Tennis Hall of Famer Tracey Austin speaks on watching son Brandon Holt play at 2023 Australian Open - "You watch with different eyes"
ATP
Watching a tennis match is one thing. Watching a friend play is another. Now, imagine watching your own child compete.
That’s what Hall of Famer and Tennis Channel analyst Tracy Austin experienced during the 2023 Australian Open when her son, Brandon Holt, made his way through the qualifying and into the main draw. As a former champion, analyst, coach and mother, Tracy went through her share of emotions over the course of Brandon’s efforts Down Under—including two straight five-setters.
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On her podcast Talking Tennis with Tracey, Austin stated with her being in California at the time, she would adjust her alarm clock accordingly and wake up to watch him play.
"What's interesting about watching your son play as a former player, is that you watch with different eyes," admitted Austin. "I feel like every role I've ever played in life comes together in watching Brandon.
"It's the coach in me, it's the analyst that's trying to figure out the momentum swings, it's the mom in me that knows how much work he's put into his career."
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The former World No.1 revealed she felt more nervous watching her son play than when she was on the court, due to not having any control over the outcome. However, she expressed how proud she was of Brandon, adding that his love of the game was what really mattered the most.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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