By Bill Enkhbayar
West Windsor, NJ...Everyday people constantly confuse Steven and Stewart Fernandez (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) for one another. Who could blame them? The identical twins do everything together. They go to the movies together, work out together, and even hangout with the same group of friends. Steven and Stewart Fernandez are always at each other's sides.
“We do everything together.” Stewart noted. “We even dress the same.”
Besides looking alike, Steven and Stewart's similarities go beyond that. Their personalities are alike, they possess strong values, and they share the same hobbies. So, how does anyone tell the difference between the two? It's actually quite simple. All one has to do is observe when they step onto the tennis court when playing for The College of New Jersey.
Steven and Stewart, who are both entering their junior year at TCNJ, first started playing tennis when they were in middle school. Tennis was always the sport that intrigued them the most.
“We started playing because it stood out to us” Stewart explained. “We liked it how it was an individual sport and we really enjoyed the pressure of playing one-on-one.”
If you get the chance to see them in action, you'll see two completely different styles of play. Stewart's game is aggressive. He likes to hit the big serve and wants to dominate the match with his forehand. Steven, on the other hand, likes to play with consistency. His mentality is to always hit one more ball than the opponent. So, how do identical twins that do everything together off the court be so different on?
“We adapted our playing styles against each other.” Steven answered. “When we first started playing tennis we adjusted our styles to beat each other.” Essentially, Stewart believed aggressive play was the best way to overmatch Steven's consistency and vice versa. Their playing styles are one of the few things that actually help differentiate themselves.
Recently, Steven and Stewart's differing approaches to the game were tested by other players. They enrolled in the annual Marco Mazzoncini Memorial Tournament held in Hamilton, NJ. Steven defeated Marc Nichols (Lawrence Township, 6-1,6-1) in the finals to become the men's singles champion . In doubles play, Steven and Stewart had a great run, but they lost in the finals.
With the off season tournaments behind them their focus turns to the Lions tennis program and the upcoming season. The promise of new, young players and veteran performers has the twins feeling optimistic entering the fall season.
“If we practice more and if we consistently work hard our team will improve.” Steven asserted. “We are excited to get the season started.”
Even with the two different styles of play, the two brothers strive to be the best, even though they each think they hold that distinction.
When asked who is better, Steven and Stewart looked puzzled and they echoed “is that a question? I am.”
