Georgia Tech’s Cole Gromley prepares for his first Atlanta Open

Gromley finished the collegiate season with a 12-9 singles record, going 2-0 on Court 1, as a freshman. The opportunity to participate in this year’s tournament at Atlantic Station is noteworthy, in small part to Gromley’s familiarity with the area. A one-time Cornell commit, Gromley eventually signed with the Yellow Jackets’ program after establishing a close relationship with Tech men’s tennis coach Kenny Thorne.

“We pride ourselves in getting local talent, and Cole (Gromley) is one of the better ones this year,” Thorne said. “He’s putting himself in some good different situations, and it will help out a little bit. It’s truly unique. He’ll compete, he’ll go out and do his best and we’ll see what happens.”

During the fall season in 2018, often considered somewhat of a preseason period for college tennis, Gromley injured his wrist, which hindered his backhand. For the next six months, while his wrist remained covered, he was forced to work on his forehand serve, which he considered one of his weaknesses previously.

His forehand did improve, but now with his wrist healed, he’s working to get his backhand back to form.

Thorne praised Gromley’s mindset through recovery in trying to train in other ways, but he acknowledged the ability of players in the coming tournament to expose weaknesses, making what he considers a great challenge for the rising sophomore.

“It’s honestly, looking at it, he’s got to compete as hard as he can,” Thorne said. “Tennis is a journey in a way, so it’s going to be a really special part of his journey.”

While the process helped him become a better overall player, he understands the challenges of competing in a tournament among professionals.

“I’m definitely training as hard as I can to try and be ready because it’s a different level,” Gromley said. “I think the whole process will help me get a lot better.”