DALLAS – Middle Tennessee’s Karim Al-Amin and FIU’s Ekaterina Khairutdinova have earned the second round of Conference USA Tennis Athlete of the Month honors for the 2024 fall season.
 
CUSA Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Month – Karim Al-Amin, MTSU, Jr., Waltrop, Germany
In his lone tournament in the month of October, Al-Amin teamed up with fellow Blue Raider Ondrej Horak, securing the doubles title at the ITA Ohio Valley Regionals by defeating Tennessee’s Alejandro Moreno and Alex Kotzen in three sets (6-3, 2-6, 10-8). The junior from Germany also claimed third place in the singles bracket at the ITA Regionals, winning six matches, including a straight set win over Tennessee’s Moreno in the third-place contest. 
 
CUSA Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Month – Ekaterina Khairutdinova, FIU, Jr., Krasnodar, Russia
Khairutdinova earned the 2024 ITA Singles Southeast Regional title during October play for the Panthers. The junior from Krasnodar made history as the first Panther ever to achieve this triumph. Khairutdinova captured the win over Miami’s Raquel Gonzalez, scoring 6-3, 6-1. On her way to the title, Khairutdinova also defeated opponents from Miami, Florida State, Georgia, and UCF.
 
 
2024 CUSA Men’s Tennis Athletes of the Month
Sept.   Rostislav Halfinger, MTSU
Oct.     Karim Al-Amin, MTSU
 
2024 CUSA Women’s Tennis Athletes of the Month
Sept.   Oyinlomo Quadre, FIU
Oct.     Ekaterina Khairutdinova, FIU