“Tennis with the Twins”: A Grandfather’s Promise Becomes a 50-State Tennis Journey
Nov 05, 2025
At the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida, 10-year-old twins Aiden and Owen Finocchietti train under the guidance of their grandfather and coach, Barry Mabe. Together, they are on a unique mission: to visit and play a tennis tournament in every U.S. state.
“It was about five years ago,” Mabe says. “They were looking at a map of the United States and said, ‘Pap, what is this?’ I told them, ‘When you get to the fifth grade, I’ll take you to every state.’”
What began as a simple promise eventually became a structured project. “Then they got to be pretty good in tennis,” he adds. “So we decided to play a tournament in every state.”
Source: Florida Tennis
The twins began playing around age six. “It’s a fun sport because you get to fight,” Aiden explains. They were born in North Carolina and now live in Wellington.
When asked about their coaches, Owen answers, “We have a couple coaches, but he’s our main coach.”
Barry explains their coaching team. “They once said, ‘Mark Jones in West Palm Beach is the encourager, Scott Williams at the Polo Club is the technical coach, and Pap is the screamer.’ The guy we were talking to said, ‘The screamer will probably take you further than anyone.’”
The family began their journey on June 14, competing in tournaments across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, among others.
Source: Florida Tennis
“We went to eight states,” Barry says. “But in Boston, Aiden got hurt.”
“I jumped over a hole and landed wrong,” Aiden explains. “I broke my leg.”
The injury forced a pause, but the family plans to continue in January, starting with Louisiana, then Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Their long-term goal remains to play in all 50 states within a single year.
For Mabe, the journey involves both technical and mental lessons. “When they win, they’re not the best. When they lose, they’re not the worst,” he says. “A great teacher always said you need to win two out of three matches — a 66% winning percentage. That’s what we aim for.”
Owen adds, “Just don’t give up, keep fighting, and work on technique.”
Source: Florida Tennis
For Mabe, travel offers more than competition. “It’s a big world out here,” he says. “You’ll meet people who think and act differently. You have to learn how to share, get along, and learn from others. It’s a good opportunity for them.”
The family also uses travel to build experiences together. “We play golf in all eight states we’ve been to,” Barry says.
Aiden claims, “I’m way better at golf,” while Owen disagrees. “I’m better at chipping and driving. He’s better at putting.”
Outside of sports, Aiden says his favorite memory so far is “fishing.”
The twins have already achieved success in junior competition. “We won the Little Mo in doubles,” Owen says. “We’ve won a lot of tournaments.”
They’ve also played on different surfaces, including grass. “We went to Boston and played the grandfather-grandson tournament,” Aiden recalls.
“They need a better grandfather,” Barry jokes. “We won one match, but we’re a national grandfather-grandson team.”
When it comes to preference, Aiden says, “My favorite surface is red clay.” Both list Jannik Sinner as their favorite professional player.
Source: Florida Tennis
The twins are homeschooled as they continue their tennis journey. “We bought curriculum and I teach them,” Mabe explains.
Their next stops include Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. “I’m looking forward to Utah because we love snowboarding,” Owen says.
The family shares updates on tenniswiththetwins.com and on social media at @tenniswiththetwins.