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It was obvious to nearly everyone early in her tennis career that Elise Wagle had the potential to be special. Her workouts at the USTA Training Center in New York drew attention for many reasons.

Blue Chip Senior Elise Wagle Has Committed to UCLA
© Neal Trousdale

"Every coach who has been on the court with Elise says she is a bit of a unicorn because she is a hard worker, she is super talented and she is just always happy and easy to work with,” said Wagle’s private coach, Patrick Hirscht. “She is just always smiling and brings so much joy to the court. A lot of times the most talented people can be difficult to work with. But Elise is not."

Wagle was a sought-after blue chip recruit for the 2021 class, with offers from several major programs. But her decision was sealed once she made a visit to UCLA in February before the coronavirus shut down the season and recruiting visits.

“It was just so unbelievable overall,” said Wagle, a Niskayuna, New York native. “I watched them practice and compete against (Cal) Berkeley at the time I visited and just the overall team atmosphere and the way everyone cheered and pumped each other up during matches was great. It was an environment I wanted to be a part of for sure."