They say your twin is your partner in crime, but for juniors Lexi and Lindsey Hain, their twin is also their partner on the tennis court. The combination of Lindsey’s impressive serves and Lexi’s baseline shots together make the sibling duo a one-of-a-kind doubles addition to the West Essex Varsity Girls Tennis team.
Although both Lexi and Lindsey picked up competitive tennis just before the beginning of their freshman years, they didn’t begin playing as doubles partners until the end of their sophomore years. Their JV Coach brought up the idea of them being doubles partners, and after a successful tryout this year, coach Jeff Martin wanted them to stay as doubles partners.
Chemistry between doubles partners is a huge part of the sport that goes incredibly under the radar. Being twins, the two are locked in with each other. That elevated level of knowledge about your partner goes a long way when you’re competing against opponents.
“We just know what we both do,” Lindsey said. “Like if I’m like up at the net and a ball comes to me, sometimes she’ll just know if I’m going to make it or if I’m going to miss. I feel like there’s not that connection with other people.”
Outside of school, the two also spend lots of other time on the courts together. They will play against friends or participate in lessons and clinics, but that won’t compare to the memories they share in front of the net at West Essex.
“We were in a tiebreaker against Montclair, and we were the last team playing, everyone was sitting there watching us,” Lexi said. “We’d won the first set, and lost the second set. So we were in a tiebreaker. And it ended up being like 11-9 or something like really, really close. It was a good win”
Being siblings and playing a varsity sport comes with its hiccups, of course. The mix of sibling rivalries and varsity competitiveness can take a toll on anyone’s relationship on the field, court or mat. This is specifically the case for Lexi and Lindsey.
“We’ll just get mad and I can yell at her, and it’ll be fine,” Lindsey said. “You can’t, like, yell at someone that’s not your sister. It’s easy to get mad at each other, but it’s also easier to stop because you can be so open with each other rather than someone who isn’t as close.”
Even though they have their rough moments, both Lexi and Lindsey know not everyone is lucky enough to be able to practice with their built-in best friend every day. Both of them are grateful for the time they get to spend together behind the net, ready to fight to the end with each other.
They both agree “I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else.”
