CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois women’s tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced the signing of blue chip recruit Ariel Madatali to a National Letter of Intent to join the Fighting Illini program. She’ll join the squad beginning with the 2024-25 campaign.
Madatali joins the program from her hometown of St. Louis, where she attended Ladue Horton Watkins High School. She’s the daughter of Erica and Karim Madatali and has a younger sister named Skye.
On the court, Madatali is rated a blue chip recruit by tennisrecruiting.com and is ranked the No. 1 player in Missouri and No. 17 player in the class of 2024 by the organization. In 2023, she was named the USTA St. Louis Junior Player of the Year. Madatali advanced to the singles semifinals of the 2023 G18 Winter Nationals, won the singles competition at the 2023 G18 Level 2 Nationals, and finished third at the 2021 G16 Indoor Nationals.
She’s been recognized with sportsmanship awards from the Easter Bowl, US Winter Nationals, and US Hard Court Nationals.
Off the court, Madatali has been the President of the Missouri Chapter of Second Serve since 2020. Second Serve is a nonprofit youth-run organization that donates gently used tennis equipment to kids in need around the world. Madatali has coordinated the donation of hundreds of equipment items worldwide. The donations include shipments to Ahmedabad, India; Kansas City, Missouri; and St. Louis, Missouri.
Why She Chose Illinois:
“My experience during my official visit made my decision exceptionally easy. I chose Illinois not only for the top-tier athletics and academic programs, but also for the immediate connection I felt with the team and coaches. Within minutes of being on campus and meeting the team, it was clear that Illinois was the school for me. I’m incredibly excited and grateful to start my journey as a Fighting Illini!”
Clark on Adding Madatali:
“We are thrilled to welcome Ariel to the Illinois women’s tennis family! We continue to be fortunate enough to land high-caliber tennis players, but more importantly, land well-rounded, high character and humble individuals like Ariel. She understands the game very well, and the best news is she still has a lot of room to grow, and we are excited to see Ariel’s development over the next four years. We believe it is an unbelievable fit for all parties, and I am extremely…
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