Alawi earns singles, doubles victories for women’s tennis
Just a few years ago, Jaklin Alawi was playing tennis on another continent.
Now, the senior is a leading member of the South Carolina women’s tennis team. Alawi, the No. 34 player in the country, earned her first singles and doubles wins of the season when the Gamecocks opened their spring season on Monday, sweeping a double-header against Winthrop and University of South Carolina, Upstate.
Alawi faced many challenges coming from Bulgaria to the U.S. to play tennis.
“In the beginning, it was a little bit tough. I had issues with my English. I didn’t understand everything,” Alawi said. “But then I just got used to it with more experience.”
The senior started her college career in California, playing for Long Beach State University for her freshman and sophomore years. After two seasons, Alawi decided to transfer to South Carolina.
Alawi was originally recruited by South Carolina, but she was already committed to Long Beach State. However, Alawi wanted to improve her game and make a change, saying that she was “very unhappy” in California.
In her junior season, Alawi was named to the All-SEC Second Team and honored as USC’s Most Valuable Player. She finished last spring ranked No. 95 in the country.
“I think there are some times when she doesn’t even know how good she is,” coach Kevin Epley said. Epley noted that Alawi has improved over the last few months, especially in doubles play.
“I spent a lot of time with her in the fall, and she’s really started to pick it up and be engaged,” he said.
Alawi said that she enjoys playing doubles more because “the stakes are higher. It’s more intense.” She and junior Dominika Kanakova are currently ranked No. 46 in doubles. The duo is close off the court, and that translates into success during a match, according to the senior.
“She has good energy and we have good chemistry together,” Alawi said. “She’s a very mature girl and knows what she’s doing on the court.”
However, Alawi’s opportunities have been limited this season due to injury. In Monday’s double-header, she was forced to sit out in the second matchup against USC Upstate.
“She’s got a bad back, which is a little bit frustrating for her,” Epley said. “We’ll have to see how that pans out for her out here over the next few weeks ... so that she can keep moving forward.”
Alawi also recognized the importance of maintaining her strength as the team gears up for heart of the season.
“My expectations are high, but at the same time I’ve got to stay healthy,” Alawi said.
Overall, Epley believed the team played well coming off the long break.
“I think [during] the initial match we were a little bit frustrated with some of the energy and some of those sort of things. But I think they cleaned it up for the second match,” he said. “We grew up throughout the day.”
South Carolina beat the Eagles by a score of 6-1 and the Spartans 4-0. The Gamecocks will begin their SEC schedule when they travel to face Missouri on Jan. 26, and Alawi expects many more wins this season.
“The Sweet 16 is our goal, and why not further?” she said. “We’re a good team.”