Nine-year-old Alexis Malakhova returned from an international tennis tournament in Florida with more than a doubles championship and a runner-up title in singles – she also landed a Wilson sponsorship.
Soon after her success on the court at the Little Mo Internationals Dec. 5-10 in Palm Beach, the Mountain View resident received an offer from Wilson that included free merchandise.
“I’m really excited and happy because now I get free rackets and there’s a pretty backpack that I really want now,” Alexis said.
Seeded No. 2 with her doubles partner No. 1 Ksenia Vikulova of Russia, the duo topped the Girls U9 Yellow Ball Division. In singles play, Alexis lost in the finals to Ksenia.
“I love playing (tennis),” Alexis said. “It’s fun for me even if I win or lose, and I love growing up with my tennis friends.”
Since her national breakthrough in 2024, her dad and coach Alex Malakhov said this international win was a culmination of her improvement in technical skills and “game IQ.”
“Her strokes and footwork, she’s maybe the best in her age group, but she’s working on her game understanding – game IQ,” Malakhov said. “You can have a perfect shot, but you also must know how you’re going to end the point, the weaknesses of your opponent and utilizing your own strengths.”
The father-daughter duo arrived at Palm Beach a week before matches started to practice with Alexis’ new doubles partner and acclimate to the time difference, weather and green clay tennis courts – a material she had never played on before. There, Alexis trained all day at local tennis academies, many of which produce top players in the nation and world.
“I liked going to academies, making new friends there and because the first practice started at 7:45 a.m.,” Alexis said. “We practiced there, we lived there, it was fun.”
While Alexis is currently in fourth grade at Springer Elementary, Malakhov said tennis academy life – where students often train for longer than they study – is now something they’re considering. Many of Alexis’ opponents play full-time, and Malakhov said that gives them a natural advantage both physically and mentally.
“Almost everyone in Florida – top players at any age – they’re not going to public schools,” Malakhov said. “They focus on tennis and do online school, so they’re more mentally strong on the courts.”
It’s all part of Alexis’ ultimate goal to go pro.
“I really wanna play professionally, which is a really big difference from the college level,” Alexis said. “I really look up to (Carlos) Alcaraz because he tries to reach every ball, (Jannik) Sinner’s balance, Iga (Swiatek) and (Aryna) Sabalenka – I want to grunt like her.”
In the meantime, Alexis continues to climb local and national rankings by competing in U.S. Tennis Association (USTA)-sanctioned tournaments. Most recently, Alexis played in a local USTA Level 4 tournament, where she finished sixth after losing to a 12-year-old who later won the bracket.
“Her goal is to be top 10 in our section – there’s a long way to go, but it’s definitely possible,” Malakhov said of his daughter.
