Meet the Member: Lisa Abbott and Alain Kovaltchouk

Where are you from and what brought you to the Reno/Tahoe area?

We moved to Reno from the Los Angeles area in 1993. We were looking to move out of LA and Lisa had skied in Tahoe while attending Cal Berkeley, so always had a draw to the area. Lisa moved to Los Angeles at age 2 and Alain at age 16. Alain was raised in France and Algeria until coming to the US at age 14. We wanted a good place to raise children and not have a long commute. Lisa’s passion was skiing at the time. 

What’s your tennis story? How did you get started and what keeps you going? Do you play together

Alain started playing tennis while growing up in Algeria. Both parents and two brothers played tennis. Alain played on the high school tennis teams in Connecticut and Los Angeles and then college at Loyola Marymount. Lisa started playing once she moved to Reno. Glen Grisillo got us into tournaments and leagues at Caughlin club. It was there that Lisa got the tennis bug. We joined WTC in approximately 1998. Lisa was on the 2003 WTC team that won Nationals at 4.0 level. We have played on many USTA teams in the area.  Alain was on a 4.5 55+ team from Tahoe Donner that placed 4th at Nationals. We play together on vacation but not in tournaments or leagues anymore. We do some adult leagues but prefer the 55 + at this point in time. We participated for many years in the WTC compass tournament and really enjoyed the format and comradery. 

What is another favorite hobby other than tennis?

Alain loves surfing and skin/scuba diving, but since we are not really close to the ocean he settles for mountain biking and when pushed, a little skiing and hiking.  Lisa still enjoys skiing (usually at Mt. Rose for downhill and Tahoe Donner for cross-country). We also play some pickleball but prefer tennis.

Who are your favorite professional tennis players? Why? 

Alain always liked Rod Laver for his persona and tennis game. Lisa likes Rafa and was able to see him play multiple times and admires his tenacity. We have been fortunate to do camps and clinics with Bjorn Borg, Tracy Austin, Michael Chang and Lindsay Davenport. It was amazing getting meet all of them. 

Any fun plans for the winter? How do you like to spend your time during the snowy months?

We ski and try to get a warm vacation. This year we went to Thailand in January. Typically, we (or at least Lisa) go to Indian Wells in March for the tennis tournament.

Can you tell us about your family, occupation, pets, etc.? 

Lisa is an Endocrinologist who has had a private practice in Reno since 1993. She is doing less patient care these days but has a clinical research site that does pharmaceutical studies. Alain is retired as an environmental engineer but still does accounting for the endocrine practice. We have two daughters and three grandchildren. 

Any other fun information you would like to share about yourself? 

We used to be avid beach volleyball players in Los Angeles and that was how we met.  Our weekend activities switched to tennis in Reno.