US Open: Brandon Holt creates qualification - and makes Mama Tracy Austin proud
The American Brandon Holt (ATP No. 296) has made it into a Grand Slam main draw for the first time - to the great delight of his prominent mother: Tracy Austin.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Aug 27, 2022, 10:26 am
Holt made it quite exciting: He needed five match points in the dramatic three-set match against Dimitar Kuzmanov - 6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 3 it was in the end. This was especially exciting because Holt had to involuntarily pause after the third match point was awarded - because of rain. "If I had lost the match, it would have cost me some sleep," Holt said afterwards .
In the changing room he almost fell asleep, and his thought was now: what if he overslept the restart of the game? "That sure would have gone viral then, the guy who got disqualified for messing up his match."
But Holt stayed awake, match point number five brought him to the goal of his dreams.
Mama Tracy Austin has won the US Open twice
The reward, in addition to entering a main draw for a major for the first time: a big hug from Mama Tracy Austin, two-time winner of the US Open (1979, 1981).
The US Open is nothing new for Holt, "I've probably been here 20 times".
But he doesn't feel any pressure from the famous mom, on the contrary. "She has a good eye and helps me to understand the sport, regeneration, all aspects, including the mental side," said the 24-year-old.
Holt's Grand Slam debut comes exactly a year after a near-career end. Holt had pain on the hitting hand, no doctor could figure it out, only the fourth hand specialist. An operation followed, since then Holt has recovered.
Brandon Holt: US Open debut against Taylor Fritz
And so Holt joins the ranks of current professionals whose parents already had great careers, such as Sebastian Korda, who has already made it into the top 50. Or the kids of Mary Joe Fernandez and Tony Godsick, Roger Federer's manager: Nicholas Godsick. Or Lindsay Davenport's son Jagger Leach (Davenport is married to Don Leach, brother of ex-doubles pro Rick Leach). The two are currently still trying their luck in the junior division.
Brandon Holt is allowed to show himself on one of the larger courts in his US Open debut (and the first main draw match ever above Challenger level): he meets compatriot Taylor Fritz on the grandstand in the fourth match on Monday.