Kate Fakih’s AANHPI Roots, Junior Dominance,
and Collegiate Ascent

Success is nothing new for Kate Fakih. A winner at every stage of her young life, Kate has already built a résumé on the tennis court that many dream of, and she’s done it all by the age of 18.

A national champion, an NCAA doubles finalist, and an up-and-comer on the professional WTA tour with multiple Grand Slam appearances, Kate’s accomplishments are impressive, but it’s the journey behind them that has shaped her into the young woman she is today.

As Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month comes to a close, we are proud to reflect on the stories that inspire, just like Kate’s. 

Childhood and Roots

Just six months after her birth in Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana), Kazakhstan, Kate was adopted by Annette Sunga, originally from the Philippines, and Marwan Fakih, from Lebanon. Though her parents came from different corners of the world, they began their life as a family in Buffalo, New York, before eventually settling in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was there that Kate first picked up a tennis racquet, and where her understanding of identity, family, and culture began to take shape.

“As a kid, my parents instilled in me that there are many different ways to build or form a family,” Kate explained. “Growing up, I did not feel anything out of the ordinary, just that I was (am) in a loving, happy home, much like everybody else! Having a blend of three cultures, my family is multicultural even in our home, which made for richer and more flavorful experiences for me growing up. I loved hearing stories with different landscapes, sounds and uniqueness, one more interesting than the next. It’s special how, coming from different parts of the world, we somehow all found each other—like it was fate—and became a family together.” 

That same sense of connection and curiosity extended into Kate’s everyday life and ultimately led her to tennis. Raised in a household with a deep appreciation for the sport, it seemed only natural that it would become a part of her story. Annette and Marwan played recreationally and took lessons to stay active, her grandfather was a devoted fan, and her four uncles were regular players who eagerly followed the game. But as fate would have it, Kate’s personal spark for tennis was ignited not by her family, but by chance.

“I was put in swimming lessons at a young age, but to get to the pool, I had to pass the tennis courts. As soon as I saw the sport in person, I immediately was interested,” Kate shared. “My mom told me that as soon as I finished my swimming lessons, I would be able to start playing tennis, so I began finishing them extremely quickly as I was so excited to start. I hit my first ball and fell in love.” 

From that moment on, tennis became the heartbeat of Kate’s active childhood, which also included swimming, ballet, and baton twirling—each activity a reflection of her boundless energy and wide-ranging interests. Still, it was tennis that brought her the most joy and where her natural talent shone brightest. When the Fakih family relocated once again—this time to Pasadena, California, when Kate was six—she suddenly found herself in an environment where she could play year-round. Surrounded by sunshine and opportunity, Kate made the decision to fully commit to the sport, unaware that this choice would lay the foundation for the extraordinary journey ahead.

Rising Through the Junior Circuit

Kate’s love for competition began early. “I started playing in USTA SoCal junior tournaments at eight years old, first in Level 6 and Level 5’s in the 10 and Under age division,” Kate recalled. “I gained so much experience and met a lot of my best friends that I still keep in contact with today. This is when my love for competing started. I loved being out on the court, and I told my mom that when I was playing I felt immense joy and an out of body experience.”

From those early events, Kate’s tournament schedule steadily expanded. She competed in Clay Courts, Spring Team Championships, Winter Nationals, Hard Courts, and eventually junior ITF tournaments that took her across the globe, each one sharpening her skills and feeding her passion for the game.

While many have competed on the USTA junior circuit, few have reached the level of success that Kate achieved. Over the years, she captured multiple titles and posted standout performances across the Girls’ 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s divisions. Her talent earned her opportunities at some of the most prestigious junior events in the country, including the Fila International Junior Championships, Easter Bowl, Orange Bowl, National Winter Championships, Intersectional Team Pacific Cup, National Indoor Championships, and several SoCal Sectionals.

Though an exceptional singles player, Kate’s greatest impact emerged on the doubles court. Her journey in doubles began around the age of ten and quickly became a defining part of her tennis career, especially through her partnership with fellow junior standout and close friend, Olivia Center. The two first met at the Arcadia courts when owner John Letts formed a group of 6-8 years olds showing tennis promise. The meeting quickly developed an on-court chemistry that translated into on-court success and a deep off-court bond.

“I have known Kate since we were maybe 10 years old and we’ve been with each other through our whole junior and now collegiate career,” explained Olivia Center. “We are always there to support each other and push each other to get better which I think is super special.” 

