MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine women's tennis and head coach Tassilo Schmid have announced the additions of Shihomi Leong & Chantal Sauvant to the program ahead of the spring dual match season.

The pair rounds out the roster ahead of the competition slate set to begin later this week, adding international experience as the duo has seen success across the junior and pro circuits in Europe and Asia. Concluding Schmid's first recruiting class as head coach, he has brought in four players with WTA rankings with all four holding a UTR above 10.4.

"Chantal and Shihomi are both outstanding personality fits for Pepperdine," noted Schmid. "They embody the values of our program and will positively impact our culture on and off the court."

Leong comes to Malibu as Malaysia's top women's singles player following a standout junior career in Asia. Leong has won four junior ITF singles titles, including the J4 Singapore and J5 Singapore in 2022, before winning the J60 Shenzhen and J60 Ipoh in 2024. She also earned five ITF doubles titles during her junior career, winning events in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. After achieving a ranking of 145 in the ITF junior circuit, Leong earned her first WTA points this past year and broke into the top-1000 with a high ranking of 959. Also a top player for the Malaysian National Team, she recently helped the team earn bronze at the Thailand SEA games this past month. Leong joins the Waves as a true freshman. 

"I'm very happy to be a part of this team," said Leong. "I am looking forward to my college life here at Pepperdine".

"We're thrilled to have Shihomi join us from Malaysia," added Schmid. "Her work ethic and desire to become better is a great addition to our team."

Sauvant has achieved career-high WTA rankings of 523 in singles and 601 in doubles, playing multiple seasons on the pro tour. A top junior player, her ITF singles ranking was as high as No. 9 in February 2023. On the ITF circuit, Sauvant recorded 11 total titles across singles and doubles, winning events around Europe and North Africa featuring wins in Turkey, Spain, Morocco, Romania, England, Tunisia and her home country Germany. She comes to Malibu as a graduate student pursuing her master's degree in global business.

"I'm thrilled to grow as a person and as a player while competing at the highest level at Pepperdine," said Sauvant. "I can't wait to lock in with my teammates, build something special, and achieve big things together this season."

"We're incredibly excited that Chantal chose to come here," said Schmid. "Her experience on the WTA Tour will be a tremendous asset, and we can't wait for her to experience and thrive in the collegiate environment." 

The duo joins a strong first recruiting class for Schmid, who brought in Sonja Zhiyenbayeva and Živa Falkner in the fall. Zhiyenbayeva and Falkner were selected at No. 5 and No. 8 in the ITA newcomers rankings this past fall, respectively. The Waves now enter the dual match season with four newcomers and four returners from the 2025 squad.

Pepperdine was recently selected No. 1 in the WCC Preseason Poll, after being slated at No. 21 in the ITA preseason team rankings. The Waves will look to capture their 12th consecutive WCC crown this season, and reach their 29th straight NCAA Tournament.

The season kicks off this weekend, with a neutral site matchup against Illinois on Friday, before a road test at No. 12 Texas on Sunday.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine women's tennis has been a consistent powerhouse in the collegiate scene, reaching 40 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 including 28 straight appearances. Since 2018, the program has seen three national runner-ups between both singles and doubles while reaching an NCAA Regional as a team eight times in the past nine tournaments. The success at the conference level has been paramount with 33 WCC Championships including an active streak of 11 consecutive conference titles. With its 24 total All-Americans, the program has also consistently sent players to the pro circuit following their time in Malibu.
 
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