Former French Open doubles champion Luke Jensen and his nephew Jonah Faucett drew some attention at Tuesday’s USTA Southern Sectional Qualifying Tournament in Norcross.
As Luke, 50, and Jonah, 13, battled two twenty-somethings in a doubles match, the pair showed off the talent of a former ATP pro and the promise of a young up-and-comer. There were plenty of fans watching, as about 25 people cheered loudly for the duo.
But these weren’t just some random die-hards who gathered to watch Jensen and Faucett.
“That’s the first family of Atlanta tennis,” said Ron Cioffi, USTA’s director of communications.
While Jensen and Faucett battled in what was a losing effort, some of the family’s standouts showed their support. There was Jensen’s mother, Patricia, who acted as Luke’s agent; Faucett’s mother, Rachel, who turned pro out of high school, and Rachel’s twin sister, Rebecca Dilanni, who was a star at Kansas.
They were all on hand to share in the special moment between Jensen and Faucett.
“It was more than I anticipated,” Jensen said. “We rarely get the chance to all be together. To see everybody witness our special moment was great.”
Jensen, who shined in doubles play in the 1990s with younger brother Murphy, was the first in the family to dive into the sport. Jensen’s tennis aspirations grew serious when he was in his teens and Patricia heard there was a vacant spot in the Western Open. Patricia sent him what he needed to play, not knowing her son would soon discover his path in life.
“I FedEx-ed one tennis racket down to Shreveport, Louisiana,” Patricia said. “He called me afterward and said, ‘I love football, but I want to be No. 1 in the world.’”
The spark found in Shreveport led Jensen to a commendable tennis career. Known as “Dual Hand Luke” for his ambidextrous ability, he excelled at USC and parlayed that into a pro career that lasted over a decade. He’s also spent time as a commentator, college coach and tennis pro at Sea Island.
Although he still stays busy on the Georgia coast, Jensen jumped at the chance to play with his nephew. Faucett finally reached the age to be eligible to play, which led to the family reunion on the court and in the stands.
Despite having played only a year, Faucett held his own against the competition, a trait that sure seems to run in the family.
“I was so excited,” Rachel said. “Last year, Jonah couldn’t hit a ball over the net. To go from that to returning balls and aiming for the U.S. Open is amazing.”
Jensen emphasized how rewarding the sport is to play with loved ones, and the good news is Jonah is just the beginning of those to come. Rachel has two other children and Rebecca has three who will make their way to a tennis court in the near future. Murphy’s son, Billy Givens-Jensen, is a talented 17-year-old who is starting to make a name for himself at the amateur level.
Tuesday’s match was an example of what Jensen has seen from the next generation of tennis players in the family. The pair may have lost, but each point — whether for or against the duo — ended with a fist bump and words of encouragement.
The positive attitude is something Jensen has seen in all his nieces and nephews and a reason why he’ll always be willing to meet them on the court when they come calling.
“In a world where everything seems to be going wrong, I think these guys have got it right,” Jensen said.
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