That connection culminated in a breakout campaign during Kate’s senior year at Connections Academy. In the summer of 2023, she made her professional debut at the SoCal Pro Series event in San Diego, making a deep run to the singles semifinals. She followed that up by competing in doubles at the Lakewood Tennis Center—alongside none other than Olivia. But it was in August, at the Billie Jean King USTA Girls’ Nationals in San Diego, where she first captured national attention. Entering the tournament unseeded, Kate and Olivia stunned the field with a string of remarkable upsets, ultimately capturing the championship title.

With that victory came a dream opportunity: a wild card into the US Open women’s doubles main draw and the junior girls’ doubles draw—marking Kate’s Grand Slam debut on one of tennis’ biggest stages.

“When it comes to doubles, knowing we will always be there for one another no matter what the outcome is helps us have fun, play free, and enjoy the journey,” explained Center. “My favorite thing about playing with Kate is she is always smiling and super positive about any situation we end up in which makes it really fun.”

That momentum carried through the end of the year. In November, Kate returned to the ITF junior circuit, sweeping both the singles and doubles titles—again partnering with Olivia—at the J300 Zapopan event in Mexico.

As 2024 began, Kate qualified for both the Girls’ singles and doubles draws at the Australian Open, partnering with Aspen Schuman in doubles. A few months later, she made her debut at the French Open, competing in girls’ doubles alongside Emily Sartz-Lunde.

Looking to build on their past success, Kate and Olivia reunited in the summer for two more SoCal Pro Series events, reaching the semifinals at both the Jack Kramer Club and Lakewood Tennis Center. That fall, Kate earned another appearance at the US Open Junior Championships, competing in both singles and doubles—this time with partner Alanis Hamilton.

“I have enjoyed the intense competition playing in the Australian Open, French Open, US Open, and SoCal Pro Series,” Kate stated. “Being in these environments helped me become the player I am today—learning from and studying how to compete with the best of the best. My favorite memory thus far has been playing in the US Open alongside Olivia in doubles. The US Open has always held a special place in my heart because it is my home slam and there is no energy and atmosphere quite like it.” 

By the close of her junior career, Kate had solidified her place among the game’s elite. In 2024, she reached a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 6 nationally and was ranked No. 1 in the state of California, cementing her mark as a Blue Chip recruit according to TennisRecruiting.net. One chapter had come to an end, but a new one was just beginning as she looked ahead to her collegiate career.

A Star Being Born at UCLA

A powerhouse in collegiate tennis, UCLA has long followed a proven formula for transforming elite talent into champions ready to excel on the professional circuit. The Bruins pride themselves on recruiting close to home, often pulling from the deep pool of talent in Southern California.

With a nationally ranked program, year-round sunshine, state of the art facilities, and world-class academics all based in Westwood, UCLA checked every box for Kate. In 2022, she made it official, committing to join the Bruins under the leadership of head coach Stella Sampras Webster.

“I chose UCLA because it has the balance I was looking for with great academics and a great tennis program,” Kate commented. “Having known Coach Stella, as I am good friends with her daughters, I have always felt a connection with her and I have always loved the way she goes about things. Of course being close to my family and continued access to my personal coaches, Zibu Ncube and Mike Gennette, was a big factor in my decision.” 

Not only did Kate commit to UCLA, but Olivia did as well, allowing the pair to continue sharing the court throughout their collegiate careers.

As a freshman in the 2024-2025 season, Kate made an immediate impact for the Bruins, continuing her unstoppable doubles partnership with Olivia. Despite being among the youngest teams in the NCAA, Kate and Olivia consistently challenged and defeated more experienced opponents..

Kicking off the duo’s success, the duo captured the ITA West Sectional Championships doubles title in the fall, securing a spot in the NCAA individual tournament. They would then carry that momentum into the NCAA competition in December, winning four straight matches over four days to reach the finals, before being  narrowly defeated in a third-set, 10-point tiebreaker.

Over the course of the season, Kate was as good as anyone in doubles, posting a team-best 31-9 record alongside Olivia. The duo opened the year ranked No. 4 in the ITA doubles rankings and climbed as high as No. 2, going 13-6 against nationally ranked opponents and securing a team-high nine doubles points.

In singles, Kate was equally impressive, leading the Bruins with 28 total victories—14 in dual matches and 14 in tournament play—finishing with a strong 28-11 record.

