Meet the Sood twins from India: no ordinary brothers
The Sood brothers, Lakshit and Chandril, were born one minute apart and are no ordinary siblings.
Hailing from Ghaziabad in India, the Soods had a deep-rooted connection from birth – they claim an almost telepathic understanding of each other.
To say they have used this connection to their advantage on the tennis court is an understatement. Inseparable since birth, the Soods embarked upon a professional playing career together, competing in both singles and doubles.
It was on the doubles court, however, that Chandril and Lakshit really made their marks, reaching a career-high of No. 282 in the ATP Rankings.
Now 34, the pair have begun an exciting new journey on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour. itftennis.com first encountered the charismatic duo last year in Lisbon when they competed at their first ITF Masters World Championships.
We caught up with the twins again during the recent ITF Masters World Team Championships (for players aged 30 and above through to 45 and above) in Manavgat, Türkiye, to ask them about life on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour.
You both played on the ITF World Tennis Tour and higher, and have now played your second ITF Masters World Championships. How have you found your first year on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour?
Soods: It’s a totally different experience compared to playing professionally. Playing pro is so intense, whereas Masters is intense but also fun. Playing in Lisbon and now Türkiye is amazing.
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ITF: Has the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour given you motivation to keep competing?
Soods: We finished playing on the main Tour about a year and a half ago. The ITF Masters World Championships have really given us extra motivation to train and compete. We didn’t expect the World Team Championships to be as strong as they were. There are guys who were top 200 ATP and we need to train hard to be ready. The level is so high.
ITF: What is it like playing with your twin brother on the court? Does this give you an advantage?
Soods: We try to confuse everyone (including ourselves!) by wearing the same clothes and having the same hairstyle. The Bryan brothers are our role models, we try to behave like them on court with our body language and intensity. Our natural communication definitely helps – we have been playing together since we were born.
Playing in the mixed doubles is new for us, so we’re still getting used to playing with different partners and enjoying the fun element of mixed doubles. It’s also another opportunity to win a medal!
ITF: Would you encourage other former professional players to compete on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour?
Soods: We would definitely recommend former pros to play on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour. We all love to compete and this is the perfect environment to keep playing at a high level.
This is also the best place to make friends. We played the Men’s 30 teams event and have made so many friends already. Everyone has been amazing.
As the Soods backed up a quarter-final appearance in Lisbon with a silver medal in Türkiye, surely it is only a matter of time before the twins secure a historic gold medal for India in the World Team Championships.
Whatever happens, we know that this dynamic duo is here to stay on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour, and they will continue to feed off each other both on and off the court.
Click here for all things ITF World Tennis Masters Tour, including how to sign up and play.