Annika and Kristina Penickova are identical twins who were born in California to Czech parents. Despite their Czech heritage, they have chosen to represent the United States in tennis. At just thirteen years old, they were given their first opportunity to compete in a junior Grand Slam tournament in New York.
The twins made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, where they defeated a strong Czech pair, Tereza Valentova and Nikola Bartunkova. In singles, Kristina, who received a wild card, was eliminated in the first round, while Annika fought her way through the qualifiers.
Their performances in the United States have already attracted attention. In the summer, they were part of the Czech team at the World Championships in Prostejov for players under 14 years old. However, like their compatriots, they were defeated by a strong Czech team in the semifinals.
Like the majority of aspiring tennis players, the Penickova twins have high ambitions. „By the time you read this letter, I hope I have already won several Grand Slam titles,“ said Kristina confidently in a video made for the prestigious Les Petits As youth tournament.
During their debut at the US Open, the twins gave an interview to the specialized portal Tennis World, impressing with their excellent Czech language skills. „We have our whole family in the Czech Republic, we are the only ones born in the USA. We have been speaking Czech since we were little, our parents only spoke Czech to us. We spoke English to them, but it felt strange, we didn’t know why. Everywhere else we heard only English,“ explained Kristina Penickova, adding that their father still coaches them in Czech.
They often visit their grandparents in Hradec Kralove, which they consider their second home. At one point, their father considered moving there so that they could play against higher-quality opponents. However, they currently train in Orlando, Florida, where they find the conditions equally amazing.
Several years ago, the Penickova twins were given the opportunity to represent the Czech Republic, but they ultimately chose the United States. „When we started playing bigger tournaments, our dad asked us who we wanted to represent. We didn’t really know, so we had to think about it. In the end, we chose the USA because we don’t spend that much time in the Czech Republic,“ explained Kristina.
The twins are personally acquainted with Czech twins Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova. They are fans and look up to them, as well as German player Alexander Zverev and Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka.
Their goal is to break into the top five of the world rankings, but most importantly, they want to enjoy playing tennis, compete in Grand Slam tournaments, and travel the world thanks to their beloved sport.
