Ayana Akli
_02_(cropped).jpg) Akli playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2023 | |
| Country (sports) | .png){kind=small} United States |
|---|---|
| Born | July 6, 2001 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States |
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| College | |
| Prize money | US$54,473 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 75–37 |
| Career titles | 1 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 285 (August 11, 2025) |
| Current ranking | No. 285 (August 11, 2025) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 38–25 |
| Career titles | 4 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 171 (August 11, 2025) |
| Current ranking | No. 171 (August 11, 2025) |
| Last updated on: August 11, 2025. | |
Ayana Akli (born July 6, 2001) is an American professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings of No. 285 in singles, achieved on August 11, 2025, and No. 171 in doubles, achieved on August 11, 2025. She played collegiate tennis at the University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina.
Early life
Akli was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, to Komi and Linda Akli.[1] Her father is a former professional tennis player who immigrated to the United States from Togo in 1996; he was the childhood coach of Frances Tiafoe.[2][3] She began playing tennis at the age of four and trained at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park.[1] She attended Wheaton High School, where she was a three-time state champion in girls' singles.[4][5][6] She later received a degree in civil engineering from the University of South Carolina.[7]
Career
In 2019, Akli signed a letter of intent to play collegiate tennis for the Maryland Terrapins.[1] After two years, she transferred to the University of South Carolina.[8] Playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks, she reached career-high national rankings of No. 3 in singles and No. 10 in doubles. She also received ITA All-American and All-SEC honors and was named the SEC Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year.[7]
In October 2023, she reached the semifinals of the Christus Health Pro Challenge as a qualifier.[9] In July 2024, she reached the semifinals of the Championnats Banque Nationale de Granby as a qualifier.[10] Later that year, she won her first professional doubles title at the W35 USTA Pro Circuit event in Redding, partnering Eryn Cayetano.[11]
ITF Circuit finals
Singles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
| Legend |
|---|
| W35 tournaments (1–2) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Apr 2025 | ITF Charlotte, United States | W35 | Clay |  Alicia Herrero Liñana
|
1–6, 6–7(1) |
| Loss | 0–2 | May 2025 | ITF Boca Raton, United States | W35 | Clay |  Monika Ekstrand
|
2–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 0–3 | May 2025 | ITF Bethany Beach, United States | W35 | Clay |  Ana Sofía Sánchez
|
6–2, 7–5 |
Doubles: 9 (4 titles, 5 runner-ups)
| Legend |
|---|
| W100 tournaments (1–1) |
| W60/75 tournaments (1–0) |
| W50 tournaments (0–1) |
| W25/35 tournaments (2–2) |
| W15 tournaments (0–1) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Oct 2023 | ITF Florence, United States | W25 | Hard |  Nicole Khirin
|
Abigail Rencheli Alana Smith
|
6–3, 6–7(9), [6-10] |
| Win | 1–1 | Sep 2024 | ITF Redding, United States | W35 | Hard | Eryn Cayetano
|
Clervie Ngounoue  Himeno Sakatsume
|
6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Jan 2025 | ITF Palm Coast, United States | W35 | Clay | Abigail Rencheli
|
 Jasmijn Gimbrère  Lisa Zaar
|
4–6, 6–3, [8–10] |
| Loss | 1–3 | Mar 2025 | ITF Hagetmau, France | W15 | Hard | Mia Horvit
|
 Sarah Iliev Emma Léné
|
6–7(2), 6–3, [8–10] |
| Loss | 1–4 | Mar 2025 | ITF Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | W50 | Hard | Clervie Ngounoue
|
 Anastasia Tikhonova Mariia Tkacheva
|
6–7(5), 7–6(2), [7–10] |
| Win | 2–4 | Apr 2025 | ITF Boca Raton, United States | W35 | Clay |  Diae El Jardi
|
 Despina Papamichail  Gergana Topalova
|
7–6(1), 7–5 |
| Win | 3–4 | Jun 2025 | Cary Tennis Classic, United States | W100 | Hard | Abigail Rencheli
|
 Gabriella Broadfoot Maddy Zampardo
|
6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 3–5 | Jul 2025 | ITF Evansville, United States | W100 | Hard | Victoria Osuigwe
|
Arianne Hartono  Prarthana Thombare
|
3–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 4–5 | Jul 2025 | Lexington Open, United States | W75 | Hard | Eryn Cayetano
|
Elvina Kalieva Alana Smith
|
4–6, 6–2, [10–4] |
References
- ^ a b c Soong, Kelyn (January 10, 2019). "Elite Junior Tennis Player Ayana Akli Is Paving Her Own Path". Washington City Paper. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ Jiménez, Jesus (September 8, 2022). "In Maryland, Frances Tiafoe's Former Home Rallies Behind Him". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ Tennery, Amy; Chavez, Julio-Cesar (September 10, 2022). "Early mentors cheer Tiafoe's 'unbelievable' U.S. Open run". Reuters. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ Haufe, William (March 31, 2018). "KI girls, Easton boys ready to defend titles". The Star Democrat. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ Soong, Kelyn (May 26, 2018). "Wheaton's Ayana Akli, Wootton's Joseph Brailovsky defend Maryland state tennis titles". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ Oyefusi, Daniel (May 5, 2019). "Wheaton's Ayana Akli wraps high school career with third straight Maryland 4A tennis title". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Muller, Brad (April 26, 2024). "Akli Looks Forward to Finishing What She Started, On and Off the Court". University of South Carolina Athletics. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ "Ayana Akli Set to Join Women's Tennis Team". University of South Carolina Athletics. May 27, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ Kapetanakis, Arthur (October 30, 2023). "Bektas set for Top 100 debut after WTA 125 title; Navarro wins on USTA Pro Circuit". USTA. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ Tassé, Michel (July 20, 2024). "La Canadienne Cross affrontera la favorite en finale". Le Soleil (in Canadian French). Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ Kapetanakis, Arthur (October 8, 2024). "Jovic, Basavareddy lead American singles sweep on USTA Pro Circuit". USTA. Retrieved July 7, 2025.