Although Gail Brodsky is winless in her first two matches as a professional tennis player, she’s given American tennis fans something to stand up and take notice about.
After hanging tough with top 60 player Ekaterina Makarova in the first set of her pro debut, a WTA event in Forest Hills, Brodsky moved on to the US Open, where she faced world #14 Agnes Szavay in the opening round. In front of a standing room only crowd on Court 7, the Brooklyn native gave Szavay all that she could handle, holding a set point in the first set before losing 7-5, 6-2.
“The whole experience was really nerve wracking, which was definitely unexpected,” said Brodsky. “My hands were shaking at the beginning of the match.”
Brodsky’s exuberant personality quickly brought the New York crowd on her side. While her frequent fist pumps or yells of frustration appeared to be a case of being over excited by the occasion, Brodsky said showing her emotions actually benefits her on the court.
“It just helps me get my anger out,” said Brodsky. “If I keep it inside, I feel like I might play the next point worse or hit a bad shot. I’d rather just let it all out before I play and be calm for the next point.”
Growing up in Coney Island, Brodsky was introduced to tennis on local public courts at the age of six by her father. While Brodsky excelled as a standout junior player in the Eastern region, the limited court time (one hour per day) and number of balls (a maximum of three) that players are allowed to use on New York City public courts prompted Brodsky and her father to seek assistance from Weil Tennis Academy in California.
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“When we were starting out in Brooklyn, we would have people trying to kick us off the courts and tell us we were using too many balls,” said Brodsky. “My dad was giving me drills and people were giving us trouble. Thanks to Mark Weil and his academy, we were able to raise my game to a whole other level than I would have been able to in Brooklyn.”
With an abundance of coaching and resources in California, Brodsky’s game flourished. This summer, she reached the finals of the USTA Girls 18s National Championships and became the top ranked junior in the country. She also began to show signs of life on the pro tour, reaching the quarters of a $50,000 tournament in Vancouver.
Brodsky said her recent results prompted her to turn professional, foregoing college tennis for the opportunity to pursue her dream of being a top player.
“My parents always said it was going to be my decision,” said Brodsky. “And very recently, I think it was August 14th, I sat my family down and said that I was ready to go pro. They were very supportive and just said that we should give it a shot.”
After competing in the junior tournament at the US Open next week, Brodsky will head out for four consecutive tournaments on the USTA Pro Circuit, the tennis equivalent of Triple A in baseball. While her ranking currently sits at No. 382, Brodsky said that she has much loftier intentions for the future.
“I think anybody you ask would tell you they want to be No. 1 in the world,” said Brodsky. “The question is whether I can keep pushing to get there, but that’s definitely my goal for the future.”
