This Holt is no bolt from the blue

Bengaluru: No shouts of 'comon', no exhibition of frustration, no exuberant celebrations on winning tough points or matches. 

A disapproving nod when disappointed with himself, a big smile of satisfaction after winning and a respectful handshake at the net. 

To be competitive does not mandate one to be loud and Brandon Holt lives by this ethos. This on court persona, a reflection of his off-court personality, helped the easy going 26-year-old make his way to the Bengaluru Open final where he defeated Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki to capture the second title of his career. 

“That’s pretty much how I normally play,” offered Holt when mentioned about the way he carries himself on court. 

“I'm not overly emotional on the court. I would say that's probably my biggest strength. My mental side. I like to pump myself up, but I try to stay as calm and level-headed as possible.”

Holt's calm-and-collected style of play was making noise throughout the week here at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) but the whispers that he is the son of former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin were loud enough as well. 

But Holt, used to the attention he garners for having a famous parent, prefers to shy away from that spotlight. 

“Growing up as a kid, you see her as your mom. You don't think of her as a tennis player.”

Try as much as he did, the pride of having a champion mother in Tracy, the youngest female singles US Open champion till date at 16 years, 8 months and 28 days, eventually takes control over Holt.

“She's very focused, very disciplined and works extremely hard. When you see her rituals, the way that she lives life.. not a perfectionist, but it's driven and focused. 

“If you see that every single day, then you kind of have to have a little bit of that in your own life. She is way more competitive than me. Way more competitive probably than anyone I've ever met. She will not give an inch. Even now when she plays tennis, she doesn't miss. If you watched her practice, the level of intensity would be extremely high. She was born with it and you can't get it out of her system. And she's in her 60s now."

For someone who turned professional as young as 14, Tracy’s tennis career was cut short due to injuries which forced her to retire at 21. Conscious of the fickle nature of sport, the family ensured there was always a back up plan for Holt other than tennis. 

“I probably had a different upbringing than many of the pros. My family knew how tough it was and also wanted me to get an education. So I was not really like 'oh tennis, tennis, tennis’. My life was very different from those who started when they were five years old, playing three hours a day every day, only tennis, no school. That probably works out if it works, and if it doesn't, then you're in trouble,” points out the graduate of Real Estate Management from the University of California. 

With life outside of tennis sorted out, the American is invested in making a name for himself in the sport, for now. And Holt is enjoying the steady progress as his win in Bengaluru helped him jump to 109 in the world from 144 a week ago.