Angelina and Julianna Capraro, affectionately known as ‘the twins,’ officially closed their final season of tennis at Riverside City College with a 12-2 record in doubles. Julianna will transfer to Cal State San Bernardino to pursue her bachelor’s in General Business. Angelina will finish her nursing degree at RCC and she questions how the next tennis season will be for her.
Dipping into tennis:
Angelina, the older twin by one minute, as she likes to remind folks, was the first of the siblings to get into tennis. She remembers an early childhood hanging out at the Canyon Crest Country Club. Her father enjoyed golf and encouraged her to try it; she didn’t like it. So she enjoyed swimming for a bit. Eventually, tennis caught her attention at only 7 years old.
“From the pool you could oversee the tennis courts, so I remember as a kid staring down there and just thinking I wanna do whatever that is down there,” said Angelina.
Soon, she and her grandfather would go out to practice swinging tennis rackets and hitting the ball over the net.
For Julianna, tennis was another fun opportunity to engage her competitive nature. She had been swimming throughout her early childhood and she recalls her parents pushing her to try out various sports and ultimately trying tennis because of her sister.
“As a kid, I just thought it was fun, and then I got really competitive and just wanted to keep getting better and better, because that’s just how I am,” she said.
Angelina and Julianna started their individual tennis journey, focusing on their personal skills and competing in singles. Angelina remembers being very competitive against her sister and fondly recalls several moments where they have pushed each other to be their best selves because of it.
Their competitive nature stood out, but Julianna and Angelina would go on to be the best together. They would compete in doubles starting in high school and it wasn’t until this year that they got to play together again.
The Last Swing:
According to the RCC athletics website, the Capraro sisters boast a 12-2 record, including a five-game winning streak heading into the postseason. The sisters were named the 2026 Orange Empire Conference Doubles Team of the Year, received the No.1 ranking in the OEC and advanced into quarterfinals, where they ended their season.
“(Their) biggest strength together is chemistry and communication, trust under pressure,” said RCC women’s tennis head coach Nikki Bonzoumet. “They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses intimately, which helps with shot selection and positioning, covering weaknesses seamlessly.”
The twins know their strengths fairly well and hold a lot of confidence in their game because of it. The five-game winning streak they had this last season was described as routine work by the sisters. It’s that same confidence they decided to build on this year.
“Instead of just focusing on winning, we were focusing on trying to get a golden set,” said Julianna.
“That’s when you don’t let them get a single point, love, love, love, love,” Angelina elaborated.
Their two losses during the season came in close battles, with an 8-6 loss to Los Angeles Mission College’s top doubles and a 7-2 loss to Orange Coast College, which they later avenged.
Julianna refers to the mental challenge that comes with being confident in her strengths when remembering this season. She recalls that to be one of the most challenging aspects of the game.
“We get really competitive out there, and once your mind isn’t straight… yeah…” said Julianna.
The Legacy at RCC:
Julianna was the first of ‘the twins’ to start playing at RCC. She joined the Women’s tennis team in 2024 and is described on the RCC athletics website as “a steady constant” for the two years she has played.
Julianna made back-to-back appearances in the Women’s Tennis 3C2A State Championship. Her accomplishments at RCC led her to walk in the “Parade of Champions” at the 2026 Riverside Sport Hall of Fame Celebration hosted at Cal Baptist University on May 4.
Angelina transferred from UCR only a year after Julianna, joining her sister for the 2026 season. She said her decision came from wanting to pursue nursing as a profession and the thought to continue playing tennis while at RCC was almost a no-brainer.
Their competitive nature is reflected in their game-winning records. From dominating the scoreboard to avenging their losses, the Capraro twins have made quite a name for themselves throughout their career together. Their final season playing doubles came to a close at the 3C2A Championship Quarterfinals in Ojai, California, in late April.
“Angelina will be back next year, so I just want her to keep her grades up and continue playing to get ready for next year,” Coach Bonzoumet said. “I wish Julianna the best as she is going to Cal State San Bernardino for school.”
Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger:
Coach Bonzoumet hopes Julianna will visit campus again, especially to support Angelina as she heads on to the 2027 Tennis Season without her long-time doubles partner and twin sister. Julianna has confirmed that she will be there, cheering from the stands.
As for Angelina, she’s heading deeper into her nursing degree at RCC and is looking forward to what the next season has in store.
“The goal for this coming season is probably to focus a lot more on singles just because I’m not sure who my partner would be,” said Angelina through a laugh.
She questions how that dynamic might look with other players and settles on the idea that singles may be a more plausible direction to pursue.
