Moldova to Appalachia: Arina Gamretkaia’s World-Wide Journey in Tennis
- kmarchak2
- Feb 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 1
By Kyle Marchak
5,088 miles. That’s how far Virginia Tech Women’s Tennis’ (4-1) newest star has had to travel to end up in Blacksburg, Virginia. But it’s taken far more than a plane ticket for senior Arina Gamretkaia to become the Hokie she is today.
A potential top scorer for Virginia Tech, Gamretkaia was born and raised in the small Eastern European country of Moldova.
Gamretkaia picked up her first racket at four years old, motivated by her grandfather, Alexander, who picked up tennis at the age of 45, and continued to play for decades.
“He was a 20-year amateur and wanted me to try [tennis] because of his love for it,” Gamretkaia said. “He set up my entire career, he found me my first coach.”
Alexander was on to something. She played in some of the highest ranks of amateur tennis in her home nation and was a highly touted ITF amateur in her teenage years.
While roughly 25% of Division I college tennis rosters are comprised of international talent, a very large majority of foreign talent hail from tennis powerhouses France, Spain, and Germany. In the rolling hills of Moldova – a nation of just 2.5 million – there wasn’t necessarily the same amount of tennis infrastructure.
“In juniors, I did well in international tournaments, but I didn’t have as many travel opportunities ... I almost quit tennis during COVID,” Gamretkaia remarked on the toughest time in her career.
“I realized I still wanted to play, and going to the U.S. was the best option... It was my parents dream for me to play in the U.S. and get an education here. They’ve supported me since day one.”
Her parents, Ecaterina Gamretkaia and Igor Stoicev, knew that college tennis was an opportunity for her to get a degree, while pursuing her dream of tennis at the professional ranks.
And so she went.
In 2021, Gamretkaia flew to Tampa, FL and started her college career at JUCO power Hillsborough Community College. She immediately occupied the No. 1 spot in singles and doubles for Hillsborough and ranked in the top two nationally.
In 2023, she led them to a Team JUCO National Championship.
"It was a crazy feeling. It was one of the biggest joys I've ever experienced in my life."
Before her junior year, Gamretkaia readied for the next step in her journey: Division I tennis. McNeese State – a low major Division I school in Lake Charles, Louisiana – came calling. Another year, another new location for Gamretkaia. “It’s stressful,” she said, “I had to change visas for each transfer of colleges I made. I learned how to respond to stress and how to work under pressure.”
With the help of her husband, Max Calincov, she overcame the inevitable hurdle.
“I’m so grateful for [Max], after two years of long distance, he moved to the states for me.”
After graduating from university in Europe, her husband followed her to the United States in 2023. He currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky as they await her graduation in May 2026.
For any and all international athletes, family is an integral part of their support system. No one in Virginia Tech Athletics witnesses more of an international presence than those who work in tennis. Five of women’s tennis’ 13 roster members are from foreign nations, while men’s tennis has 8 of 13 hailing from outside the United States as well.
“Watching her ... She’s a fighter,” said Emma Treptow – a sophomore at Virginia Tech, and women’s tennis’ Sports Information Director. Treptow’s in her first full season with the team and notes that it takes a “special personality” to manage the trial and tribulations of international travel in pursuit of athletic endeavors in America.
Men’s tennis’ Sports Information Director Katelyn Ford agrees: “It definitely takes a certain level of toughness to [be an international collegiate athlete] ... it’s not for the faint of heart.”
Another trait of international athletes is the ability to never be satisfied. In Gamretkaia’s lone season with McNeese saw her go 15-3 in singles and lead McNeese State to a runner-up finish in the Southland Conference Championships.
After a successful campaign with McNeese, she hit the transfer portal once more.
“I wanted a bigger school and stronger schedule to prepare me for the professional circuit.”
By the Summer of 2024, Virginia Tech Head Coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren had contacted her, looking for a boost to the Hokies’ roster before the 2024 Fall campaign.
“She’s been a great addition,” Zawacki-Holdren said.
After a solid circuit of tournament competition through Autumn, Gemratkaia earned her spot as one of the higher scorers for singles and doubles come team competition this Spring. Sunday afternoon, Virginia Tech took down in-state rival James Madison University 6-1, making it four consecutive dual meet victories for the Hokies.
At 4-1, they have their best start to a season since 2022, and Gamretkaia’s been an integral part of the success – especially in doubles play. With freshman Linda Ziets-Segura, the duo is 3-1 this Spring. They also clinched doubles points for Virginia Tech in their meet against ETSU back on January 26th, their third meet of the year. In their season-opening loss to Duke, Gamretkaia and Ziets-Segura were the only Hokies to win for the Hokies.
With Virginia Tech off to one of its best starts in years, Gamretkaia hopes her championship medal and team-first personality can will this team to success. Despite a journey taking her up to eight time zones away from home, a journey that separated her from her family and husband, she remains humbled by her journey, and focused on her team’s success – not her own.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the team, I hope I can make an impact for the team, and I want this team to succeed.
We want to go as far as possible.”
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