Twin Sensations Lindy and William Zhou on the Rise

At just ten years old, Lindy and William Zhou already know exactly where they want to go in tennis, and they’re not afraid to say it out loud. “I want to become the number one player in the world,” a determined Lindy says. William has lofty ambitions as well. “I want to become the GOAT [greatest of all time],” he remarks. 

It’s a bold dream for this young Glendale duo, but one look at their dedication, talent, and family support makes it clear: these Southern California twins are already on a path to success.

Big Dreams, Shared Drive

To be the best in tennis, it’s important to set ambitious goals and draw inspiration from the sport’s greatest players. For William, his inspiration on the professional ATP Tour is Jannik Sinner, praising his competitive mindset and calm demeanor on court. “Jannik is very tough mentally and he never freaks out,” he says. 

Lindy’s favorite player is Aryna Sabalenka, known for her fearless power and fiery spirit. “She hits the ball really hard and has a really good attitude,” she says.

Their ultimate goal is to play at the Grand Slam level and make their mark on the sport they’ve loved since they started playing at just four years old. In fact, it’s the main reason why they work so diligently on court. “Playing in the Grand Slams is the driving force for us to practice tennis,” they remark.

Early Days and Sibling Rivalry

Like Jannik and Aryna, every tennis player’s journey has to start somewhere. For the twins, their story started right in their family’s backyard tennis court. Steve Starleaf, their godfather and talented coach, held lessons there every day for older kids. “My godfather is a good tennis coach and we have a tennis court at my house. He coached big kids at my tennis court every day when I was little. They had lots of fun when they were playing tennis. We wanted to be part of it,” Lindy recalls.

What began as curiosity quickly turned into passion fueled by a healthy sibling rivalry. The two constantly motivate, challenge, and encourage each other to reach new heights. And the best part? Growing up as twins means there’s always a built-in hitting partner—and some friendly competition. Sometimes they even partner up for mixed doubles, too. 

Training together is “really competitive, pushing each other to new limits. We play with each other almost everyday. It’s so much fun and also great practice for both of us. We have a natural sibling rivalry and cooperate very well on the tennis court.” William says.

Southern California Training

Over the past few years, William and Lindy have trained at several elite coaching programs—including Khachatryan Tennis Academy (KTA), RDS Sports, Tennis Mechanix Academy, and Dabul Tennis Elite Program—where they’re surrounded by top coaches and rising stars. For example, at KTA, Lindy shares that she “gets to train with big kids who are really good. Some of them are already playing ITF [International Tennis Federation] tournaments. The coaches are really good, and they put most of the attention on us. The training there is really high quality. The whole academy is basically a big family because everybody is really nice to each other.” 

Their training involves situational points, match play, and fitness sessions, designed to prepare them for tournament competition. “The training helps me handle the pressure better in tournaments,” William says. Lindy agrees, saying consistent training “helps a lot! When you hit lots of balls in the right way guided by good coaches, you can do well in tournaments.” All the valuable coaching resources in Southern California have played an important role in shaping William and Lindy’s tennis careers.

One of the coaches they’ve trained with is quick to praise this duo. “William and Lindy are phenoms. I have never seen in my 35 years of being in tennis such talented, mature kids that are years ahead of their time at just ten years of age. It’s a unique experience for me working with them because I have never had students where I didn’t even have to teach them. They already do things on the court far ahead of their age and physical size. I am excited to see where they will be in a few years,” Tigran Martirosyan remarks.

Capturing USTA Titles

At such a young age, the duo have already won their fair share of USTA tournaments, including each winning their respective 10 and under singles bracket in the 2024 “Little Mo” Nationals in Austin, Texas. 

For William, the win was especially meaningful. “This is my first national tournament that I won. I started gaining more confidence because I became number one in my age group,” he proudly exclaims. Lindy also dominated her draw with ease. “I only dropped three games in the whole tournament, including a double bagel in the finals.”

Most recently, Lindy captured her first Girls’ 16 and under title at the Level 5 Open: Sagehen Jr. Championships in Claremont this month—winning three rounds of competition in an age bracket notably higher than her own.

Additionally, Lindy claimed the Girls’ 12s Junior Sectionals crown this summer—competing with mostly girls two years older than her—where she battled through adversity to claim the championship. “In the semis, I really wanted to win that match and I did it. I played incredibly in that match. In the finals, I didn’t have a good forehand and backhand that day, I was only using my positive mentality to defeat the other girl. I was down in both sets, but I kept fighting and I won both sets with a really close score,” she recalls.

When asked how she found the mental toughness to capture the win, her determination was fueled by brotherly motivation. “I felt that I could not let myself down in this tournament because my brother already won two Level 3 tournaments, so I wanted to take this title, and I made it,” Lindy shares.

Balancing Homeschool and Tennis

While tennis takes up much of their time, Lindy and William are thriving academically too. Both attend Laurel Springs School, an accredited online academy that allows for a flexible schedule around training and tournaments.

“We go to tennis practice when we are fresh, and once we run out of energy we do our academic studies. If there are tournaments, we will do homework during the waiting time between matches,” they explain. 

Now in sixth grade—one year ahead of schedule after skipping a grade—they’ve learned how to manage both homeschooling and tennis with the support of their parents and younger brother, Walden Zhou.

Family Support

Behind every practice and tournament is a full team effort, starting with their parents, Huaibei (Barry) Zhou and Yilan (Ellen) Wang. Both parents work full time to support their children’s tennis dreams. “We spend most of our time and money to support their training and school. They have a high-level coaching team, including tennis coaches, professional fitness coaches, and some hitters. We just try our best to support them,” Barry says. 

Though their playing styles differ—“Lindy is more aggressive; William plays a little smarter”—they share the same determination. “They are really competitive and help each other a lot. They have been working very hard and continuously training the past few years,” Ellen says.

A Journey Just Beginning

In their short time playing competitive tennis, Lindy and William have already accomplished more than what many dream of. But for this dynamic duo, this is just the beginning.

“They love tennis,” their parents say proudly. “And they’re willing to put lots of effort in and never give up.”

Because when your goals are number one in the world and GOAT status, every practice, every point, and every moment counts.