JONESBORO, Ark. (6/17/25) – One of the top juniors’ talents in South Africa – Allegra van der Walt – has signed with Arkansas State women’s tennis, head coach Sujay Lama announced Tuesday.

Among the highest ranked recruits in program history, Van der Walt is one of the top 300 juniors in the world, ranking as high as 278, and will join the Red Wolves in the fall. Most recently, she was a finalist in both singles and doubles at the U-18 Tennis South Africa National Championships, leading 5-2 (40-15) in the second set before the match went unfinished due to rain.

“Allegra is a terrific athlete and a fierce competitor,” Lama said. “She has an all-court attacking game and loves coming forward to finish points at the net. Her work ethic and passion for the game will add to the amazing group of ladies we have coming back this fall. We are very excited to welcome Allegra to our Red Wolves family.”

Over the last two seasons, van der Walt has totaled six ITF singles titles and two doubles championships, in addition to three runner-up finishes in singles and two in doubles to accompany her unfinished doubles championship match at the South African Nationals.

“I chose Arkansas State because it feels like the perfect place to take the next step in my journey,” van der Walt said. “I’m excited to work hard, grow, and give everything to a team that believes in me.”

Since the end of May, Van der Walt won three consecutive singles titles at ITF J60 tournaments while finishing runner-up twice and advancing to the semifinals in a third in doubles action. In April, she won the ITF J60 Windhoek singles crown and was runner-up in Gaborone.

In 2024, she represented her nation at the U-16 Africa Junior Tennis Championships in Namibia, earning an individual title and helping her team win the team crown. She also won a U-16 doubles national championship at Junior Tennis South Africa Nationals in addition to helping South Africa to a runner-up finish at the U-16 Africa Junior Team Championship in Egypt.

Van der Walt won a J60 doubles championship in Bloemfontein, where she was also a singles runner-up. At Johannesburg’s J100 tournament, she was a doubles runner-up. In October 2024, van der Walt was Tennis South Africa’s Junior Master’s U-16 singles champion.