MNO Tennis Series W35 Shines at The Polo Club of Boca Raton
Dec 06, 2025
The MNO Tennis Series W35 of November was the third edition of the tournament held at The Polo Club of Boca Raton, Florida. The luxurious Polo Club community warmly welcomed once again MNO Tennis for a week of women’s professional tennis.
Nestled in the heart of Palm Beach County, the Polo Club stands as one of Boca Raton’s premier country clubs. The tournament was played on the pristine green clay courts.
From November 17 to 23, 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams competed fiercely to secure the MNO Tennis Trophy (shaped as the laurel crown of the Polo Club logo).
The field of players boasted talented athletes from more than 10 countries, including Italy, Ukraine, France, Bosnia Herzegovina, Germany, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Greece, China, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and of course, the United States.
Among the singles field was the young prodigy Hannah Ayraut, a 14-year-old who made an impressive run by winning two qualification rounds to secure a spot in the main draw. In the first round, she faced the number 3 seed, the 20-year-old Italian player Francesca Pace, and narrowly lost in a nail-biting match that went to three sets.
Above: Hannah Ayraut. Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda.
The first round also witnessed some unexpected surprises. Bella Payne from the United States, managed to defeat the number 1 seed Alexis Blokhina and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Victoria Hu, the second seed and a local player, reached the semifinals before being defeated by Francesca Pace. Pace made a remarkable comeback in the third set and clinched the tiebreak 7/6(3).
Francesca Pace, a 20-year-old Italian tennis player coached by her father Massimiliano Pace, secured her third ITF title in 2025 after defeating the former edition’s finalist Urhobo in a three-set match.
Above: Francesca Pace. Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda.
After a week of rest, Pace will resume her tour with a final event in Daytona Beach before returning home to Rome, Italy.
Akasha Urhobo, an 18-year-old south Florida native, had an impressive journey by reaching both the singles and doubles finals. She partnered with Rasheeda Mcadoo, who had previously won the doubles title with her last April.
Above: Akasha Urhobo. Photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda.
Get ready for the next edition of the MNO Tennis Series which is scheduled for April at The Polo Club of Boca Raton.
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Courtesy of Julie Schkoda. Top photo courtesy of Julie Schkoda.
