For Brian Vahaly, Gaining Confidence Was A Matter Of Time

There was a time in Brian Vahaly's professional tennis career when he seriously considered quitting.

Just four months after graduating from the University of Virginia as an Academic All-American and NCAA runner-up, Vahaly lost 6-0, 6-0 in the first round of qualifying at the 2001 US Open. That was followed by another loss, and another.

"It was humiliating more than anything else," admits Vahaly. "I had never lost four matches in a row in the juniors, no less eight, so it wasn't something I was used to."

Mired in a slump of eight straight losses, Vahaly called up a good friend from college.

"We had been talking for awhile about going to Australia together, to work down there for six months and travel," explains Vahaly. "I had all but packed my bags."

But, playing in one last tournament, Vahaly came back from match points down to win a tough match. It was all the motivation Vahaly needed to continue, and the learning experience proved invaluable.

He went on a tear that fall, winning 18 of 20 matches to finish the 2001 season, including a win over former top 50-player Chris Woodruff at a Challenger in Texas.

His 2002 season started similarly with a win on the Futures circuit, and by June, Vahaly had qualified for his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon, losing to Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in the first round.

That was followed by his first ATP victory in Newport and solid results at the Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles (2nd rd l. to Roddick) and Legg Mason Tennis Classic in D.C. (3rd rd. l. to Agassi), where he took Andre Agassi to a second set tiebreak.

"It was building up the confidence more than anything else," says Vahaly. "You realize you can beat these guys. And to hear guys like Agassi compliment you, that means a lot."

And building up confidence is something new for a player who had never been ranked out of the top 10 in the country as a junior and who was No. 17 in the world junior rankings.

Vahaly had always done what it took to win in the juniors. A good athlete growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Vahaly spurned soccer and other team sports in order to control his own competitive outcome.

Though focused on tennis throughout his high school years, Vahaly valued activities outside of the sport, his southern conservative upbringing steering him in the direction of church, school, family and friends.

Just 4'10" (1,50m) for much of his junior career, Vahaly consistently disproved those doubters who didn't think he had the build and the game to succeed at the higher levels.

"It was actually a bit insulting," says Vahaly. "No one considered what heart can mean on the court."

One of the top recruits in the country coming out high school, Vahaly was Rookie of the Year in his first season with Virginia in the ACC conference. He went on to reach the NCAA finals his senior year and became the winningest player in UVA history. Along the way, he posted a 3.5 grade point average and earned a double degree in finance and business management.

"I really enjoyed my college experience," says Vahaly. "One of the toughest things in the pros is that you have to be obsessive about your tennis. That was never my style. I enjoyed my time doing other things. I've had to find new hobbies."

Indeed, Vahaly has found new pursuits to balance his life in the pros. He says he tries to read the newspaper whenever he can and get out into the city at various tournaments.

By the time Vahaly arrived at the 2002 US Open, he was one year removed from his dismal performance the year before. He had gone from No. 584 in the world to No. 111 in just 12 months - a jump of 473 positions. He had found confidence in his game and a comfort level needed to succeed at the ATP level.

And by the end of last year, Vahaly cracked the top 100, the second-highest mover into the elite 100 (see below). He is one of two Americans in the top 100 to have a college degree along with Florida graduate Jeff Morrison.

Looking back, Vahaly now laughs over his dismal fortunes in late summer 2001. And he'd be the first to admit that adversity builds character: "I'm actually glad it happened. I've proved to a lot people that I can make it."

And more importantly, after some doubts of his own, he's proved it to himself.