ROME (AP) 鈥 Tyra Caterina Grant grew up playing and living at the same tennis academy in northern Italy that Jannik Sinner attended before he went on to become No. 1.
So perhaps it feels natural that the 17-year-old Grant, a three-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion, will try to follow in Sinner鈥檚 footsteps again after from the United States and will represent Italy for her promising professional career.
Grant鈥檚 father is American basketball player Tyrone Grant, who spent most of his pro career in Italy. Her Italian mother, Cinzia Giovinco, taught her to play tennis. She grew up in Vigevano, a town near Milan, and can switch between fluent Italian and English from one sentence to the next.
鈥淚 switched to Italy because I feel mostly Italian even though I鈥檓 half and half,鈥 Grant said upon arriving in Rome, where she鈥檚 been given a wild card to play the Italian Open. 鈥淚鈥檓 more connected to the Italian part because I was born here and I grew up here and my friends are here. I feel more connected to the Italian culture and I feel more at home here.鈥
Grant and Sinner
Grant trained at Riccardo Piatti鈥檚 academy in Bordighera from age seven to 14 before she moved to Orlando, Florida.
Sinner, who is 6 1/2 years older than Grant, was already one of Piatti鈥檚 star pupils when she arrived.
鈥淕rowing up with Jannik was great,鈥 Grant said. 鈥淗e was I think around 14 when we first met and I was a little younger so obviously it was kind of an age gap, but in Bordighera we were all just like a big family so it was lovely.鈥
Coco Gauff sees Grant’s potential
While Grant is ranked No. 335 by the WTA Tour, she is No. 6 in the International Tennis Federation鈥檚 junior rankings.
Grant also reached the semifinals of the junior singles tournament at last year鈥檚 French Open; and got to the semifinals of the senior mixed doubles competition at the U.S. Open with American partner Aleksandar Kovacevic. Grant and Kovacevic were beaten by eventual champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori of Italy.
Coco Gauff, , got to know Grant a bit when she was among the juniors brought in to practice with the U.S. national team.
鈥淚鈥檝e actually never watched her play,鈥 Gauff said. 鈥淏ased off the results, what I see her doing in juniors, obviously she has a lot of potential. I just never sat there and watched a match. I will now that she鈥檚 playing on the same level. I鈥檒l try to get ready. Probably going to play each other sooner than later.鈥
at the Italian Open draw at the Trevi Fountain on Monday.
鈥淚f I had a cool option like Italy 鈥 I think they鈥檙e a great place to represent 鈥 I might do the same,鈥 Gauff said, before quickly adding, 鈥淚 love being American, too.
鈥淲hen I see her interacting with Italians here, I鈥檓 like, 鈥極K, yeah, I see why she made the change,鈥欌 Gauff said.
More attention in Italy
Italy has only one woman in the top 50 of the WTA rankings with Jasmine Paolini at No. 5.
Gauff, who is No. 3, leads a group of 10 Americans in the top 50.
So Grant could potentially attract more attention in Italy than in the U.S.
鈥淥bviously the U.S. is bigger and probably has more female players but I was (already) one of the top players there so it鈥檚 not much of a difference,鈥 she said.
Tyra or Tyra Caterina?
While Grant is often referred to by only her first name, her official bio on the WTA website lists her as Tyra Caterina Grant.
So how does she like being referred to?
鈥淐aterina is my second name and it鈥檚 my grandma鈥檚 name, so it鈥檚 nice to hear Caterina,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut everyone calls me Tyra, so I don鈥檛 mind really.鈥
Grant will face a qualifier in her opening singles match in Rome. She also qualified for the doubles draw by winning the pre-qualifying tournament with partner Lisa Pigato.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to have a lot of support here,鈥 Grant said. 鈥淚 have a lot of friends who have told me they want to come see me play.鈥
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