The Raiders had to move forward not knowing if their top player would take the journey with them. From the get-go, a cloud of uncertainty hung over them.
Bella Gopen wasn’t planning on returning to the program after spearheading a state title run as a freshman. She initially chose to test her talents on the USTA circuit.
But she wasn’t quite ready to leave her teammates behind. With the opportunity still available to rejoin the squad in mid-April, she took it.
Only wins preceded her return. That didn’t change afterwards.
Wellesley girls tennis earned the No. 4 seed for the MIAA Division I state tournament following a 19-0 regular season. As reigning champions, the Raiders boast a 36-match unbeaten streak dating back to May of 2024.
“They know what it’s like – how great it feels to win,” said coach Rob Miller. “They loved winning last year, and they’re going to love it this year.”
Bella Gopen prepares to return a serve at first singles.Jack Nelson
Gopen and Kimmy Tai have paved the path to perfection. At first and second singles, respectively, the pair of sophomores are 25-1 combined in 2025.
Tai has rotated between the top two courts and executed at a level like few others in the Bay State Conference. She’s won 177 of 193 total games played.
Right by her side has been Gopen, who in the wake of her April 14 debut, has dropped just one game across 10 individual matches. Wellesley’s No. 1 – ranked second in New England for Girls 16 & Under, per the USTA – carries a streak of 84 consecutive games won.
The two four-star recruits constitute arguably the strongest one-two punch in Massachusetts high school girls tennis. Thus far, no team has had an answer for them.
“They know how to handle themselves on the court all the time. They don’t need much coaching from me,” Miller said. “But I think they like to have the team support them, because those (USTA) tournaments can be pretty lonely.”
Kimmy Tai goes low for a backhand return at first singles.Jack Nelson
Driven by that pair, the Raiders have plowed through competition this spring.
The group surrendered just one point across 11 team matches played with Gopen and Tai in the lineup. It has shut out 14 of 19 foes in all – adding to that number both during and after Gopen’s six-match absence to open the campaign.
Last season, their longest streak of sweeps was five. This season, they recorded 10 in a row from April 15 to May 19.
“It feels good to know that our record reflects our team – how well we work together,” said junior Sari Hart. “But also going into the state tournament, we need to stay confident. Confidence is what gets us through every match.”
The MIAA, though, sees the undefeated queens of Div. I tennis as the lowest on a totem pole of prospective state semifinalists.
Wellesley was dealt the No. 4 seed, penalized for its strength of schedule – weakest among the top four – despite owning a larger average margin of victory than every other team in the bracket.
Marquee wins have come against No. 2 seed Newton South, No. 6 seed Westborough (Div. II), No. 7 seed Lincoln-Sudbury, No. 8 seed Milton (Div. II) and No. 9 seed Needham – twice.
The Raiders knocked off the Lions on Tuesday, 3-2, without Gopen. She missed two matches with an illness but returned for the regular-season finale and won without dropping a game.
There’s been a constant throughout – regardless of Gopen’s availability or Tai’s position.
Mia Chung (left) and Sari Hart (right) after a match at first doubles.Jack Nelson
Sophomore Mia Chung and Hart are 14-0 at first doubles. The tandem went undefeated last season, meaning that ever since they were paired up, they have yet to lose.
“It was sort of random, us being put together at the beginning of last year,” Chung said. “But it’s a lot of chemistry. (Miller) says one of our strengths is just that we’re such good partners with each other.”
Throw senior Sarah Mackey into the mix at third singles – boasting a team-high 16 victories against one defeat – and Wellesley has proven winners at four different courts.
All five appeared in the 2024 championship match. All five won their matches that day to lift Wellesley’s second title in program history.
Next week, their fight to defend the throne begins.
