JONESBORO, Ark. (4/27/26) – Sara Kastakova, a top 300 junior player in the world, has signed with Arkansas State women's tennis, head coach Sujay Lama announced Monday.

"We are thrilled to have Sara join our Red Wolf family," said Lama. "She checks all the boxes -outstanding student, great talent and athleticism, world class work ethic but most importantly a high character person who will make an impact right away both on and off the court."

The rising Slovak tennis player continues to strengthen her standing on both the national and international stage, currently holding a career-high ITF Juniors ranking of No. 295, a best ITF Women's ranking of No. 413, and a Slovak national junior ranking of No. 6. These rankings reflect her steady progress and consistent performances across top junior and senior competitions in recent seasons.

"I chose Arkansas State because from the very first moment I felt a strong connection with the team, the girls, coaches, and the overall environment," said Kastakova. "The family atmosphere, combined with a competitive mindset, made me feel that this is the right place for me to grow both as a player and as a person.

Tennis has always been a huge part of my life, and I am excited to take the next step with the Red Wolves and represent the scarlet and black colors with pride. I am looking forward to working hard every day, improving my game, and contributing to the team's success."

In 2025, she claimed the Slovak U18 Doubles Championship title for the second time and finished as singles finalist at the Slovak U18 Championships. She was also part of two Slovak U18 Team Championship titles (2024, 2025) and achieved second place in the Slovak Women's Extraliga in both 2024 and 2025. On the ITF Junior Circuit, her highlights include winning the J100 Cyprus Juniors doubles title (2025), reaching the J200 Pieštany Juniors doubles final (2025), capturing the J60 singles title in Tallinn (2024), and earning J60 doubles titles in Široki Brijeg (2024) and Rabat (2023). Earlier successes also include J30 singles victories in Stobrec (2023) and Maria Lanzendorf, Austria (2023).