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Syracuse head coach Younes Limam took an 11-hour flight to Georgia just to watch a young Sofya Treshcheva compete. Limam sat in the bleachers as Treshcheva dominated the International Tennis Federation tournament with her aggressive baseline play, powerful backhands and use of spin on the ball when necessary. 

Treshcheva possessed all the qualities Limam looked for in potential recruits, and her performance led to Limam meeting Treshcheva’s family to discuss the possibility of her playing collegiate tennis at Syracuse.

“She used a lot of variety in her game. She’s not a one-dimensional kind of player,” Limam said. “She can slide, she can hit flat, she can play with spin, she can go high.” 

Treshcheva said she was hesitant about joining Syracuse in 2018, but it was a decision she doesn’t regret now as a senior. The Moscow native has since comfortably adjusted to playing collegiate tennis, accumulating a career win percentage of .500 and has helped lead the Orange to two NCAA Tournament appearances.

But before Limam approached her at the ITF tournament, Treshcheva said she never thought about playing tennis collegiately. Treshcheva grew up in Moscow, a hotbed for tennis talent, she said, and she started playing when she was seven after her parents brought her to their local tennis club. 

Shortly after, Treshcheva began competing and regularly won tennis tournaments by the time she was nine. While she trained at a Moscow tennis club, Treshcheva met Sofya Golubovskaya, her future doubles partner and teammate at Syracuse.

“Growing up together on the tennis court was one of the best things that happened to me,” Golubovskaya said. “I loved that we had that connection with each other on and off the court and were able to transition it to our game.”

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During her freshman year at Syracuse, Golubovskaya mentioned Treshcheva’s name to Limam as a potential recruit. Even though her childhood friend was thriving at Syracuse, Treshcheva was hesitant to join her. She was concerned about leaving home and playing somewhere unfamiliar, she said. But Golubovskaya sold Treshcheva on Syracuse’s tennis environment, and convinced her to travel across the world to join the program. 

But Treshcheva still struggled adjusting to her new life in Syracuse. Specifically, she had trouble picking up English and dealing with her class schedule, she said.

“I always relied on my parents, through financial support and emotional support,” Treshcheva said. “I was traveling a lot and practicing, I was really connected to my parents and now I became independent.”

Treshcheva made an immediate impact her freshman year, winning her first singles and doubles matches against Brown. Treshcheva and Golubovskaya reunited as doubles partners and won the doubles title at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional Championship in fall 2018, before winning seven of their 13 matches during the spring. The duo led Syracuse to a No. 10 ranking nationally, its highest in program history. 

Treshcheva’s spring sophomore and fall junior seasons were shortened due to COVID-19. She somewhat struggled, recording a combined 30-37 record, which included a .568 win percentage in 2019-20. 

The Orange are currently 4-1, marking the sixth time the Orange have won at least four of their first five matches since Limam took over in 2014. Now as a senior, Treshcheva said she’s more focused on Syracuse’s achievements rather than her own, which differs from the mentality she grew up with in Moscow — where tennis is viewed on more of an individual basis.

“When you say (Sofya), you think of somebody who’s a team player, someone who truly cares about her teammates on and off the court,” Limam said. “She’s been helping the younger ones and taking on different roles.”

Published on February 9, 2022 at 12:55 am

Contact Irie: irharris@syr.edu