One Letter Apart, Perfectly in Sync: Emma Ghirardato and Ema Kovacevic Power Maryland Tennis

They have so much more than just a name in common.

Two international tennis stars — separated only by a single “M” — have found a home and a season of success in College Park this season. Shaped by a love for the sport, driven by a common passion, and bonded through shared experiences and a similar name, Emma Ghirardato and Ema Kovacevic have become pillars of excellence for Maryland tennis. 

Ghirardato is a native of Turin, Italy, while Kovacevic hails from Brussels, Belgium. Tennis has been ingrained in their lives since the very beginning, and their paths crossed – not for the first time – in College Park to create the Terps’ best doubles team in over a decade.

“I started playing tennis at like four years old,” Kovacevic said. “It's been in my life since I can remember. Coming to Maryland was a very personal choice. It's not very common for tennis players in Belgium to go study abroad. It was my way of being sure that I can get a degree while playing, which is impossible to do in Belgium. I mainly made the decision to come to Maryland because I love the coaches and I love the team.”

Despite their different nationalities, the two experienced very similar upbringings. The life of a young girl playing tennis in Europe can be a grueling one. Hours in a car to and from practice and matches every single day takes its toll.

“I had zero time for myself,” Kovacevic said. “It would literally be eat, sleep, and go to tennis. Our vacations were going to tournaments and playing tennis there. Here, we have a lot of practices, but we still have time to do other stuff and just be normal students for a little bit.”

Their paths crossed once before ever setting foot in College Park. The two faced off in a juniors match when they were 16. Kovacevic got the best of Ghirardato, but it’s hard to imagine they ever knew what was in store for their future as a tandem. 

“Juniors was fun, but it was different, because you're very alone,” Ghirardato said. “You're doing everything on your own, and then you come here and you have this bunch of girls that have no idea how to be on a team, because tennis is such an individual sport. But you all come together, and you just have to find the chemistry. It’s so fun, but it becomes hard to go back home in the summer and after college and play individually because being on a team is so fun and so much more stimulating.”

While Ghirardato made a stop at Oklahoma along her collegiate path, Kovacevic got her college career started right away in College Park a season ago. As a freshman, she had a prolific season as a dominant force in singles play — establishing herself anywhere in the top three positions — as well as demonstrating her early prowess in Maryland’s top duo slot.

“College has changed me a lot as a person,” Kovacevic said. “Moving away from home and playing as an international student, at least for me, it's something that none of my friends at home went through, so it's very different. On the court, I think the discipline on our team is great, and I've learned to put more work in and try to do my best at practice.”

After a freshman season of mixed results in Norman, Ghirardato entered the portal, knowing she’d find a home at Maryland, but never expecting to meet a dynamic doubles partner in Kovacevic.

“We had a great chemistry on the court from the beginning,” Ghirardato said. “It started right away in the beginning of fall, and then we just kept playing together and kept getting better. It was just really exciting to be able to do that almost immediately, as soon as I got here.”

Their instant connection immediately paid off as the two took the fall season by storm on the doubles court. After a dominant 10–3 fall slate and a 3–1 run at the ITA Sectionals Championship in Chapel Hill, they became the first Terp duo to qualify for the Fall NCAA Tournament since 2011.

“We were both so excited,” Kovacevic said. “It was the result of a lot of work. It was really great to see our work pay off and see it as a result. It was really exciting going for a championship.”

On the court, the two hone their energies in different ways, Ghirardato is more outgoing while Kovacevic describes herself as more reserved. Off the court, they’re more alike than different. They both navigated an upbringing where nothing was ever given to them. They both strive academically, and they both love winning.

Whether they’re grabbing a bite to eat or going on one of their many “side quests,” many of their favorite memories together happen off the court.In the classroom, the two are just as driven. Ghirardato studies economics while Kovacevic is pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering.

Belgium and Italy are two of seven different countries represented on Maryland’s 2026 roster.  A perfect blend of culture and talent has created a team that strives not only on the court, but off it as well.

The Terps have experienced abounding successes during their 15-5 season that features as 12-0 home record and the best start to a season in program history, and it couldn’t have happened without each unique individual on the roster. 

“We have very different personalities on this team,” Kovacevic said. “I think it makes it easier for us to bond. Our team is great. I'm not saying this because I need to say it. We all actually enjoy spending time with each other and learning about each other.”

They were molded by a sport that commands excellence, but creates lifelong relationships. College Park became the home for a new doubles partnership and friendship between two student-athletes alike in so many ways, even in name.

Ghirardato says she’d choose Maryland “100 times over again” and Kovacevic has flourished in her first two seasons in College Park. Separated by a single letter — but connected by nearly everything else — the two have already cemented themselves in Maryland history — and as sophomores, their story together is only getting started.