Jack Sock - your hero, everyone's hero. The original people's champion.

[rivdee]

Personal[edit]
Sock graduated from Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas.

Junior career[edit]
Sock played his first ITF junior tournament in October 2008, aged 16, at the Pan American Championships.[1] In the 2009 US Open, his third junior tournament, he reached the semifinals of the junior doubles with Matthew Kandath, and the third round of the junior singles.

Sock played relatively infrequently on the junior circuit, however, entering just two further tournaments: the Dunlop Orange Bowl in 2009 and the junior singles at the 2010 U.S. Open.[2] At this tournament, he received a wildcard entry, but proceeded to the final. There, he defeated fellow American Denis Kudla in three sets, to become the first American winner of the junior championships since Andy Roddick in 2000.[3] He won the Boy's Junior National Tennis Championship in 2010 [3] and 2011, earning a wildcard in both years for the main draw of the US Open.

Sock graduated from Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas on May 22, 2011. He was 80?0 in his Kansas 6A High School tennis career, winning four consecutive state championships.[4]

Professional career[edit]
Early career[edit]
Sock began playing in Futures tournaments in 2009, winning his first senior tournament on that circuit in November 2009.[5] He entered his first qualifying draw for an ATP tournament at the 2010 Miami Masters.[6] His first main-draw match as a professional came at the 2010 US Open, where he lost to Marco Chiudinelli.[3] Sock finished the 2010 season ranked 878th in the world.[7]

In 2011, he reached the final of the USA F3 tournament.[8] He also began to play in a few tournaments at Challenger level, with his biggest success being a quarterfinal at the Dallas Challenger. He also competed in the main draw of the 2011 Miami Masters. As 2010 US Junior champion, he received a wildcard into the 2011 US Open, winning his first ATP match against Marc Gicquel in four sets. He advanced to play his idol Andy Roddick, a fellow Nebraskan in the second round, however he lost in straight sets.[9] Sock's real breakthrough came in the mixed doubles, however, where he advanced to the final alongside Melanie Oudin, defeating the defending champions Bob Bryan and Liezel Huber in the second round.[10] In the final, Sock and Oudin defeated Gisela Dulko and Eduardo Schwank in three sets to win their first Grand Slam title, both individually and together.

After winning his first Grand Slam title, Sock returned to competing on the Challenger Tour.[11] His most successful tournament was the Sacramento Challenger, in which he reached in the quarterfinals of the singles tournament and, partnering Nicholas Monroe, the final of the doubles tournament.[12] Sock finished 2011 ranked no. 381 in the singles, and no. 370 in the doubles.

In 2012, Sock won the Futures tournament at Plantation, as well as losing in the doubles final.[13] Stepping back up to the Challenger level, he competed at the Honolulu Challenger, making the quarterfinals of the singles tournament and, alongside Nick Monroe, once again made the final of the doubles tournament.[14]

Jack played in the 2012 Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, and lost in the second round to Izak van der Merwe. Sock's next tournament was the 2012 BB&T Atlanta Open. He upset the number 7 seed of the tournament, Alex Bogomolov, Jr.. He made it to the quarterfinals where he lost to John Isner. At the US Open, Sock defeated the number 22 seed, Florian Mayer, in the first round when Mayer retired. He then went on to defeat world number 85 Flavio Cipolla of Italy in straight sets, setting up his first ever Grand Slam third round match against 11th seed Nicol?s Almagro,[15] however he was defeated in 4 sets. In the final two months of the 2012 season Sock reached his first two Challenger Tour finals, winning at Tiburon in October and finishing as runner-up in the November Champaign-Urbana Challenger. These finals helped him rise to the top 150 for the first time.[16]

2013[edit]
Sock had a slow start to 2013, losing in the qualifying of the Brisbane International and the 2013 Australian Open.[17] However, he received a wildcard entry into the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships, in which he gained his first wins of the season in reaching the quarter-final, the second of his career.[18] In the doubles competition at the same tournament Sock teamed up with James Blake, also a wildcard entry, reaching the final where the pair lost to the Bryan Brothers.[19] Sock made it through three rounds of qualifying without dropping a set to get into the main draw of the 2013 French Open. In the first round he defeated the accomplished player Guillermo Garc?a-L?pez in only 1 hour and 59 minutes. He then lost to the 35 year old veteran Tommy Haas in straight sets.[20] He tried to qualify for Wimbledon for the first time, but although seeded second, lost to Mischa Zverev. He returned to the US to win his 2nd career Challenger level title in Winnetka, IL on July 6, allowing him to break into the top 100 for the first time in his career. At the US Open, he defeated Philipp Petzschner in the first round, going 5 games to 2 up in the third set before Petzschner retired. Sock then went on to beat Maximo Gonzalez, however lost to 18th seed Janko Tipsarević in the third round. Following the US Open, his career ranking rose to 86.

2014[edit]
Jack began his 2014 campaign in Auckland, opening his campaign against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. His aggressive playing style was too much for his opponent, winning in straight sets to set up a match with German second seed Tommy Haas. In a considerable upset, Sock defeated the world number 12 in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals. There he faced Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut, however lost in straight sets. He then gained his first direct entry into the Australian Open main draw, after having failed to qualify the previous year. He started strongly, defeating German Tobias Kamke in four sets in his opening match before losing to former world number 7 Ga?l Monfils in the second round.

Playing style[edit]
Jack Sock is primarily an aggressive baseliner with some occasional serve and volley play. His forehand and serve are his biggest weapons, with his second serve being one of the most devastating of the younger generation. He hits with a large amount of spin, as seen on his forehand and second serve. His shots kick a great deal, especially on the second serve, allowing him to hit very heavy rallies and control the point. He has excellent touch at net, being able to hit volley winners with ease.

Major finals[edit]
Grand Slam[edit]
Mixed doubles: 1 (1?0)[edit]
Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 2011 US Open Hard United States Melanie Oudin Argentina Gisela Dulko
Argentina Eduardo Schwank 7?6(7?4), 4?6, [10?8]

[joshwayne420]

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