A history-making has played out at the Australian Open that left a host of tennis fans seeing double.
Melbourne Park witnessed a groundbreaking event as twin sisters Annika and Kristina Penickova from the United States triumphed over Czech siblings Alena and Jana Kovackova in the junior doubles semifinals this week.
Adding to the moment, both sets of siblings wore the same clothes as each other. And the Penickova sisters may represent the United States, but they have Czech heritage as well.
‘Not many times we tend to see two whole pairs of siblings play against each other,’ one fan commented.
‘This is tennis heritage,’ added another.
‘How often do you see this happening in the sporting world?’ asked another.
Twin sisters Annika and Kristina Penickova from the United States played Czech siblings Alena and Jana Kovackova at the Australian Open
Both sets of siblings also wore the same colours as each other, leaving fans seeing double
Annika and Kristina Penickova also have Czech heritage, despite competing for the United States
This match is believed to be the first instance in Grand Slam history where siblings have played against twins in a doubles competition.
The Penickova twins, both 15 years old, ultimately secured victory and passage to the final in a three-set thriller, prevailing 5-7, 6-1, 11-9.
This raises the question: has this ever happened before on the professional tour?
While siblings have competed against each other in singles matches in the Open era, a doubles encounter between two sibling pairs is exceptionally rare, if not unprecedented. It is believed siblings have never played twins before.
The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, hold the record for the most Grand Slam men’s doubles titles with an impressive 16 victories.
They have also amassed a staggering 119 ATP titles throughout their illustrious career.
The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are another iconic sibling duo who have achieved remarkable success in doubles.
Together, they have clinched 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles.
Serena and Venus Williams were both incredible singles players, and doubles players as well
The Bryan brothers are the greatest male siblings to play doubles on the world tennis tour
But neither the Bryan brothers or Williams sisters ever squared off against another set of twins or siblings.
However several sibling pairs currently compete on the professional tour, raising the possibility of future sibling showdowns.
Alexander and Mischa Zverev reached the ATP finals in 2017, showcasing their combined talent on the court.
Stefanos and Petros Tsitsipas have also expressed their desire to play doubles together, potentially setting the stage for a clash against another sibling duo.
Even retired British great Andy Murray has hinted at the possibility of partnering with his brother Jamie in doubles at Wimbledon.
‘I may do, yeah. I’m not 100 per cent sure yet,’ Andy said.
‘My brother doesn’t have a partner for Wimbledon currently.
‘We have spoken a little bit about it. So may do that, but not 100 per cent sure yet.’
Andy Murray has competed with his brother Jamie before and could come out of retirement to play doubles again at Wimbledon
Alexander Zverev of Germany poses with the trophy with his brother Mischa Zverev (left) following the men’s final at the Paris Masters in 2024
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece competed at the Olympics with brother Petros Tsitsipas
While the Australian Open doubles match created history, there have been many great sibling partnerships in the sport over the years.
The Bondarenko sisters, Alona and Kateryna, also etched their names in tennis history by winning the 2008 Australian Open women’s doubles title.
The Kichenok sisters, Nadiia and Lyudmyla, are twin sisters who have both reached Grand Slam quarterfinals in doubles.
In addition to these prominent sibling duos, tennis history has witnessed other successful partnerships, such as the McEnroe brothers, John and Patrick, who won multiple doubles titles together, including the 1984 Richmond doubles title and the 2012 and 2014 French Open over-45 legends doubles titles.
Helena Sukova, a four-time Grand Slam singles finalist, achieved remarkable success in doubles, winning nine women’s doubles titles and five mixed doubles titles.
Three of her mixed doubles titles were won alongside her brother Cyril Suk.
Other notable sibling partnerships include the Black siblings [Wayne and Cara], the Austin siblings [Tracy and John], the Jensen brothers [Luke and Murphy], and the Sánchez Vicario siblings [Arantxa, Emilio, and Javier].
