Who Is Tennis Player Jennifer Brady?

Jennifer Brady Played Tennis at UCLA For 2 Years

Brady played collegiate tennis for the UCLA Bruins and was Freshman/Newcomer of the Year. She also claimed a Pac-12 singles title as a freshman and was a member of the team when they won the 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship. She stayed on through her sophomore season and proceeded to go pro in the summer of 2015.

"For me, college was a big learning experience on and off the court, just growing as a person, becoming more mature," Brady told The New York Times last year.

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Jennifer Brady Picked Up a Racket at Age 7

Brady said on the Tennis Channel podcast that, growing up in Pennsylvania, she always liked sports and would play "with the boys," whether it was basketball, tackle football, kickball, or baseball. She took up tennis when she was 7 years old. Her competitive nature runs deep, and she spent her teenage years training at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, FL.

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She's the First Woman Who Played Collegiate Tennis to Reach the US Open Semifinal Since 1987

Image Source: Getty / Al Bello

According to The New York Times, in 2020, Brady was the first former collegiate woman tennis player to make it to the US Open quarterfinals since Gigi Fernandez in 1994. Then, she became the first woman tennis player who'd played in college to make the US Open women's semifinal since Lori McNeil in 1987.

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Jennifer Brady Reached the Semifinals in Doubles at the 2019 Australian Open

Image Source: Getty / Andy Cheung

Though Brady didn't advance to a singles semifinal round at a Grand Slam until 2020, she and her partner Alison Riske made it through to the doubles semifinals at the Australian Open in 2019. Separately, Brady made it to the Australian Open quarterfinals in doubles the year prior as well as in 2020.

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Jennifer Brady Has a Twin Sister

Image Source: Getty / Icon Sportswire

Brady keeps much of her family life private, but we know she has a twin sister named Jessica, who, as of last year, was enrolled in medical school. Brady told Tennis.com at the 2020 Top Seed Open, where she won her first WTA singles title of her career, that her sister follows her matches, "but is not one to get nervous. She's happy for me whether I win or lose."

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Jennifer Brady's Prematch Ritual Involves Music

Image Source: Getty / Andy Cheung

Brady told POPSUGAR that, before a match, she always has a chat about her opponent with her coach, Michael Geserer. Then, leading up to when she walks onto the court, she'll listen to some music.

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The Best Advice She's Received Is Living in the Moment

Image Source: Getty / Mackenzie Sweetnam / Stringer

When asked what the best piece of advice she's ever gotten from a coach or other player regarding tennis, Brady told POPSUGAR, "Be present in every moment, and enjoy every single moment on court."

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