jamie loeb, a player on the rise

Tennis Served Fresh is pleased to introduce to you Jamie Loeb, a player on the rise who has made quite a name for herself playing for the University of North Carolina and is set to debut at the US Open 2015.

Who is Jamie Loeb?

Jamie Loeb, who was born and bred right here in Ossining, NY (Westchester County) was the first Carolina women’s tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in singles. Loeb has received many titles during her first collegiate season such as ITA National Player of the year, ITA Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and first freshman in almost 30 years to win both the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championship & USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship.

The John McEnroe Tennis Academy

Jamie began her junior tennis career at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York. During her training she was named the No. 1 prospect of her class and was faced with the difficult decision to go pro or go to college and ultimately chose college so she could grow and mature physically and mentally.

Jamie Loeb’s year so far

This season, Jamie won a national championship title, which gains her entry to the inaugural American Collegiate Invitational for the U.S. Open. Growing up, Jamie attended the U.S. Open every year with her family and it has been a dream of hers to play in the tournament.

The Tennis Served Fresh interview with Jamie Loeb

Please, tell us a bit about yourself. Like who you are and where you are from.

I am a New York native who was born in Bronxville, New York. My entire life I have lived in Ossining, NY in Westchester County. I am the youngest of four, with two older brothers and an older sister. My parents and siblings have encouraged me to play sports as early as 3 years old. My training began on a Ping-Pong table where my siblings would work on my hand eye coordination. I was introduced to tennis when I was 4 years old and found it to be really enjoyable, especially since my entire family played as well. The next thing I know, I began having success in playing tournaments such as the Little Mo nationals as well as many national junior tournaments around the country. By the time I was a senior in high school, I became top 30 in the world as a junior. I have been very fortunate to play all four junior grand slam events.

After junior tennis, I committed to the University of North Carolina (UNC) to play college tennis. I am proud to say that I was able to break many prestigious records in college including winning the 2015 NCAA championships. Furthermore, winning the title solidified me into getting into the US Open, which has been a dream of mine since I was just a young girl. I am also proud to say that I am one of the few Jewish professional athletes on tour. When I am not playing tennis I like to hang out with my friends, listen to music and relax with my family. I am thankful for the opportunities I’ve had in the past, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for me.

Who is your clothing sponsor and how did you go about choosing them?

I recently got sponsored by Fila. I met the president of the company, Jon Epstein, last summer in Rhode Island where I received the ITA Player of the Year award. We reconnected after my summer tournaments and Jon and his team showed a lot of interest in me supporting Fila.

You have impressed many people by winning so many titles in your first collegiate season and you are on the to-watch list for the US Open. How do you deal with the pressure? And do people recognize you more now?

I handle the pressure by staying in the moment. It’s easy to get caught up and look ahead into the future, so I like to focus on the present. I’ve gotten more recognition since winning NCAA’s, especially from my hometown and even around the tennis community. It’s nice to see my hard work finally paying off. Even when I had success in junior tournaments or even pro events, I didn’t get this much attention so it’s a different, yet special feeling.

What’s your hidden talent? Like something that would make you a YouTube star?

A hidden talent of mine could be dancing. My teammates from school know how much I love to dance, but people that may not know me probably wouldn’t have guessed that. I can see myself on YouTube dancing to mainstream music, such as “The Whip” or other songs. I’m shy at first, but once people get to know me, they will see my outgoing side.

If you met your biggest idol then what would you ask him or her?

If I could meet Roger Federer, I would ask him “what took you to be as successful as you are today?

If you could use your tennis racket for something else other than play tennis what would you use it for ?

I would use my racket as a microphone to sing/rap song lyrics.

And last but not least: Any song that you will play to power you up before your first match at the Open?

Right now I don’t have one song in particular, but I will have a playlist consisting of rap and techno songs that I will play before my match.

Thanks for the interview Jamie. We wish you all the best at the US Open and in the future. And thank you Londonmisherpr.com for providing the photos and making this interview possible!