Holt — a gradual and unconventional rise to success

Tracy Austin's son Brandon Holt, a late-blooming tennis pro, finds success on the Tour at 27.

At 16 years, eight months and 28 days, Tracy Austin holds the record for being the youngest US Open singles champion, man or woman.

But her son Brandon Holt, soon to be 27, is in no such hurry. He has a degree in real-estate development from the University of California, turned pro as late as 2020, and is finding sustained success on the Tour only now.

In January, he won his maiden Challenger title, and on Sunday, he bagged his biggest yet – the Bengaluru Open ATP 125, which pushed him to No. 111 in the world, a career-high.

“I had a different upbringing than many of the pros,” Holt said. “My family wanted me to get an education. I was not really like ‘tennis, tennis, tennis.’ I played baseball, basketball, soccer and then I chose tennis.

“Very different from those who started when they were five, playing three hours every day, and no school. It’s okay if it works out, but if it doesn’t, then you’re in trouble.”

Interestingly, Holt seemed set for a fast life when he beat current World No. 4 Taylor Fritz in the first round of the 2022 US Open. Ranked 303, he came through the qualifying rounds to stun the 10th seed.

But since then, he has featured in just one other Slam main draw – the 2023 Australian Open, where, again as a qualifier, he stretched the then 25th ranked Roberto Bautista Agut to five sets in the second round. Holt doesn’t subscribe to the theory that one needs to always achieve young.