Israeli identical twins Michael and Matthew Shalom dominate district tennis for Dwyer High
In Hebrew, “Shalom” is a word that stands for both “hello” and “goodbye.”
At the 4A District 11 tennis tournament at Palm Beach Central earlier this week, “Shalom’’ stood for Dwyer domination.
Dwyer’s Shalom twins, Michael and Matthew, combined for three district titles. Mike, the older twin by one minute, won the first singles championship. Matthew swept to the second singles title.
And the 17-year-old identical twins from Palm Beach Gardens won the first-doubles crown and will compete together seeking a state title in Seminole County at Sanlando Park April 29 to May 3. Michael also qualified for the state singles event.
The Dwyer juniors are sons of Israeli, Ilan Shalom, who grew up adoring tennis, playing on hardscrabble tennis courts in Haifa. Ilan instilled a ferocious work ethic into his two sons. As all Israelis, Ilan served in the Israeli military at age 18. He moved from Israel to Palm Beach County in 2006.
The twins, born and raised in Palm Beach Gardens, wake up at 6 a.m. for offcourt training at Lifetime Fitness. They then attend Dwyer where they are honor students in its IB program. Then their mother, Grace, picks the boys up from school and drives them to AXIS Tennis Academy in Delray Beach.
“I am inspired by my father,’’ Matthew Shalom said. “He did try to play competitive tennis and went a long way to play. I’ve been to where he lived and it was very long way to his tennis courts and he took the bus.’’
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The Shalom boys are juniors and on an express train to a college tennis scholarship with Rollins College, Keiser and Florida Atlantic all on the radar.
Winning the state doubles title would boost their status. Michael has a 9.35 Universal Tennis Rating with Michael at 8.5. Those are the new measures colleges monitor.
The Shaloms played for Dwyer as freshmen at second and third singles, but sat out as sophomores to focus more on school and training.
“I got to experience a new atmosphere having always played for myself mostly,’’ Matthew Shalom said. “I wasn’t playing for myself. I was playing for the team as well.’’
Dwyer, coached by Dane Ireson, finished second overall in the district with Wellington taking the team title. Michael beat Wellington’s Kenneth Melendez 6-1, 6-3 in the first-singles final. Matthew took out Wellington’s Ashwin Anand 6-1, 6-1 in the second-singles bracket.
“I felt I had a good chance of winning,’’ Michael Shalom said. “I was mentally prepared for districts.
I found his weakness. He didn’t like moving from side to side too much.’’
In the doubles final, the Shaloms beat Melendez-Anand 6-1, 6-0.
That the Shaloms have had each other was a boon to their tennis. As mother Grace Shalom notes, the only way you can tell them apart on the court is Michael uses a one-handed backhand while Matthew possesses the more popular two-handed stroke.
“I always had myself a hitting partner,’’ Michael said.
After a recent dual meet against Cardinal Newman during which both players romped in singles and first doubles, the Shalom bothers spent the next 45 minutes bashing balls to each other.
They have their own sibling rivalry but don’t play matches, just points, and once in a while a set. The twins playfully jab at each other when they figure out the scores of past official matches. In USTA junior events, they’ve met four times with Mike triumphing in three.
In the Dwyer training camp challenge match, Michael topped Matthew, 8-1, to earn first singles. However, in a recent friendly set, Matthew makes sure to note he beat Michael, 6-1.
All told, Michael is a shade better because he is more patient in building a point and off the court has always taken the role of older brother, despite just a minute’s difference.
“I could’ve (requested) another challenge match against my brother later in the season (for 1) but I didn’t want to,’’ Matthew said. “I felt like he had better mental fortitude on the court at 1. We do have a little competition. It’s always good to have healthy competition between us. It keeps us improving.’’
The twins can read Hebrew, understand it, attend temple and follow most Jewish customs after previously attending Meyer Academy.
If the twins are outdone in state doubles, it won’t be because of a lack of teamwork. “We know each other so well at this point and know what we’re going to do,’’ Matthew said. “We have plays between ourselves and can anticipate each others moves. I feel like I know when my brother is going to poach (at the net) ) so I’m already moving to the other side.’’
“I understand how difficult (states) is going to be. The level’s very high, especially in Florida. It’s definitely going to be tough.’’
St. Andrew’s, Jupiter girls roll, too
While Wellington won the boys team title with Dwyer as runner-up, Jupiter captured the girls 4A District 11 championship.
Though the school colors are green, Jupiter tennis rolled out pink uniforms for the boys and girls teams in 2024 and they proved sharp on and off the court.
Jupiter No. 1 Gianna Panaggio advanced to the state tournament, beating Wellington’s Kiera Uter 6-1, 6-3 in the finals. Gianna and sister Sianny Panaggio won the doubles title 5-7, 7-6, (10-8) over Uter-Scarlett Stephens.
In the 1A District 13 tournament, St. Andrew’s School continued its tennis dynasty by posting an incredible shutout. In sweeping to the boys and girls team championships, the Boca Raton private school did so by winning every single category: first singles through fifth and the two doubles.
Nico Snyder, a 6-foot-8 serving behemoth, heads to states in winning the boys first singles title, as does Lexi Cleveland, who won the girls first singles.
Snyder and Julian Fente won boys first doubles and the Scots’ pairing of Cleveland-Naomi Williams won girls first doubles. earning state berths.
The St. Andrew’s girls/boys teams will compete at next week’s regionals with a chance to make it to the state team tournament.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Michael and Matthew Shalom, Israeli identical twins, dominate for Dwyer