Ranked No. 17 nationally, UCLA entered the NCAA Tournament with high hopes for a deep run. After advancing through the first two rounds with impressive wins over Harvard and No. 15 Vanderbilt, the Bruins’ season came to a close in the Super Regionals with a hard-fought loss to second-seeded and defending champion Texas A&M. While it wasn’t the ending Kate had envisioned, her first year as a Bruin was nothing short of a breakthrough.

In addition to qualifying for both NCAA singles and doubles competition in the fall, Kate earned a number of accolades during her freshman campaign. She was named a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and recognized as a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week and five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week. She also achieved a career-high ITA singles ranking of No. 33. Off the court, Kate was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. The honors didn’t just stop there, as on Tuesday, Kate was named an All-American by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Then, just a day later, she and Olivia were selected to compete in the inaugural US Open Wild Card Playoffs, set to take place June 16-18 at the USTA National Campus in Florida.

While the accomplishments speak for themselves, Kate’s time at UCLA so far has been about more than just winning.

“My experience thus far at UCLA has been extremely exciting and has taught me a lot,” Kate said. “I am learning to better manage both my time and challenges that come my way. Being a student-athlete has helped me focus on what I am able to control, especially now that we are traveling a lot, and I have found that flexibility is key! I have really enjoyed the relationships I have built with my teammates and coaches while here. College tennis is new and exciting to me as it is a team sport, which was not the case in my junior career. Competing alongside my teammates, who have become like sisters to me, has been such a fun experience. Having each other’s backs, pushing each other in practice, and supporting each other while playing has been an experience I won’t forget.”

Cultural Reflections 

As she continues to grow both in tennis and as a person, Kate constantly takes time to reflect on her beginnings and embrace her roots. The opportunity to represent her culture, especially during AANHPI Heritage Month, means everything to her. 

“AANHPI Month is important to me because I am able to represent! Through this sport that I love, I am able to showcase Asians as strong women, competitive athletes and compassionate members of society.” 

Growing up, representation in tennis wasn’t always easy for Kate to find. Still, she found inspiration in athletes who looked like her, even if only in part, and who carried themselves with the quiet confidence she aspired to.

“There were not a lot of pros who shared a similar heritage as I growing up, but I did gravitate towards Naomi Osaka,” Kate said. “Maybe this was partly because she was Asian, but more so that she projected that humble champion look to my 11-year-old eyes. I vividly remember watching her match at Indian Wells, and there was this fan cheering her on loudly while waving a Kazakhstan flag (which she is not).  It may not have been a full circle moment, but a moment to remind me of my Kazakh roots none the less.”

While role models in the public eye helped shape her view of what was possible, much of Kate’s cultural pride was formed at home. Nowhere was that more evident than in the kitchen, where food became an expression of where she came from and remains a source of comfort and joy to this day.

“Food is the center of Filipino life! I remember my mom and aunts planning the menu weeks in advance for any gathering so come party time, there would be so much food and it all was so delicious,” Kate exclaimed. “This lit the spark for my love of Asian food. On the other hand, I also had homemade stuffed grape leaves and dried oregano flatbread for my school lunches. I really had the best of both worlds when it came to cultural dishes.” 

Looking Ahead to the Future 

With her sophomore season on the horizon, Kate already has big goals and exciting opportunities ahead. But through it all, she remains grounded by her love for the game and the unwavering support of her family.

“I enjoy a lot of things about tennis, but the exhilarating feeling of competing and figuring out what to do on the court is a feeling like no other. Challenging myself, reflecting, and finding out what I could do to improve is an addictive feeling,” Kate added. “My success thus far has been possible because of my family, who have sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am today. They have always been extremely supportive of my passion and first saw how happy I was to play and compete. Whether it’s at a Girl’s 10 Level 5 tournament, the US Open, or a match between UCLA and USC, rest assured that I’d have the biggest and loudest cheer section!”

Looking ahead to her future at UCLA and beyond, Kate has both ambition and purpose driving her every day. 

“My main goal for myself as it relates to tennis is to be the best player I can be,” Kate stated. “It’s really too soon to be talking about this now, but someday, I’d like to look back on my tennis career and life in general and say that I worked the hardest to achieve what I had set out to do. I feel though that there is a bigger purpose in life for me, which is to have an impact on people in a positive way, whether it’s by helping them find joy for the game, or just pushing others to be the best that they could be.” 

Off the court, Kate enjoys the quiet balance of downtime with family and the simple things that bring her peace, such as going on walks and being in nature or watching a good movie. These moments, much like her roots, continue to shape the person she is becoming.