Circling the Globe For a Tennis Dream

In many ways, Jonathan Chu '05 is like many of his fellow recent Harvard graduates, logging countless hours and miles in a new occupation.

But the former Crimson star's career choice is not so common: he is trying to make a living on the professional tennis tour.

After performing brilliantly at the 2005 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships as a senior—making the semifinals in both singles, as a #32 seed, and doubles—Chu joined the pro tour, hoping to follow in the steps of another Harvard tennis great, James Blake ’01.

“Jon went out with a bang,” said Ashwin Kumar, a junior who was Chu’s doubles partner as a freshman in the spring of 2005. “And that gave him confidence to pursue a pro career.”

That confidence has helped Chu rise up the world standings, advancing steadily from about number 1300 to a career- high ranking of 527 this August, as he played in tournaments across the United States and around the world. In fewer than two years of professional play, his itinerary has featured stops in Mexico, Thailand, China, and Japan.

“This guy’s got a lot of the tools that national coaches and teams would look for,” Harvard coach David Fish ’72 said. “Jon can play with anybody. He’s got a serve that can surprise anybody.”

Indeed, right out of college Chu caught the eye of tennis great Martina Navratilova and others on the Boston Lobsters franchise of World Team Tennis, a national league of teams composed of aging stars like Navratilova and up-and-coming prospects like Chu.

“I began playing tennis at the age of eight,” Chu said in an e-mail message from Hong Kong, where he is currently preparing for two tournaments in Hawaii next week. “I have always wanted to be a professional tennis player and make it to television.”

And just a month after launching into his pro career, Chu experienced just that, appearing with the Lobsters on ESPN2’s coverage of World Team Tennis.

Playing professionally has demanded that Chu put his talents to use day after day, with impressive results thus far. In 96 matches this year, he has run up a 38-18 singles record and a 28-12 mark in doubles.

Playing the world circuit has also given him the opportunity to display his talents to a broader range of audiences than ever before. After winning his first professional tournament this March in Guangzhou, China, in a televised three-set final that featured two tiebreakers, Chu received the full star treatment, giving interviews and signing autographs after the match.

Luckily for him and his fans, Chu relishes the spotlight. And the fans have much to appreciate about him.

“Jon’s very dynamic. He plays with a lot of energy and emotion,” Fish said. “He’s not a colorless person. He plays with a lot of flair.”

Though his travel log seems like that of a jetsetter, Chu works tirelessly to keep his game on an upward trajectory. His daily routine includes two hours of tennis, an hour of strength and fitness training, and an hour of cardiovascular conditioning.

“I have always believed in practicing like a professional so I take the same discipline and commitment to the court every time I practice and play,” Chu wrote.

Still, as Chu moves up the ranks of the pro tour, he will begin to face a different brand of athlete, and to succeed, he will have to call on more than just conditioning and skill. Making it to the upper echelons of the tennis universe, as James Blake did, requires something extra, according to Fish.

“It’s hard to ask anybody to compare to James,” Fish said. “James is blessed with world-class speed, while Jon is blessed with excellent speed.”

But since Chu’s goal is to reach the heights of the tennis world, he will have to rely on grit and desire to compensate for his less-than-superhuman athletic abilities. If history is any indicator, though, grit might as well be Chu’s middle name.

“When the coaches and doctors said he couldn’t play,” Kumar said, “He took one for the team and tried his best to play in those matches.”

Whatever the situation was, Fish added, “he’d suck it up and do whatever he could.”

Chu’s world tour periodically brings him back to Harvard, where he remains in close contact with his former teammates, who could not be more proud.

“He’s getting the best of both worlds,” Kumar said. “Playing good tennis, having a good time, seeing the world.”