Chile Captain Fillol To Guide Grandson Jarry At United Cup

As the highest ranked player on Chile's United Cup team, Nicolas Jarry had the honour of selecting the squad's captain. While the choice was an easy one, he first had to make sure his grandfather — a founding father of the ATP Tour — was available to make the trip to Australia.

"It was a very special moment. I remember that I talked with my mum just one day before the call, just to know that he would be able to come," Jarry told ATPTour.com, discussing Jaime Fillol. "I knew for sure that he would be thrilled. He wanted to be here as part of the team.

"But he also has some duties. He works in a university in Chile, so I didn't want to ask him without knowing that he will be able to because of the how much he would want to come. And [my mother] said that he will figure it out. I called him and he was a little bit speechless, but very, very happy. I could sense it on the phone."

Jaime Fillol, Team Chile's captain and @NicoJarry grandfather, gives Nico a pep talk during the changeover.

Not long after this, Nico went back on court and won the match.

The right words from the right person can make a big difference 💙#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/mm7buCv6qC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2024

Fillol guided Jarry down the path of high-level tennis from a young age, taking his grandson to Wimbledon and the US Open as a kid, sparking a lifelong love of the sport.

"I always thought that tennis is a really good sport for developing, for growth, for education," Fillol said. "The values of tennis are very solid if we do things right. There is a tradition, there is an ethic of tennis, there is a philosophy."

Jarry reached a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of World No. 19 to close the 2023 season, just five places off the best mark of his grandfather. Is Fillol rooting for his grandson to surpass him? 

"It would be a bigger dream, to have a grandchild be better than you," he said. "We grew up where family members don't compete with each other. Family members are there to help each other, not to compete with each other. But it would be nice."

Fillol feels that Jarry's maturation off court — he is now married and a father of two — has helped him improve his results in between the lines.

"It gave him a stability and a more broad vision of life. It's not just tennis; there is life there," he said. "And that maybe took away some of the pressure that he would feel before. Now that he's had a fantastic year in 2023, I think he can still improve... I think he will be a top player."

Jarry agreed about the positive impact of his family life, which is front and centre at the United Cup: "I always travel with my family. Now also you can add my grandfather," he said. "And here my sister is also helping us, so it was a very fun flight coming here and for sure we're going to enjoy all the week."