Member Spotlight: Jenny Rens
Davida Dinerman
Meet Jenny Rens: Resilience, Reinvention, and Never Saying Never
Jenny Rens and I planned to chat after she returned from the ITF Masters World Team and Individual Championships (60s, 65s, 70s) in Turkey in March. We expected her to recount hard-fought matches and medal pursuits. Instead, due to geopolitical conflict, the tournament was canceled.
What could have been a disappointment became something far more meaningful.
For five unforgettable days in Turkey, Rens and players from Mexico, Canada, the UK, and Australia created a makeshift “World Team Tennis”—one built on connection not competition.
The impromptu matches filled the days. Players competed in singles, doubles, and mixed formats, often playing twice a day across the glorious venue’s 50 clay courts. In the evenings, players shared meals and stories, and made memories.
“It was surreal,” Rens reflected. “No pressure—just play. This is why I love tennis: meeting people and getting to know them.”
The experience reinforced something she has come to value deeply in recent years: tennis is no longer just about winning. It’s about relationships, shared passion, and the joy of staying active in a global community.
A Late Start, A Lasting Passion
Rens didn’t grow up on the tennis court. Raised in La Jolla in a skiing family, she didn’t pick up a racquet until age 13. Inspired by watching Chris Evert—drawn as much to her grace and style as her skill—Rens quickly fell in love with the sport.
She played throughout high school, but a serious injury before college sidelined her competitive trajectory. At the University of California San Diego, where she pursued pre-med studies, Rens felt the absence of competition.
Determined to return, she walked onto the D1 San Diego State University team, competing at a high level alongside nationally ranked teammates. But chronic knee injuries—including a torn ACL—sadly forced her to step away before her senior year.
But tennis never fully left her life. She continued practicing with the team and even served as an assistant coach, forming friendships that endure to this day.
A Career in Dentistry—and a Return to Tennis
Rens went on to earn her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Northwestern University Dental School, graduating on the Dean’s List. She built a successful dental practice in San Diego, specializing in complex rehabilitation cases and earning recognition as one of the most highly credentialed dentists in California.
For more than a decade, however, tennis took a backseat. Instead, she focused on her career and staying active through triathlons. Everything changed in her mid-30s when she discovered weight training. Working with a trainer not only transformed her strength—it stabilized her long-troubled knees.
“I realized my body could do things I thought it couldn’t anymore,” she said.
At age 33, she returned to tennis.
Resilience Through Setbacks
Her comeback wasn’t without setbacks. After giving birth to twin boys at age 43—a pregnancy complicated by a life-threatening blood clot at eight months—Rens suffered another major knee injury, tearing her ACL while serving and volleying during a doubles match.
Doctors advised against surgery due to the condition of her leg. For a time, it seemed like the end of her tennis journey. But just three months later, she was walking again. With the help of a knee brace and a carefully managed recovery, she found her way back onto the court—this time with a new perspective on her body’s resilience.
“Doctors thought I would not live through that pregnancy. The body is amazing,” Rens said. “It finds a way.”
Tennis, Family, and Purpose
Today, Rens lives in San Diego with her husband, Adam, and continues to run her dental practice part time. Her twin sons, who attend Loyola Marymount University, share her love of tennis. One son serves as club team president; the other plans to return to tennis after a break.
In recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, Rens more fully embraced tournament play. Where she once felt guilty about time away from home, she now sees tennis as essential to her well-being.
“When I don’t have tennis, I don’t feel as fulfilled,” she said. “It keeps me healthy—not just physically, but mentally and socially.”
She has also given back to the sport, volunteering as an assistant coach for her sons’ high school team and mentoring younger players.
More Than a Game
For Rens, tennis is a connector—a thread that ties together different phases of her life, from teenage discovery to elite competition, from injury and recovery to global friendships.
Her travels with the sport have extended beyond the court, but it’s the shared moments—like those unexpected days in Turkey—that stand out most.
“A few events in life shake you,” she said. “I have had my fair share. They make you appreciate everything else more.”
Rens’ journey hasn’t followed a conventional path. It’s been marked by detours, setbacks, and reinvention. But through it all, she carries one strong philosophy: “never say never.”