Twin tennis players perfect match on and off court

Although Adel and Renata Arshavskaia began playing tennis at a young age, it was not always a guaranteed match for the Russian twin sisters, who are now part of the Columbia women’s tennis team. When they were six years old, Renata and Adel began playing tennis, but only after they tried swimming, gymnastics, drawing, and piano.

The idea to pick up a racquet was their father’s, who thought of tennis as a window to many opportunities. They began taking tennis lessons at age six with a private coach. Tennis is not the only skill that they chose to learn—Adel and Renata are skilled classical pianists as well. Both hobbies complement each other in the repetition that is needed to make each stroke and song better than the last.

“There are a lot of similarities between the training for music and tennis,” Columbia head coach Ilene Weintraub said.

Determination and focus are two qualities that describe not only tennis and music but the twins as well.

“They have the type of personality that is very determined,” Weintraub said. Adel and Renata have the records to prove their determination, too. At their highest world rankings, the two sisters were ranked among the top 250 world singles junior players. As freshmen on a varsity level sport, they are among the top six players on the team. Even after such success, both Adel and Renata acknowledge the unique benefit they have when they play together.

“We know each other that well that we can kind of read each other’s minds and anticipate some action,” Adel said.

Tennis is an emotional game, so it is even more difficult to keep emotions between siblings off of the courts. The duo noted that having to suppress their emotions was their least favorite part about playing doubles together. When they do keep their familial emotions separate from their game, the two are hard to beat.

“They can beat anyone they want when they’re playing their best tennis,” Weintraub said.

When the two are in-sync and playing in tandem, they have no complaints. Despite the advantage they have over their opponents by being twins, they both want to further their game.
“I want to work on my placement more,” Adel, who has found more comfort and success playing doubles for the team, said.

It is the combination of their dedication and strong sibling-bond that Weintraub saw while she was recruiting the two in high school.

“When you watch them play it’s really evident that they are never going to give up,” she said. “If anyone beats them, they’re really going to have to earn it.”

Adel and Renata have made nearly every important decision together throughout their education and tennis careers. When they were determining which sport to play, they tried them together. When they looked at colleges, they chose together. Even in dorms, they chose to be together. Moving from Russiato Florida for high school was a big change for the two, but the change from high school to college is the adjustment they are most preoccupied with now.

They both agree on what the main goal for their rookie season is.

“Obviously doing our best and maintaining and improving the level of our tennis,” Adel said.

The fall season for the women’s tennis team has been quite busy for the two. They have played in nearly every invitational so far, which, when balanced with classes, speaks volumes about their focus and their ability to adjust.

“I think they’ve done a great job of making that adjustment,” Weintraub said. “They’re going to be even more successful than they’ve shown already because they’re going to have to get acclimated to the school, especially being international students. It’s a big change for them.”

As freshmen, they have a lot to look forward to both on the courts and in the classroom. Adel and Renata share common interests in economics and the arts, both of which the two hope to explore in the future. Coach Weintraub asked all of her rookies what their personal goals were for the year. Both sisters answered thoughtfully, showing a side they do not get to explore on the courts. Adel hoped to maintain balance and harmony, while Renata is eager to finish a personal reading list.

Being part of a larger team, the sisters recognized how much support they get from their teammates.

“I feel like I’m home,” Renata said.

With almost four full years in Morningside Heights ahead of them, there will be lots to look forward to, tennis and otherwise, in the future. The sisters are dedicated to pursuing both their academic and tennis goals to the best of their abilities, and no matter what they decide to do, they will always ask each other.

“Ever decision we make, we make together,” Renata said.