For the Ranaivo triplets, Mialy, Narindra, and Toky, tennis has long served as a connecting thread that has woven the siblings together and provided them with opportunities to come to the United States to play college tennis and earn degrees.
Growing up in the small island country of Madagascar, Mialy, Narindra, and Toky have been infatuated with the sport of tennis since a young age and have all developed their skills together on the tennis courts in their home country.
“Being one of three triplets that all took an interest in the same sport is both different and fun,” noted Narindra. “This is because we started tennis together, at the same age, with the same racquets, and on the same court. We grew together and witnessed each other grow along the way. I think that the most fun part of it is that we get to share all of it, the travels, the struggles, the failures, and the successes with one another.”
All excelling on the court, the Ranaivo triplets each began to receive interest in college programs and when the time came, the siblings each decided to pursue degrees in the United States where they could better their tennis skills while receiving an education.
Now all juniors in college, the triplets have spread out across the country where Mialy attends Campbell University, Narindra attends the University of Nebraska, Kearney, and Toky attends Loyola Marymount University.
Here, they all play key roles for their teams and have grown not only in their skill but in their leadership as well, utilizing experience gained from competing for their home country Madagascar in Davis Cup events and other national competitions.
This past summer, all three of the Ranavio triplets had the opportunity to return home to once again represent their country in the Indian Ocean Island Games, a multi-sport event created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which gathers seven island nations and territories.
At the Indian Ocean Island Games, Mialy, Narindra, and Toky were key members of the Madagascar team as the triplets took home six medals for their country, including two gold medals in women’s singles and women’s doubles.
For Mialy, the current Campbell standout, she won gold in the women’s singles competition as well as the women’s doubles competition. In the singles final, Mialy took down former world No. 577, Pauline Payet, to claim the gold. In addition to these two gold medals, Mialy also earned a silver medal for Madagascar in the mixed team doubles competition.
“I’m always glad to compete with the national team of Madagascar,” stated Mialy. “I’ve played in major team events such as the Billie Jean King Cup, but playing in the Indian Ocean Island Games was one of the biggest honors for me. The fact that this edition was played at home, after 16 years, also made it very special. I was able to compete in front of my family, my friends, the young kids and tennis players, the people there, and even the First Lady.”
Maily continues, “The atmosphere was surreal, and the support from the crowd helped me in my matches. Winning the gold medal for Madagascar in both singles and doubles and winning the silver medal in the team competition is a great joy and pride for me.”
Meanwhile, Toky earned silver medals for Madagascar in the men’s singles competition, the men’s doubles competition, and the mixed team doubles competition. The three medals helped his home country earn either gold or silver medals in all tennis competitions at this year’s games.
Finally, for Narindra, she would earn a silver in the women’s doubles competition, falling to her sister Mialy in the finals, as well as a silver in the mixed team doubles competition. All three siblings made up three of the four players on the mixed doubles team for Madagascar. Below is what Narindra had to say about her experience at the Indian Ocean Island Games:
“I am always honored to be part of the national team of Madagascar and to compete for my country. Personally, it was an even greater honor to be selected to compete in this year’s Indian Ocean Island Games. I think what made my experience in this event so special is the fact that this year, the event was hosted in Madagascar. I have never had as many supporters watch my matches as I had during this event. People from all over the country traveled all the way to the capital city to support us.”
Narindra continues, “Apart from the amazing team I was a part of, the crowd was a huge factor in making it a surreal experience. In addition to that, I had the opportunity to play in front of my family, my friends, and I had the opportunity to inspire young tennis players in my country. Participating in the Indian Ocean Island Games is a unique experience, and I am glad that I got to share this experience with my siblings, Toky and Mialy.”
After the success at the Indian Ocean Island Games, the siblings will all now look to carry this moment back with them to their college campuses where they will continue to strengthen their bond and write their stories both as individuals and as a family.
