Sibling Strength: How Kiana and Paolo Huerta are
Serving Up a Tennis Dream Together

Kiana and Paolo Huerta are more than just siblings—they’re training partners, fierce competitors, and supportive cheerleaders for one another. They’re your typical brother and sister duo, always competing with each other to be the best on and off the court, with some good-hearted arguing along the way. Both five-star tennis recruits, this dynamic duo is serving up sibling success as they rise up the ranks and chase their dreams. Their journey can be characterized by a classic sibling rivalry, competitive spirit, and pursuit to achieve athletic excellence.

An Unlikely Start to SoCal Tennis

Born and raised in San Diego, Kiana, 14, and Paolo, 12, are not only close in age, but in their relationship too. However, no sibling relationship is complete without a bit of bickering, of course, especially when you’re both excellent at the same sport. “We’re very close since we train together and spend so much time together. Obviously, it’s not the perfect relationship,” Kiana laughed. “We’ll get into fights, but we’re very close. We tell each other everything.”

From learning how to play tennis to finding success on the court, Kiana and Paolo’s journey to discovering the sport initially began in an unorthodox way. “Originally, I watched this movie called Dangal. It’s basically an Indian movie about a dad who’s a wrestler and he trained his daughters to become athletic champions,” Kiana explained. “During that time, my brother and I were actually doing jiu jitsu. So I was able to, kind of, compare that a bit with our situation, and it inspired me.”

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that Kiana and Paolo were forced to find an alternative sport, as their jiu jitsu studio was closed during the time. “I figured out that my dad was a really good tennis player and I asked him to start training us, and here we are,” she said. 

Their father, Rafael Huerta, was certainly an accomplished player, achieving All-American status on the Cal Poly Men’s Tennis Team. No wonder they wanted to follow in his footsteps, looking to achieve the same success he did. Now their coach, Kiana and Paolo are grateful for their father’s support—teaching them how to play, coaching them, and signing them up for junior tournaments. Their mother is also an integral part of the process, making them lunches for tournaments and driving them to matches throughout Southern California.

“We usually drive up all four of us, and then sometimes my dad will come with me for my match or my mom will come. It’s a whole team effort. They’re both very supportive,” Paolo said.

Different Styles, Same Fire

What started as rallies between siblings early on quickly became intense practices. The two began training side by side wherever they could find a court—whether that be Pacific Beach Tennis Club, their home base, or even local public courts in their community—pushing each other to new limits. Funny enough, while they train together daily, they stay away from playing practice matches against each other. “We’re not allowed to play any matches. We’re too competitive for that. We just want to beat each other,” Kiana said, laughing.

Kiana plays an aggressive game. She’s always looking to step inside the baseline, take the ball early, and rush the net. Her idols? Serena Williams and Iga Świątek—notably for their aggressive playing styles and mental toughness. “When I first started out, Serena Williams was my idol because she’s extremely aggressive, and she’s just amazing. And then eventually, it was Iga Świątek because she’s just so dominant, and she has goals for mental toughness,” Kiana explained. 

Paolo, on the other hand, is the backboard, leaning on consistency to achieve success. His inspiration is Novak Djokovic “because he just wins everything,” crediting his mental strength and discipline as traits he admires and looks to emulate on court. 

USTA Tournament Success

Despite their different playing styles, one thing Kiana and Paolo have in common is their mental toughness—something that a young tennis player doesn’t always possess. It’s a big reason why they’ve had great success at USTA SoCal tournaments, dominating the courts across the West Coast using both their physicality and mentality. 

They also both love team tournaments as a fun way to meet new people and make friends. Recently, Kiana enjoyed success at the Level 3 Mixed 16 and Under Go for the Gold Team Challenge in Tucson, Arizona. “My team, we were, let’s just say, the underdogs. No one expected us to win. I made a bunch of friends, and we ended up winning it, which was really fun.” 

For Paolo, his favorite tournament was the Level 2 Boys 12 and Under “Kats Kup” Intersectional Team Pacific Cup in 2024. “It was basically SoCal versus NorCal versus Intermountain versus Pacific Northwest. We destroyed everybody,” he laughed. “And at the end of the day, I ended up getting the sportsmanship award for motivating my partner when we were down in games.”

A Multifaceted Duo

It’s clear that tennis is about more than just winning for this pair, but instead, about building relationships and shaping who they are off the court too. “I think tennis has definitely raised my confidence in being able to play at a competitive level,” Kiana said. “I feel like I have a lot more discipline and I’m just stronger as a person.”

As for Paolo, tennis has brought out his focus and drive both on the court and in the classroom. “For me, it’s all about discipline, focus, and self-motivation,” he said. 

Balancing school, elite training, and a social life is no small feat, but the Huertas have found a rhythm. Kiana is homeschooled and entering her freshman year in high school, while Paolo will be a seventh grader at Muirlands Middle School in San Diego. 

Not only do they manage a full schedule, they’re also well-traveled and know how to speak several languages because of their multi-cultural upbringing. Their father is Mexican, mother is French, and have cousins from Korea and China. They also have a deaf cousin, which is why they learned American Sign Language. If that’s not enough, they’re eager to learn more languages too, because why not?

“French was the language we originally spoke. And then, of course, Spanish. Our parents only spoke to us in French and Spanish when we were younger,” they explained. “Our English was actually at a very low level until we transferred to a public school.

Future Aspirations

Whether it’s playing competitive tennis or learning several languages, the sky is the limit for this duo. As for future aspirations, Kiana would like to play Division I college tennis, then see if she can go pro. “That’s Plan A,” she said. “But I also want to maybe start my own business or go into medicine. Something to do with neurology. The brain is the most complex part of the body and the nervous system too. It’s just super interesting. There’s always something to learn.”

Paolo echoes his sister’s aspirations. “I want to play DI college tennis and try to go pro, too.” But his academic passion is different: marine biology. “I just love marine animals, especially fish.”

No matter where their journey takes them, one thing is clear: Kiana and Paolo Huerta are a jack of all trades and just getting started.