Member Spotlight: Isabelle Benoit
Davida Dinerman
Across Courts and Continents: Isabelle Benoit Brings a World of Experience to the NWTO Board
Let’s get to know one of NWTO’s newest board members, Isabelle Benoit.
Originally from Trier, Germany, Isabelle shares her citizenship with bordering country Luxembourg. She has also lived in Qatar and Switzerland, and now resides in Newport Beach, CA with her husband Alvaro and his surfboards.
Isabelle’s road to the U.S. was paved with twists and turns. But one thing was clear during our conversation, Isabelle has a beautiful ability to turn what some might call a setback into a competitive advantage. Here’s why.
Isabelle first picked up a tennis racquet around age seven at a club in Germany where—like most courts in the country—the surface was red clay. She was a little bit of a thing and needed two hands on both sides to manage her heavy racket– and she never changed that style. So, you can imagine how excited she was to see Monica Seles, also a lefty, playing the same, unconventional way. Isabelle rose through the ranks as a top junior player in Germany and began competing in ITF women’s tournaments across Europe. Things were going great, and then when she was 17 (queue the record scratch), she ruptured her ACL during a match and underwent two knee surgeries in one year.
Setback.
Rehab.
What is the next logical thing to do? Play D1 college tennis in the U.S! A friend from her high school in Germany put a bug in her ear that she could play tennis and get a great education in the U.S. So off to the University of New Orleans, with the warm weather, a great coach, fun city, and other international players. Once again, Isabelle became the top singles player all four years at school and ranked in the top 50 nationally, earning several state and conference awards during her collegiate career. When asked about a memorable moment in tennis, she said that before heading to college, she played in a pro team tennis league in Germany (Bundesliga), where she partnered with the former Wimbledon doubles champion and fellow West German Claudia Kohde-Kilsch. “It was such an amazing experience to be on the same side of the court as someone who had competed at the highest level,” Isabelle says. “She was ranked in the top 10—and of course, having her as a partner made playing doubles even more fun.”
After earning her MBA, Isabelle returned to Europe and worked in communications for a variety of industries, eventually landing in the healthcare sector. She also lived in Doha, Qatar for a couple of years—a true sports mecca where nearly every weekend featured a major event showcasing the world’s top athletes—from golf and cycling to soccer and tennis, including both ATP and WTA tournaments, and even the WTA finals for a couple of years. It was also in Doha where she encountered another setback playing tennis—she ruptured her Achilles tendon. Following yet another surgery and lengthy rehab, she hung up the racquet and picked up golf clubs.
Fast forward a decade. While living in Switzerland, where she met her husband, she realized that she missed playing tennis. Fun fact: she even lived on the same street as tennis legend Martina Hingis. And Isabelle didn’t want to just hit a few in the local park. Nope. She played in ITF age-based tournaments in Europe. Ahhh the thrill of competition and meeting people all over the world. She was back.
Alvaro’s work brought the couple to California in 2022, and Isabelle happily learned there were many age-based Level 1 tournaments in her area. Given her full-time corporate communications work at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world, she tries to combine her vacations and travel with tennis tournaments. This has taken her to many special places over the past years including Japan in November 2024 where she was the captain of Germany’s women’s 45 team at the ITF World Championships.
Earlier this year she won the gold at the world championships in Turkey, representing Germany. Isabelle has also won USTA national championships - in singles, doubles, and husband-wife categories and was ranked as high as number six in her age group in the ITF world masters tour rankings.
Isabelle also enjoys her work at BD, which includes more than 70,000 other people around the world who have the same passion and commitment to advancing the world of health. What Isabelle likes most about her job is the focused sense of purpose behind everything.
She loves living in Southern California, drawn to its endless sunshine, breathtaking sunsets, and the joy of being outdoors. The weather makes it possible to play tennis year-round, and with so many players to hit with and a vibrant tennis community. When she described her beach walks—breathing in the fresh ocean air and watching dolphins swim by almost daily—I nearly bought a one-way ticket to Newport Beach.
Aside from the lively competition and exercise, to Isabelle, tennis means “connection.” In college, she had terrific teammates, and now, when practicing and playing tournaments, she meets many people with interesting backgrounds and stories. To Isabelle, tennis is more than a sport -- it’s a gateway to creating opportunities, building relationships, and advancing personal growth. Tennis has taken her (literally and figuratively) to so many places.
And speaking from experience, Isabelle knows progress is not linear. “A setback is only part of the process,” she says. “It’s not failure. We have breakthroughs after moments of doubt. But we must be patient with ourselves and trust the process and the work we put into it.”
As Isabelle recently joined the NWTO Board, she brings not only a wealth of international experience but also a deep appreciation for the power of tennis to connect, uplift, and inspire. “Tennis is truly the sport of a lifetime,” she says. “I’m honored to be part of this organization and to help create opportunities for women of all ages to compete, enjoy the game, and build lasting friendships through tennis.”