It was just one year ago when 21-year-old J.J. Wolf decided to turn pro and join the ATP Tour. And while many young pros might wait years before achieving their first big breakthrough, Wolf is already becoming a force to be reckoned with in his Grand Slam debut. Just 12 months into his pro career, Wolf has stormed into the third round of the 2020 US Open, dispatching No. 29 Guido Pella and Roberto Carballes Baena along the way.
Here’s more on the Cincinnati native who is one of the two remaining American men contesting their home Slam in Round 3.
He’s put in the work to pave the way for a successful pro career.
Wolf was already into the Top 300 when he turned pro last July, but he jumped 100 spots after winning the Challenger title at Champaign, Illinois, in November 2019. Since then, he has also claimed Challenger titles at Noumea (New Caledonia) and Columbus, Ohio.
Had Wolf been a tennis player in the 1990s, his hair would have rivaled Andre Agassi’s.
Rocking a mullet hairstyle isn’t something anyone can pull off. But Wolf has been owning the look since his days at Ohio State University, where he played college tennis from 2017-19. The vintage "business in the front, party in the back" hairdo screams throwback Agassi, headband and all. All he needs is this season’s neon Nike retro kit and it’s a blast from the past.
"I think he had fun with his style," Wolf said of the tennis icon. "I always enjoy watching his highlights. I wouldn't say the hair is totally based off of him, but if there’s a tribute there, I’m fine with that."
He came from a line of superstar athletic genes.
It may be safe to say that if you’re in the Wolf family, you probably have or will play high-level sports. His father played college basketball and pro tennis, his mother and sister were collegiate tennis athletes, and his grandfather played football at the University of Notre Dame.
He has an old, retro soul.
Wolf may have been born in 1998, but he names legendary Western film star John Wayne as his favorite actor, his favorite book is "The Outsiders," which was first published by S.E. Hinton in 1967, and his favorite movie is the 1980s cult classic "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
