From junior tennis to the US Open, Olivia Center and Kate Fakih conquered many of tennis’ biggest stages side-by-side before the age of 19.

But for both freshmen, who have been playing with each other since they were 10 years old, that journey together didn’t end when they arrived at UCLA. Rather, the duo took its talents to the courts of the Los Angeles Tennis Center, where Center and Fakih went on to become the only All-Americans on the Bruins’ 2025 roster.

“We’re always smiling,” Center said. “It felt like we were embarking on a new journey. … I know there’s more to come, but it feels like we went through this mini journey together – and we got through.”

Center and Fakih did more than just become the only Bruin All-Americans: they were also the only freshman pairing in the nation to reach the top two in ITA rankings .

On top of that, the duo started the school year off with UCLA’s best performance in the NCAA singles and doubles championships, finishing as runner-ups to the doubles national title.

Twice this season, the pair went undefeated for eight matches in a row. While most teams rearrange their doubles teams during the season to find the best partnerships, Center and Fakih have stayed together through it all, allowing their chemistry to spearhead their 78% win rate.

“It just happened naturally,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “We had other combinations from the previous year. It was a no-brainer to just keep them together.”

The first-year tandem said that UCLA approached them individually during the recruitment process. And, even though Westwood is just miles away from both players’ hometown of Pasadena, they did not know the other had also committed to UCLA when they both made their final decision.

“We didn’t know that the other one was going to go here,” Fakih said. “I don’t think it factored in our decisions. It was a cool addition to have her.”

Prior to ever stepping foot onto a collegiate tennis court, Center and Fakih reached the round of 16 in the US Open Juniors in 2023 and also competed in a US Open match against Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend, the latter of whom boasts two Grand Slam doubles titles.

Prior to falling under the purview of Sampras Webster, Center and Fakih shared the same coach from 2019 to 2024: Zibu Ncube.

“I had a limited amount of time to coach, and the first thing Olivia says is ‘we have another player,’” Ncube said. “I was like ‘okay, if you want to share your lesson, then you can take it.’ Immediately – the next session – Kate joined in, and they were an inseparable pair.”

Center and Fakih were nowhere to be found on the preseason doubles rankings, but, by the time the next rankings rolled around Dec. 3, they were fourth in the nation.

The pair garnered a 13-3 record while knocking off tenured tandems such as Wisconsin’s then-No. 5 Alina Mukhortova and Maria Sholokhova in their first three months with the program.

“They are one of the best doubles teams in the country and are such great friends,” Sampras Webster said. “They know so much about the strengths and weaknesses of each of them.”

Center and Fakih’s chemistry on the court is something that has been many years in the making – working together is a facet of their game since 2019.

“I looked at two girls who were very disciplined,” Ncube said. “They just wanted to absorb as much information as possible. The commitment was clearly there.”

The pair had mixed results during the NCAA tournament to end the season, where they won their final match of the year – winning UCLA’s only doubles match against defending NCAA champions Texas A&M.

However, Center and Fakih dropped their previous match against Vanderbilt’s then-No. 76 Valeria Ray and Bridget Stammel, forcing the Bruins to rely on their other two tandems to secure the doubles point and leading to a 4-3 match victory.

“There’s always stuff to improve on,” Fakih said. “I feel like I know Olivia pretty well, but everyone is always growing and evolving. It’s just about learning how to adapt to each other and grow together.”

Although UCLA played its last match of the season May 9, the duo’s year is far from over.

Center and Fakih will instead be competing in the inaugural US Open Wild Card Playoffs, where they earned an automatic berth thanks to their performance in the NCAA doubles championships. They will be one of four pairings competing to make the US Open women’s main draw.

It’s a stage they’ve been on before, although they haven’t had the chance to compete in the main draw since 2023.

“Ideally, our goal is to win that (US Open Wild Card Playoffs) and play the US Open again,” Center said.

The US Open ends in early September, meaning a berth in the main draw would come before the start of Center and Fakih’s second collegiate season.

“Our goal for next season is to set the tone in doubles,” Fakih said. “Bring the energy. Make our teammates better. Use what we learned and apply it to our game.”