The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

THE Clarke sisters found out this weekend that their chemistry on the tennis court has not gone anywhere.

Sydney Clarke and her younger sister 17-year-old Sarai Clarke teamed up at the National Tennis Center Doubles Clash, supported by the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA), and came away as the women’s doubles champions after getting another opportunity to compete together at home.

The tournament, held August 29-30 at the National Tennis Center, marked only the second time the sisters had partnered in competition, with their previous appearance coming at the 2023 Bahamas Games.

Sydney, who continues to compete professionally, said the opportunity to test their partnership again was something she welcomed.

“I was ecstatic to play with my sister,” Sydney said. “This was the second opportunity for us to play. The last time we played was in 2023 in the Bahamas Games, so having a tournament here at home for us to practice together and see if we still have that chemistry, it was a great feeling.”

The title was important, but Sydney also saw the tournament as another opportunity to support Sarai as she continues to develop as a player.

Sydney believes her own journey in tennis gives her a perspective that can help her sister navigate some of the challenges that come with pursuing the sport.

“I feel that I play a vital role in Sarai’s development with tennis because just having me around is more motivation for her,” Sydney said.

“Having someone who has been in her shoes, I’m able to relate to her in certain situations.”

Sydney said she tries to lead by example through her discipline on and off the court while reminding Sarai that progress does not always happen immediately.

“I feel as though that me staying disciplined and doing the right things on and off court, and showing her that the hard work is going to pay off eventually, it’s just a matter of time,” she said.

That relationship has also required Sydney to understand when Sarai needs advice, encouragement or simply her sister.

“Just being there, knowing when to be a sister, when I need to be encouraging, when I may need to step back, it’s really important so that I’m able to bring the best out of her,” Sydney said.

Sydney said being a mentor has also helped her remain accountable to her own goals.

“I enjoy being a mentor for my sister because it reminds me of when I was in her shoes and it continues to push me to remain disciplined of my goals because she’s looking up to me,” she said.

Sarai’s willingness to seek advice from Sydney has strengthened that bond, with Sydney grateful that her sister feels comfortable turning to her.

“It’s just a great feeling to know that she can come to me first,” Sydney said. “I’m very grateful that she feels comfortable with me to be able to do that.”

The sisters have found a balance between their roles, allowing Sydney to offer guidance without losing the relationship they have away from tennis.

“We’ve developed a relationship where I’m able to also be her sister, but also sometimes be her mentor,” Sydney said. “We have a great dynamic. It’s not always perfect, but we always respect each other and at the end of the day, we know both of us are coming from a place of love.”

That understanding became particularly important during their final match of the tournament.

Sydney said it was their toughest match of the weekend, and there were moments when both sisters had to help settle each other. “There were a few games where my sister started to get down on herself, and I was able to get her going, cheer her up and tell her, ‘It’s all in the past. Now we just got to move on,’” Sydney said.

Sydney said she also needed Sarai’s support early in the match after dealing with her own nerves. “She was also able to settle my nerves at the beginning of the match,” Sydney said. “I was full of nerves, but nerves of excitement. At the beginning of the match, she was able to share with me some words of encouragement.”