Prior to this month Jennifer Brady had failed to win back-to-back main draw matches at nine consecutive Grand Slams and was regarded as an extremely unlikely contender to win a major title in 2020. Then the US Open happened.
The 25-year-old former college tennis star has become one of the underdog stories in New York following her unexpected run which saw her reach the second week of the event for the first time since 2017. She continued her fairytale journey on Tuesday with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2, win over Yulia Putintseva in just over an hour to seal a place in the semi-finals in the latest of what has been a series of firsts for her this season.
“Coming into the match today, honestly I was feeling like I was going to poop my pants, but I was very nervous. I just tried to really stay calm and keep it cool as a cucumber out there,” Brady commented on her latest triumph.
“I wasn’t putting pressure on myself or anything like that, but I was definitely a little bit more nervous today than I was in the other matches,” she added.
There had been indications that Brady was starting to become a force to contend with on the tour. Earlier this year she scored her first ever wins over top 10 players by defeating Ash Barty at the Brisbane International followed by Elina Svitolina in Dubai. More recently last month she clinched her maiden WTA title at the Top Seed Open without dropping a set in the entire tournament.
Brady committed fully to life on the Tour later than others after opting to go through the college system first but what has been the secret to her surge in form? For the world No.41 she believes it is linked to her trip to Germany last year where she formed a partnership with coach Michael Geserer. A former top-10 junior who has previously mentioned both Phillip Kohlscriber and Julie Goerges.
“I decided to go to Germany because I found a new coach and he was based out of Germany, as well as my trainer there, Daniel. I decided if I want to give myself an opportunity to maximize my potential and see how far I can get as a tennis player, I have to make a change,” Brady explained.
“I had no problem with that. I was looking forward to it, something different, out of the box, different from the usual staying at home and training in Florida.”
It is safe to say that Brady isn’t the same player that she was three years ago where she suffered one of her heaviest defeats at the US Open after losing 6-1- 6-0, to Karolina Pliskova in just 46 minutes. Now she is just two wins away from the title.
“Three years can make a huge difference. I think I have matured. I definitely have gotten a lot fitter, I feel a lot stronger out on court, have a lot more confidence in myself and my game,” she said.
“I know what I’m doing out there. I believe in myself, my game, that I’m good enough to win matches and to be at this level and to be where I am today.”
Awaiting her in the semi-finals will be the winner of the clash between 2018 champion Naomi Osaka and Shelby Rogers. She is yet to drop more than four games in a set so far in the tournament.
