wrong in tennis,” she said, “You just deal with a lot of those emotions on the court. So when they translate off the court, you can just handle them a little better with a little bit more grace and just really understand why things happen and how you can deal with them better.”

D1 tennis is Youri’s first time playing tennis with a team, and she sees a notable difference between college and individual tennis. On a team, Youri acknowledges the increased support she receives. “You have way more support than you’re used to. You have a lot of people just cheering for you, and you have coaches.” Whereas individually, Youri believes that the pressure subsides, calling it a “completely different sport.” 

For Youri, college tennis has brought new emotions and factors to the table. 

“Honestly, it just teaches you a lot. It teaches you to deal with things differently, to understand different emotions, understand your teammates, and just be more compassionate,” she said. 

For Youri, Big West Women’s Tennis Player of the Year is just the first step in her tennis career. Looking into the future, Youri strives to become ranked in the Women’s Tennis Association — the highest competitive level of professional women’s tennis.

“Playing on the tour, that is something that I’ve always strived to do,” she concluded.