Jared Donaldson is a 17-year-old tennis player who has followed his own pathway to professional tennis. Yes, it included some USTA tournaments along the way, like the very prestigious Kalamazoo, but, mostly, Jared has played the ITF circuit around the world. At an age when most junior players are thinking about which college they might like to attend, Jared is focusing solely on how to keep competing with the “Big Boys” on the pro tour. Just a few days ago, he was playing his first main draw US Open match against France’s Gael Monfils on the Grandstand at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. This week, he’s playing on some of the slightly smaller outer courts in the US Open Juniors (though today’s second round match will be on the Grandstand once again).
I had a chance to chat with his mom, Rebecca, about Jared’s decision to turn pro. Click on the arrow in the box below to hear what she had to say.
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