Women’s Tennis Adds Six for 2026-27
8/27/2026 11:55:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Talented class ranked in top-15 of TennisRecruiting.net
NEW YORK – Columbia women's tennis head coach Ilene Weintraub officially introduced six newcomers to the 2026-27 roster Thursday. The talented class features five first-years and a sophomore transfer.
Tennisrecruiting.net rated the incoming group as the No. 13 recruiting class in the country. The class features first-years Amy Lee (Los Angeles, Calif.), Kenzie Nguyen (Irvine, Calif.), Kyle Nguyen (Irvine, Calif.), Sobee Oak (New York, N.Y.), Elena Zhao (San Diego, Calif.) and sophomore transfer Margot Phanthala (Paris, France).
Fans can access the complete 2024-25 Columbia women's tennis roster by clicking this link.
AMY LEE – 5'6" – CC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A highly ranked junior tennis player who graduated No. 16 in the class of 2026 according to Tennis Recruiting … achieved a career-high WTA doubles ranking of No. 1,336 … captured the Girls 18s Level 1 Easter Bowl doubles championship in 2025 with fellow Columbia newcomer Kenzie Nguyen … competed extensively on the national junior circuit throughout her prep career.
PERSONAL
Enjoys walks and runs and exploring new places … plans to study economics.
KENZIE NGUYEN – 5'5" – CC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – IRVINE, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A highly accomplished junior tennis player who captured the L1 G18 USTA Winter Nationals singles championship in January 2026 … won the L1 G18 USTA Easter Bowl doubles championship in March 2025 … captured the L1 G18 USTA Winter Nationals doubles championship in January 2024 and the L1 Orange Bowl Girls 16 doubles championship in December 2022 … won an ITF J30 singles title in San Diego in November 2023 … captured ITF J60 singles and doubles titles in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, in February and March 2023 … won the ITF J100 Morelos, Mexico, doubles championship in February 2023 … also won the L2 G18 USTA doubles championship in October 2023, L3 G18 USTA Southern California championship in January 2024 and L3 Southern California Sectional Girls 18 doubles championship in October 2022 … crowned America's Cup U14 champion in December 2021 … won the CIF-Southern Section individual championship in December 2022 and was named a High School All-American … competed for the Portola High School varsity tennis team during her freshman and sophomore seasons … continued competing internationally at ITF W15 events in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, and Singapore, as well as an ITF event in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
PERSONAL
Enjoys reading, watching movies and listening to music … favorite sports memory was winning the USTA Winter Nationals … father, Thomas, played basketball at Bowdoin College for two years … plans on majoring in economics.
KYLIE NGUYEN – 5'5" – BC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – IRVINE, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A four-year high school tennis player at Portola High School and ICL Academy … competed for Portola during her freshman and sophomore seasons before transitioning to ICL Academy … competed at the junior level throughout her prep career.
PERSONAL
Enjoys tennis, art, cooking and baking, shopping, content creating and traveling … favorite sports memory was team bonding … father, Thomas, played basketball at Bowdoin College for two years … plans on studying cognitive science with aspirations of pursuing a career in dentistry.
ISABELLE OAK – 5'9" – CC – AEON SCHOOL – FY – NEW YORK, N.Y.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A four-year tennis player at Aeon School … a top-three ranked USTA Eastern junior in the Girls 16s division … ranked among the top 10 players nationally in the Girls 16s division … reached the semifinals of the Girls 16s L1 Indoor Nationals in singles … advanced to the final of the Girls 18s L2 event … won an ITF J30 singles title … reached the Girls 18s L1 Indoor Nationals doubles final … competed at the Orange Bowl, one of the premier junior tennis tournaments in the world.
PERSONAL
Born and raised in New York City … speaks Mandarin … enjoys painting, traveling and baking … favorite sports memory was competing at the Orange Bowl and facing top-level opponents from around the world … plans on studying chemistry.
MARGOT PHANTHALA – 5'6" – CC – THE OGBURN SCHOOL/NORTHWESTERN – SO – PARIS, FRANCE
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A former Northwestern standout who earned a career-high No. 39 national singles ranking and No. 27 doubles ranking during her freshman season … named to the unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors … selected as a Big Ten Player to Watch and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice … earned ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition … enjoyed an accomplished junior career, reaching a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 63 … won four junior singles titles and one doubles title … competed at all four Junior Grand Slam tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — including three appearances at the French Open.
PERSONAL
Enjoys playing piano, cooking and running on the beach … favorite sports memory was winning her first ITF junior tournament at age 15, an unexpected victory that helped shape her goals in tennis … plans on studying political science.
ELENA ZHAO – 5'7" – BC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A highly accomplished junior tennis player who won the 2019 USTA Winter Nationals Girls 12s singles championship … reached the final of the 2021 Easter Bowl Girls 14s singles event and placed third in doubles … advanced to the 2021 Winter Nationals Girls 16s doubles final … reached the 2023 Easter Bowl Girls 16s doubles final and the 2023 Clay Courts Girls 16s doubles final … placed third at the 2026 Easter Bowl Girls 18s doubles event … earned a five-star recruit designation from Tennis Recruiting … competed nationally throughout her junior career.
