Nicolas Jarry has tennis in his blood

Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Nicolas Jarry was always destined to play tennis. It was simply a question of fate deciding the level of his prowess with racquet in hand, and the passing of the years has revealed him to be among the best players in the world. His peak in the PIF ATP Rankings is currently No. 18, a position he claimed in January.

This is just four places lower than the highest standing of his grandfather Jaime Fillol — one of the great pioneers of Chilean tennis, who became his country’s leading player in the 1970s. In March 1974, he climbed to World No. 14.

As Jarry follows in his grandfather's example, has the pair ever discussed which of the two will be the better player?

“No, we’ve never spoken about it and I’ve never joked about it with him,” Jarry is quick to tell ATPTour.com. “It’s not something we’ve ever talked about. Not about the ranking and not about results.”

Such is the grandson’s respect for Fillol that he would never dream of even joking about something like that.

“No, no, there’s a tennis side to it and a personal side to it,” he says of his relationship with his grandfather. “To me he provides much more of a personal example than a tennis one, and in any case, in tennis I’m yet to catch him.”

That example has allowed him to feel more comfortable as a player as the seasons have gone by. The veteran’s experiences have been a source of support to the 28-year-old, who is now on a path that is not unfamiliar in his home.

“My grandpa has given me a much more experienced and wiser vision of what tennis is,” Jarry acknowledges. “In the end, he’s been through a lot and when we talk about tennis he has a far more open perspective.”

Jaime Fillol was responsible for giving his grandson the tennis bug. When they practised they would imagine they were playing in the Grand Slams, and they would travel together to the big tournaments.

“We would joke that we were playing indoor tennis when we were at home. Sometimes he would say: ‘OK, let’s play at Wimbledon,’ and we would go outside on the grass, put a net up and play,” recalls Jarry. “Then we would play the US Open, we’d move the cars from the drive, put the net up on the asphalt and play tennis there.”

When he had the opportunity, he would also go with his grandfather to the places he was beginning to dream of playing at (for real) someday.

“I don’t know if they’re memories or if it’s more the pictures you see when you’re older, but I know I went with him and my mother to the US Open when I was just six years old,” he explains.

“Then I have more vivid memories, when I went to Wimbledon with him a couple of times, or at least I was there while he played in the seniors or legends events. I went with my mother and watched him,” the Chilean continued.

However, it is on clay courts that Jarry has enjoyed the most success in his career. His trophy cabinet contains three titles, all won on the red stuff: Bastad 2019, Santiago 2023 and Geneva 2023. He also has three runner-up finishes under his belt: Sao Paulo 2018, Geneva 2019 and Buenos Aires 2024.

“It’s the surface that is the most common and natural for me. In Chile we only have clay courts,” he says of his predilection for the brick dust. “I think mentally I’ve become very strong, also physically, to handle long rallies and to be able to play the important points, which is fundamental.”

Now, at 28 years of age, he is a father to two children; perhaps his family’s tennis legacy is in safe hands.

“I think it’s inevitable that my children like tennis, having watched me and travelled with me on tour since they were born, but I’ll never encourage them to do anything,” he says. “I’ll just see what captures their imagination. I’ll support them on the path they want to take.”

Only time will tell.

Editor's note: This story has been translated from ATPTour.com/es.