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Younes Limam loves to talk about the importance of momentum. For Syracuse’s head coach, tennis is the epitome of a “momentum sport,” and once the Orange grab it, they have to do everything they can to hold onto it.

More often than not, the doubles point has set SU’s momentum in its matches. After the Orange’s season-opening win over Cornell, Limam said SU’s three doubles wins allowed Syracuse to carry enough energy into singles.

Eight of Syracuse’s nine matches have been won by the team that took the doubles point. And during those meetings, the Orange (4-5, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) have repeatedly relied on their doubles play to keep them afloat, winning five of nine doubles points.

“So far, we’re very pleased by how (our doubles are) playing together,” Limam said. “But it’s a long season, and a lot of things can happen.”

Syracuse has struggled in doubles play over the past several years. It won just 46% of doubles matches in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, failing to secure a winning record in either campaign.

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But SU’s newest top pairing of Anastasia Sysoeva and Nelly Knezkova has made those previous blunders easy to forget. The duo began playing together in the fall and finished fourth at the ITA East Sectional Tournament.

“We know each other really well on and off the court, and I think that’s a good foundation that always helps, especially when you play (grueling) matches,” Knezkova said after her and Sysoeva’s 6-4 doubles win against Boston University.

The pair has garnered national recognition this spring season, earning ACC Doubles Team of the Week honors after SU’s season-opening weekend against the Big Red and Fordham. The pair also ranks 20th in the ITA rankings, with a 3-1 record thus far.

Syracuse’s second pairing of Serafima Shastova and Monika Wojcik has also become one of the Orange’s more consistent duos, ranking second among SU pairings with seven matches played together. While they usually play from the No. 2 slot, they’ve filled in as the No. 1 pairing twice — and won both matches — during Syracuse’s nonconference slate.

“We are just trying to keep it simple,” Shastova said. “We’re practicing a lot. We’re just trying to be aggressive from the very beginning.”

Shastova and Wojcik have been one of Syracuse’s most electrifying pairs to watch. They’ve won four of their seven matchups by an average of just over four points, and after they win a point, their screams typically echo across the Drumlins Country Club.

Syracuse is at its best when it dominates doubles. Strong doubles play helps it play with more confidence, knowing its margin for error is larger. The onus lies on both pairs to sustain that success.

“I like a lot the sense of urgency that (our doubles) played with up to this point,” Limam said. “But we have a lot of good teams ahead.”

As Syracuse’s season continues, it’ll be crucial for the Orange to grab momentum early. SU takes on one more top 20 pairing this season in Virginia’s Melodie Collard and Vivian Yang. It previously fell to Duke’s No. 12-ranked duo and lost to two North Carolina pairs that placed in the top 7.

“We always have that mindset: With or without this point, we’ll always give our best,” SU senior Constance Levivier said. “Having (the doubles) point is a little bit more fuel and a little bit more motivation.”

In the four matches where Syracuse has lost the doubles point, the Orange prevailed in just one singles match. The correlation is clear.

While SU’s hardest trip of the season is over, its conference slate is unrelenting. The Orange must continue to lean on their doubles strength to push toward the ACC Championship.

Published on February 23, 2026 at 10:48 pm
Contact Jack: jwood20@syr.edu | @JackWood_55