From Frisco to the Ivy League: Autumn Xu Is Building a National Tennis Résumé Before Heading to Brown

FRISCO, Texas — Autumn Xu's next destination is already decided.

The Frisco tennis standout will continue her career at Brown University, giving the Class of 2027 senior an opportunity to compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Ivy League. TennisRecruiting lists Xu among Brown's 2027 commitments.

But before Xu makes the move from North Texas to Providence, Rhode Island, she's putting together a final stretch of junior tennis that shows why Brown wanted her.

And this summer gave DFW tennis fans plenty of evidence.

Competing With Texas' Best

Xu entered the 2026 Texas Slam as the No. 3 seed in Girls 18 singles and advanced all the way to the championship match.

There she faced Little Elm's Lauren Nolan, the tournament's No. 1 seed. Nolan ultimately defeated Xu 6-0, 6-4, leaving Xu with a runner-up finish in one of the state's premier junior events.

But Xu's summer wasn't finished.

She and Addison's Enya Hamilton later traveled to the USTA National Clay Court Championships and captured the Girls 18 doubles national championship, defeating Blythe Sturman and Elana Zaretsky 8-6 in the final.

That's where Xu's résumé begins to tell a larger story.

She's not simply one of the better players in Frisco.

She's competing — and winning — against national competition.

Representing Texas on the National Stage

Xu received another opportunity to represent the state in August when she was selected to the Texas Girls 18 roster for the USTA Level 1 Battle of the Sections.

Level 1 is the highest national tournament designation in the USTA junior structure. Texas' roster was selected from its top junior players using national standings, head-to-head results and World Tennis Numbers.

Xu joined Lauren Nolan, Emily Golovanov and Kayden Johnson in the Girls 18 division, while the Texas Girls 16 and 18 groups combined to win the Battle of the Sections championship.

For a player preparing for Division I tennis, that's valuable experience: high-level competition, national events and matches against players following many of the same collegiate pathways.

From Frisco to Brown

Now another challenge waits.

Brown competes in NCAA Division I tennis as a member of the Ivy League. Xu is one of two players currently listed in Brown's 2027 women's recruiting class.

That gives her story an interesting intersection between athletics and academics.

A DFW athlete who has spent years working through the junior tennis circuit is headed to one of the country's most recognizable universities while continuing to compete at the Division I level.

And she's not finished building her résumé before she gets there.

Another DFW Athlete Worth Knowing

Football dominates much of the high-school sports conversation in North Texas. Basketball isn't far behind.

But DFW's athletic talent extends far beyond the sports that generate the most Friday-night attention.

Xu is another example.

She's a Frisco senior, a national doubles champion, a Texas Slam singles finalist, a member of a championship Texas team at a Level 1 national event — and now a future Brown University tennis player.

Before she ever steps onto a college court in Providence, Autumn Xu has already built a tennis résumé worth knowing in DFW.