Brady to Make Olympics Debut for Team USA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Jennifer Brady, who starred for the UCLA women's tennis team in 2014 and 2015, was chosen to represent the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Thursday.

In an announcement by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Brady was named to the 12-person roster. She is joined by women's players Coco Gauff, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Nicole Melichar, Jessica Pegula and Alison Riske, as well as a men's group consisting of fellow Bruin Marcos Giron, Austin Krajicek, Tommy Paul, Rajeev Ram, Tennys Sandgren and Frances Tiafoe.

Brady, who is the highest-ranked singles player of the group at No. 15 on the latest Women's Tennis Association (WTA) list, will take part in the singles competition at Ariake Tennis Park. The tennis event, which is set to feature men's and women's singles and men's, women's and mixed doubles tournaments, starts Saturday, July 24 and will conclude Sunday, Aug. 1.

The selection marks the first of Brady's career.

Brady's star has continued to rise over the past year, starting with her first WTA title at the 2020 Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky. She rode that into a breakout performance at the 2020 US Open, where she advanced to the singles semifinal round. Brady improved upon that showing, which was at the time the best in UCLA women's tennis program history, with a trip to the singles final round of the 2021 Australian Open. Brady's ranking reached No. 13 following her display in Melbourne.

Stella Sampras Webster's team earned its second-ever NCAA team championship to end Brady's decorated initial season on the roster. She achieved All-America status for her prowess on both the singles and doubles courts and was tabbed the Pac-12's Freshman/Newcomer of the Year. Brady won the Pac-12 Championships singles title and finished with a 39-8 singles record. She also teamed with Robin Anderson to occupy the No. 1 spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's doubles rankings at one point. The pair seized the doubles title at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships during the fall of 2013. Brady again earned All-America acclaim in 2014, advancing to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championships singles tournament.