We all know Tammy, Paradorn and Danai, but what about the twins? With Paradorn hurt and Danai looking tired, doubles specialists Sonchat (Ton) and Sanchai (Tong) Ratiwatana salvaged a bit of Thai pride by bagging their first ATP title at this year’s Thailand Open. The feat also helped the 25-year-olds, who are coached by their father, crack the world top 75, their highest ranking so far.

Ton: It’s not hard to distinguish us one from another: My face is longer, while Tong’s is rounder.

Ton: We just look alike but the ways we play tennis are totally different. We confuse our opponents sometimes, though, as we usually dress alike, so they aren’t sure who is who or which one is stronger.

Tong: Of course, we are really proud. It’s the first ATP tournament that we’ve won, and in our home country, too.

Tong: It’s been our dream since the first Thailand Open four years ago. The other teams were all very strong and ranked higher than us. So we are really happy that we made it.

Ton: We hope to get more ATP titles. One thing is for sure: We will try our best.

Tong: Even when we’re down, we tell ourselves there’s still a chance. If we lose the first set, we will try harder in the second. We maintain our courage and believe in ourselves.

Ton: Our goal now is to break into the top 50 in doubles.

Tong: Parents always ask us how to get their children to the professional level, or when is the right time for kids to start. Our advice is don’t wait until you are ready, just go.

Ton: Sometimes you think you are very good if you never lose to anyone in this country. But I can tell you, it’s a lot tougher out there. You will lose, for sure.

Ton: The sooner you go out and lose, the sooner you will win.

Ton: We started playing tennis when we were four or five, and got into competitions when we were seven. We used to play singles, and managed to get into the top 650 in the world rankings. But we were in the top 200 in doubles, so we made the decision to stick with doubles.

Ton: It helps, being twins. We live together, practice together and talk together all the time. If we have problems or need adjustments, we can work it out all day long from the time we wake up to bedtime.

Ton: Sometimes we quarrel, fight, beat each other up, but it always ends with us talking. Fighting is normal, but when we talk we can make it positive.

Ton: When we were 17 or 18, our father took early retirement in order to get enough money to send us to professional tournaments. It was a dangerous decision; we didn’t know whether we could succeed. But we had to achieve something; we couldn’t go back. We risked our fortune and we had no sponsor or coach. Our family sacrified everything. 

Ton: Our life is not like other kids’. We didn’t have a typical childhood, as we went to work straight away.

Tong: But we never feel we missed being teenagers because we’ve lived our lives to the fullest. We surf the net, read books, go to movies, play football or snooker, just like other teenagers. 

Ton: Playing tennis, you have to use your brain, especially playing doubles. You have to analyze your situation and plan your next moves; it’s not just all about hitting the ball.

Ton: We don’t know what we will be doing in the long-term, but we can be sure it must be something related to tennis.