PERSONAL
Volunteered with Youth Tennis San Diego from 2023-25 … was featured by the San Diego Union-Tribune following a conversation with Billie Jean King that helped inspire her tennis journey … plans on studying economics.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Women's Tennis by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsWTEN), Instagram (@culionswten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Tennisrecruiting.net rated the incoming group as the No. 13 recruiting class in the country. The class features first-years Amy Lee (Los Angeles, Calif.), Kenzie Nguyen (Irvine, Calif.), Kyle Nguyen (Irvine, Calif.), Sobee Oak (New York, N.Y.), Elena Zhao (San Diego, Calif.) and sophomore transfer Margot Phanthala (Paris, France).
Fans can access the complete 2024-25 Columbia women's tennis roster by clicking this link.
AMY LEE – 5'6" – CC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A highly ranked junior tennis player who graduated No. 16 in the class of 2026 according to Tennis Recruiting … achieved a career-high WTA doubles ranking of No. 1,336 … captured the Girls 18s Level 1 Easter Bowl doubles championship in 2025 with fellow Columbia newcomer Kenzie Nguyen … competed extensively on the national junior circuit throughout her prep career.
PERSONAL
Enjoys walks and runs and exploring new places … plans to study economics.
KENZIE NGUYEN – 5'5" – CC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – IRVINE, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A highly accomplished junior tennis player who captured the L1 G18 USTA Winter Nationals singles championship in January 2026 … won the L1 G18 USTA Easter Bowl doubles championship in March 2025 … captured the L1 G18 USTA Winter Nationals doubles championship in January 2024 and the L1 Orange Bowl Girls 16 doubles championship in December 2022 … won an ITF J30 singles title in San Diego in November 2023 … captured ITF J60 singles and doubles titles in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, in February and March 2023 … won the ITF J100 Morelos, Mexico, doubles championship in February 2023 … also won the L2 G18 USTA doubles championship in October 2023, L3 G18 USTA Southern California championship in January 2024 and L3 Southern California Sectional Girls 18 doubles championship in October 2022 … crowned America's Cup U14 champion in December 2021 … won the CIF-Southern Section individual championship in December 2022 and was named a High School All-American … competed for the Portola High School varsity tennis team during her freshman and sophomore seasons … continued competing internationally at ITF W15 events in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, and Singapore, as well as an ITF event in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
PERSONAL
Enjoys reading, watching movies and listening to music … favorite sports memory was winning the USTA Winter Nationals … father, Thomas, played basketball at Bowdoin College for two years … plans on majoring in economics.
KYLIE NGUYEN – 5'5" – BC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – IRVINE, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A four-year high school tennis player at Portola High School and ICL Academy … competed for Portola during her freshman and sophomore seasons before transitioning to ICL Academy … competed at the junior level throughout her prep career.
PERSONAL
Enjoys tennis, art, cooking and baking, shopping, content creating and traveling … favorite sports memory was team bonding … father, Thomas, played basketball at Bowdoin College for two years … plans on studying cognitive science with aspirations of pursuing a career in dentistry.
ISABELLE OAK – 5'9" – CC – AEON SCHOOL – FY – NEW YORK, N.Y.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A four-year tennis player at Aeon School … a top-three ranked USTA Eastern junior in the Girls 16s division … ranked among the top 10 players nationally in the Girls 16s division … reached the semifinals of the Girls 16s L1 Indoor Nationals in singles … advanced to the final of the Girls 18s L2 event … won an ITF J30 singles title … reached the Girls 18s L1 Indoor Nationals doubles final … competed at the Orange Bowl, one of the premier junior tennis tournaments in the world.
PERSONAL
Born and raised in New York City … speaks Mandarin … enjoys painting, traveling and baking … favorite sports memory was competing at the Orange Bowl and facing top-level opponents from around the world … plans on studying chemistry.
MARGOT PHANTHALA – 5'6" – CC – THE OGBURN SCHOOL/NORTHWESTERN – SO – PARIS, FRANCE
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A former Northwestern standout who earned a career-high No. 39 national singles ranking and No. 27 doubles ranking during her freshman season … named to the unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors … selected as a Big Ten Player to Watch and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice … earned ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition … enjoyed an accomplished junior career, reaching a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 63 … won four junior singles titles and one doubles title … competed at all four Junior Grand Slam tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — including three appearances at the French Open.
PERSONAL
Enjoys playing piano, cooking and running on the beach … favorite sports memory was winning her first ITF junior tournament at age 15, an unexpected victory that helped shape her goals in tennis … plans on studying political science.
ELENA ZHAO – 5'7" – BC – ICL ACADEMY – FY – SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
PRIOR TO COLUMBIA
A highly accomplished junior tennis player who won the 2019 USTA Winter Nationals Girls 12s singles championship … reached the final of the 2021 Easter Bowl Girls 14s singles event and placed third in doubles … advanced to the 2021 Winter Nationals Girls 16s doubles final … reached the 2023 Easter Bowl Girls 16s doubles final and the 2023 Clay Courts Girls 16s doubles final … placed third at the 2026 Easter Bowl Girls 18s doubles event … earned a five-star recruit designation from Tennis Recruiting … competed nationally throughout her junior career.
PERSONAL
Volunteered with Youth Tennis San Diego from 2023-25 … was featured by the San Diego Union-Tribune following a conversation with Billie Jean King that helped inspire her tennis journey … plans on studying economics.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Women's Tennis by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsWTEN), Instagram (@culionswten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
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