Bautista Samperi | PantherNOW
FIU’s women’s tennis team is setting its sights on another Conference USA championship, driven by a close-knit group of players and standout performances on the court.
Head coach Katarina Petrovic, a former player herself, understands the challenges her athletes face. Her experience has been instrumental in guiding the Panthers, helping them navigate the mental and physical demands of collegiate tennis.
“She knows exactly what we are going through,” said sophomore Ekaterina Khairutdinova. “She knows what to do, what to say, and how to help. That makes a big difference.”
A native of Valjevo, Serbia, Petrovic brings a wealth of experience to the Panthers’ tennis program.
As a player for South Carolina from 1999 to 2002, she made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the All-SEC Second Team. She continued to dominate throughout her collegiate career, setting school records and achieving a career-best national ranking of No. 13—the highest individual ranking in school history.
Now leading FIU, Petrovic’s deep understanding of the game and firsthand experience as a student-athlete make her the perfect mentor for the Panthers.
One of her primary focuses as a coach is recruiting players who not only bring talent to the court but also share her core values of team spirit, academic commitment, and personal growth. She emphasizes that her athletes are students first, ensuring they prioritize their education while competing at the highest level.
That philosophy is exemplified by players like Ekaterina Khairutdinova, who has embraced the challenges of balancing academics and athletics while elevating FIU tennis to new heights.
Last season, she became the first player in program history to win the ITA Southern Regional singles title—a milestone that marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication.
“It meant a lot to me because I put so much work into it,” she said. “I felt like I made a little bit of history for this school because nobody had ever won that title before.”
Khairutdinova, a native of Russia, also faced the challenge of adapting to a new country.
“It was a big difference because before, I was in a completely different environment and used to practicing individually,” she said. “Coming from that to playing for a team here was a huge change.”
In Petrovic’s first season (2012-13), the Panthers finished with a 3-16 record. Since then, they haven’t had a losing season.
“The level when I came was different, I would say, and we had to make changes because I had to build a program from scratch,” Petrovic said. “Some of the main changes were in team culture, mainly working habits. I started to recruit heavily. But it’s all about team culture. Even the players who were already here—those who bought into the culture—were successful.”
Already an established powerhouse in Conference USA and currently holding back-to-back championships, FIU is looking to make a run at the NCAA tournament and compete with the nation’s best teams.
With the culture Petrovic has built—one centered on teamwork, discipline, and academic commitment—FIU tennis continues to grow as a program. As the Panthers set their sights on another successful season, they do so with a strong foundation and a shared belief in what they can achieve together.
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