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Alief Elsik's Peytan Lewis
MATCH POINT: Peytan Lewis — Creativity, Competition and a Big Dream
For Elsik tennis standout Peytan Lewis, the game is about much more than winning points.
It’s about creativity. Expression. Competition. And finding new ways to become the best version of herself.
Lewis was introduced to tennis in seventh grade when one of her coaches encouraged her to give the sport a try. What started as something new quickly became a passion.
She tried out for the high school team as a freshman and, despite also playing volleyball, kept coming back to the court. Now a senior, Lewis is still swinging — and she has plenty of goals left to accomplish.
Outside of high school tennis, Lewis competes in USTA tournaments, where the competition is intense and the experience has helped push her game to another level.
Now, she has her sights set on a district championship — and hopefully a trip to the State Tournament.
But Lewis’ ambitions stretch well beyond the tennis court.

A Future in New York
Lewis dreams of playing college tennis, and her dream school is NYU. There’s something about New York that has always captivated her.
“I love the atmosphere,” she said. “When everyone is walking, they have a destination. I love the people.”
She also loves the school and the opportunities that come with being in the heart of New York City. And then there’s her future career.
Lewis wants to pursue law, with a particular interest in entertainment law. Her inspiration? A certain fictional lawyer from Harvard.
“I’ve only watched one law show — Legally Blonde,” she joked. “Elle Woods is my motivation.”
A Creative Spirit
Tennis isn't the only place where Lewis expresses herself. She’s an artist. She participates in orchestra. She loves drawing and coloring, particularly portraits.
For Lewis, there’s a common thread connecting all three passions.
“I really love the creativity of tennis, art and orchestra,” she said. “All three have a way to express yourself.”
She has even dreamed about acting, although she admits that could be a long shot. If that path doesn’t work out, entertainment law could give her a way to combine her love of creativity and her interest in the legal world.
That curiosity is part of what makes Lewis unique.
She admits she’s interested in a lot of different things, but she’s determined to make the most of every opportunity.
Living in the Moment
Ask Lewis about her phone, and you might get a surprising answer.
She’s not glued to it. In fact, she doesn’t watch much television either.
“I’m in the moment,” she said. “I have big FOMO, so I stay off my phone.”
Instead, Lewis stays busy. She works as a barista at the Briar Club in River Oaks, keeps up with school and finds time for tennis, art and orchestra.
Academically, she enjoys pre-calculus and trigonometry. She likes formulas because once they click, they click.
“Once I get it, I get it,” she said.
Exceeding Expectations
At the heart of everything Lewis does is one simple goal: be better than expected.
She wants to remain humble, stay authentic and never stop pushing herself.
“I want to be humble… not humbled,” she said with a laugh. “I want to keep it real. I’m not trying to let people down. I’m looking to impress you. I want to exceed expectations.”
That mindset is what makes Peytan Lewis such an intriguing athlete to watch.
She’s chasing another district title on the tennis court, dreaming about playing at NYU, exploring a future in law and entertainment, creating art, playing orchestra and figuring out exactly where her many talents can take her.
One thing is certain:
Peytan Lewis isn't putting herself in a box.
She’s creating her own path — one swing, sketch, note and dream at a time.
VIEW THE VYPE ALIEF ISD 2026 FALL MAGAZINE
MATCH POINT: 2026 UIL Tennis State Tournament Recap — Familiar Faces Claim Gold Again
Champions were crowned and dynasties continued to grow at the UIL Tennis State competition in San Antonio, where the state’s top athletes converged for a showcase packed with star power, repeat winners, and breakthrough performances across the classifications.
In Class 6A, Seven Lakes’ Allan Xu added another state title to his résumé after capturing the Boys Doubles championship one year removed from winning the Singles crown, while The Woodlands star Ahona Chowdhury claimed the Girls Singles title against a loaded field. Houston Memorial also celebrated a championship moment behind the Mixed Doubles tandem of Yosef Elyashkevich and Catherine Shen.
Class 5A featured one of the tournament’s most dominant performances, as Aaditt Rishi secured his third consecutive UIL championship, further cementing his legacy among the state’s elite competitors. Meanwhile in 4A, Taylor’s Rylee Michna captured her fourth straight UIL title, continuing a remarkable run of consistency on Texas’ biggest stage.
Across every bracket, this year’s tournament reinforced why Texas remains one of the premier hotbeds for high school tennis talent in the nation.
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UIL TENNIS STATE TOURNAMENT
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE BRACKETS FROM THE UIL STATE TOURNAMENT
CLASS 6A
Location: Northside Tennis Center -- San Antonio, TX
BOYS SINGLES
Champion: Sebastian Zavala (Allen)
Runner-Up: Aidan Xu (Seven Lakes)
BOYS DOUBLES
Champion: Allan Xu & Matei Calin (Seven Lakes)
**2nd championship for Xu, who won the 6A Singles title in 2024
Runner-Up: Brandon Brown & Sebastian Dasprez (Strake Jesuit)
GIRLS SINGLES
Champion: Ahona Chowdhury (The Woodlands)
Runner-Up: Makenzie Baptist (Coronado)
GIRLS DOUBLES
Champion: Jastine Escamos & Angela Shu (Clements)
**2nd championship for Escamos, who won the 6A Mixed Doubles title last spring
Runner-Up: Natasha Rosseland & Isabella Young (Clements)
MIXED DOUBLES
Champion: Yosef Elyashkevich & Catherine Shen (Houston Memorial)
Runner-Up: Daniel Nelligan & Karina Zaharieva (Clear Lake)
CLASS 5A
Location: Northside Tennis Center -- San Antonio, TX
BOYS SINGLES
Champion: Aaditt Rishi (Lebanon Trail)
***3rd consecutive state championship for Rishi, who won the 5A Mixed Doubles crown for the past two seasons
Runner-Up: Brodie Keller (W.T. White)
BOYS DOUBLES
Champion: Steven Hu & Collier Muenker (Highland Park)
Runner-Up: Aarohan Sharma & Akshay Kommineni (Centennial)
GIRLS SINGLES
Champion: Hope Willis (Abilene Wylie)
**Back-to-back championships for Willis
Runner-Up: Victoria Torres (CC Flour Bluff)
GIRLS DOUBLES
Champion: Olivia Hefley & Sara Shelhamerf (Amarillo)
Runner-Up: Ella Wertz & Dylan Liebhardt (Wakeland)
MIXED DOUBLES
Champion: Sara Gyoergy & Noah Malin (Grapevine)
Runner-Up: Caleb Hobbs & Hannah Hobbs (Midlothian)
CLASS 4A
Location: Annemarie Tennis Center -- San Antonio, TX
BOYS SINGLES
Champion: Aariz Rehman (Panther Creek)
**Back-to-back championships for Rehman
Runner-Up: Cale Gray (Panther Creek)
BOYS DOUBLES
Champion: Parker Hollingsworth & Max Haakenstad (Lindale)
Runner-Up: Koushal Damacharla & Bowen Young (Celina)
GIRLS SINGLES
Champion: Rylee Michna (Taylor)
****4th straight UIL title for Michna
Runner-Up: Amanda Tanaka (Richland)
GIRLS DOUBLES
Champion: Lillian Kate Carson & Kennedy Carson (Wimberley)
Runner-Up: Caroline White & Madelynn White (Lampasas)
MIXED DOUBLES
Champion: Jensen Betzen & Kynley Craddock (Canyon Randall)
***3rd straight championship for Craddock, who won the 4A Mixed Doubles competition a year ago
Runner-Up: Cooper Richardson & Hannah Terry (Canyon)
































