Women's Tennis
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- rsteph06@uw.edu
- Phone:
- (206) 543-1116
Coach's Corner With Coach Stephenson
Robin Stephenson was named the fifth head coach in Washington program history in 2014, concluding her 11th season in 2024-25. The 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year has led UW to six NCAA tournament appearances, including four-straight through the past four seasons (2022-25). Stephenson hold a .647 winning percentage during her tenure at Washington (174-95) and a .511 winning percentage during 10 seasons in the Pac-12.
| ABOUT COACH STEPHENSON | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2024-25 season, Stephenson guided the Dawgs match the second-most wins in program history, concluding the season 21-5 and 18th in the final ITA team rankings. In the inaugural season in the B1G, the Huskies went on a run to the conference tournament semifinals, finished 11-2 (third-best record in the conference), and finished the year with a NCAA Second Round appearance. The Huskies finished No. 1 in the Northwest regional rankings, with two UW doubles pairs finishing in the Top-10 and five singles players in the Top-20.
In 2023-24, Stephenson led Washington to a 17-11 record, a run to the NCAA Tournament and a No. 3 Northwest regional team ranking. Four Huskies earned All-Pac-12 honors with Astrid Olsen and Alexia Jacobs earning Second Team honors and Erika Matsuda and Melissa Sakar earning honorable mention.
Washington advanced to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time under Stephenson in 2023, and it marked UW's first back-to-back tourney appearances since the 2008-11 run. The Dawgs knocked off Arkansas in the NCAA First Round and finished the season ranked No. 21 (season-high No. 16). Washington also reached the Pac-12 Championship semifinals for the second time, and had its first season sweep of UCLA and USC since the 2003 season.
UW battled into the NCAA Championships in 2022 for its third appearance under Stephenson. The Huskies qualified for the 2022 ITA National Team Indoor Championships for the first time since 2011, making it by upsetting UCLA on the road for the first time in program history. The Dawgs finished ranked 37th, the fourth time in the top-40 under Stephenson.
Stephenson also coached 2022 grad Vanessa Wong to a record-breaking 112 career singles victories, breaking a school record that had stood for 20 years. Wong, Nika Zupancic, and Sarah-Maude Fortin were all ranked in singles during 2022.
Stephenson oversaw one of the best seasons in program history in 2019, guiding the Huskies to a 21-5 record and its first trip to the NCAA Round of 16 in 10 years, earning 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, becoming just the second UW coach to earn the honor since 1998. Under Stephenson, the Huskies finished No. 10 in the final ITA rankings, their third-highest finish ever and highest since finishing ninth in 2004. Washington's 21 victories matched the most since the program joined the NCAA in 1983 with its .808 winning percentage ranking as the best over that time. The Huskies also went 8-2 to finish tied for second in the Pac-12 with their most conference wins in program history.
Washington pulled off a pair of impressive upsets during the season, beating No. 14 North Carolina State 4-3 and No. 7 Kansas at home and also picked up its first win at California since 2005. UW hosted the NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds for the first time in 15 years. Washington would win both matches 4-0 to advance to the NCAA Super Regional (Round of 16) for just the fourth time and first time in a decade where they lost a tough match at UCLA.
Stephenson saw a pair of players qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships with Stacey Fung playing both singles and doubles with freshman Nika Zupancic. It was the fourth-straight season she had had players compete in both singles and doubles.
In 2018, Stephenson helped two singles players and one doubles duo make the NCAA Championships, the first time since 2011 the Huskies had that many players make the Championships. Both singles players advanced to the second round, the first year two Dawgs have moved on since 2011. Additionally, Stacey Fung was ranked in the Top-25 all season, reaching as high as Top-10 (the first player to do so since 2011). Fung earned All-American status, the first Husky All-American since 2011.
In 2017, Stephenson led Washington to their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2011, and collected the most regular season wins since the 2009 season along the way. The team ranked as high as 25th in the country, while five student-athletes collected 20+ singles victories. The regular season was highlighted by ranked wins over Northwestern and USC, coming back from an 0-3 deficit against the Trojans to defeat them 4-3, earning their first regular season victory over the LA school since 2003.
During the 2016 season, Stephenson guided Washington to five wins over ranked opponents and brought in her second recruiting class ranked in the top-15. The Dawgs sent their first doubles team to the NCAA Championships since 2011.
Her first season at the helm was highlighted by a seven-match win streak including victories over Pac-12 members Washington State and No. 56 Colorado. Stephenson's first season produced five Huskies named to the Academic All-Pac-12 Team.
Stephenson came to Seattle after leading the Georgia State team to its most successful season in program history. The Panthers' 2013-14 campaign set several firsts and became the first women’s team in school history to advance in the NCAA Championships.
Stephenson’s squad also featured a national singles semifinals run and All-America honor along with the program’s first win in doubles play at the NCAA Championships. Her squad ended the year with the highest final singles and doubles rankings in program history, along with the second-highest team finish.
Along with promising seasons with the Panthers, Stephenson also owns Division I experience and a national championship from her time as a volunteer assistant at Georgia Tech. She coached the Yellow Jackets' women's team from 2007-09, helping lead the team to a national title in her first season. Stephenson assisted with various aspects of the program and played a role in Tech’s first two National Indoor Championships in 2007 and 2008 as well as back-to-back ACC Championship titles in those same years.
Playing Career
As a collegiate student-athlete, Stephenson competed for the University of Alabama (2002-06) and finished as the most decorated player in program history. The All-American was the all-time winningest player in school history with 101 singles wins and doubles victories (66) until the 2013 season while reaching as high as No. 4 in the ITA singles rankings and No. 6 in doubles. Stephenson led the Tide to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances while making the singles cut in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
She earned All-American status as a singles participant during her junior season in 2005, one of the highest honors in collegiate tennis, after posting a 27-13 record with 16 victories over ranked opponents in 2005. She was a 3x team captain and won the Regional Senior Player of the Year award in 2006.
In her professional career, Stephenson competed on the ITF and WTA tour for two years (2007-08). She achieved a career-high ranking of No. 152 in the world in doubles and No. 432 in singles. She won 13 professional doubles titles while on tour with various partners and competed around the world in the lead-up WTA events for the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open series. In total, Stephenson amassed a 101-53 career doubles record on the ITF and WTA tour and notched 44 singles victories.
Stephenson is a native of Kitchener, Ontario and graduated with a degree in communications and information sciences with a minor in psychology from Alabama in 2006.
