Jack Sock

Jack Sock

Jack Sock playing at Roland Garros 2013
Country  United States
Residence Tampa, Florida
Born September 24, 1992
Lincoln, Nebraska
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Turned pro 2011
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money $1,918,556
Official website atpworldtour.com
Singles
Career record 53–45 (Grand Slam, ATP Tour level, and Davis Cup)
Career titles 1
Highest ranking No. 35 (April 20, 2015)
Current ranking No. 35 (April 20, 2015)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (2014)
French Open 3R (2014)
Wimbledon 2R (2014)
US Open 3R (2012, 2013)
Doubles
Career record 46–25
Career titles 4
Highest ranking No. 9 (April 6, 2015)
Current ranking No. 9 (April 6, 2015)
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open 3R (2014)
Wimbledon W (2014)
US Open 3R (2014)
Mixed Doubles
Career titles 1
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US Open W (2011)
Last updated on: November 20, 2014.

Jack Sock (born September 24, 1992) is an American tennis player currently on the ATP tour. His singles success includes an ATP title and the boys' junior US Open title in 2010. He also regularly plays doubles, winning the 2014 Wimbledon title with Vasek Pospisil and the 2011 US Open mixed doubles title with Melanie Oudin.

Personal

Sock graduated from Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He was 80–0 in his KHSAA 6A high school tennis career, winning four consecutive state championships.[1]

Junior career

As a junior, Sock reached as high as No. 22 in the world combined rankings in October 2010. He played his first ITF junior tournament in October 2008, aged 16, at the Pan American Championships.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] He won the Boy's Junior National Tennis Championship in 2010 [4] and 2011, earning a wildcard in both years for the main draw of the US Open.

Tournament20092010
Junior Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open A A
French Open A A
Wimbledon A A
US Open 3R W

Professional career

Early career

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.[4] 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 Nicolás 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

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 García-López 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

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 Gaël Monfils in the second round.

At the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, Sock at the last moment teamed up with Canadian Vasek Pospisil, where they eventually went on to win the Men's Doubles title in a five set final against the Number one seeds, Bob and Mike Bryan.

Sock beat Bernard Tomic and Kei Nishikori to reach third round of the 2014 Shanghai Rolex Masters.

In December, he underwent hip surgery, sidelining him for the start of the 2015 season.[21]

2015

After missing the first two months of 2015 ATP season, Sock made his return at 2015 BNP Paribas Open. He won his first three matches, including victories over seeded players Gilles Muller and Roberto Bautista Agut. He lost in the fourth round to second seed Roger Federer in straight sets. In doubles, he resumed his partnership with Pospisil to win their first Masters level tournament.

His second tournament was the 2015 Miami Open, in which he won his first two matches, including beating 21st seed Fabio Fognini, before losing to Dominic Thiem in the third round. He made the doubles final, again partnering with Pospisil, but lost in a third set tiebreaker to the Bryan brothers.

Jack continued his successful start to the year by winning his first ATP tournament, the 2015 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. En route to the title, he knocked off second seed, Roberto Bautista Agut, fifth seed, Santiago Giraldo, third seed Kevin Anderson, and defeating eighth seed Sam Querrey 7/6 7/6 in the final.

Playing style

Jack Sock is primarily an aggressive baseliner. He can be considered a complete baseliner with both offensive and defensive abilities at the same time. His incredible topspin on the forehand side helps him move his opponents far back behind the baseline to control points. He is a classic American-Style player. His forehand and serve are his biggest weapons and he also boasts an impressive second serve. He hits with a large amount of spin, especially on his forehand and kick serve, and can use this to control points. He can use his groundstrokes to either overpower opponents from the baseline, or move them around the court and look for a winner. He is also capable of flattening out both his forehand and his backhand to devastating effect, but Sock prefers to hit with controlled spin instead. He often hits "whiplash" forehands, where he uses his body-rotation and elbow to generate tremendous pace and topspin with a minimal take back.

Retired American tennis player Andy Roddick has remarked that he and young Sock have similar playing styles, saying, “[Sock] kind of has the half take up with the serve. He’s got the flailing elbow on the forehand and the backhand.” Sock feels that he and Spaniard Rafael Nadal, currently ranked number 3 in the world, actually have a more similar playing style, stating in an interview last year that “Nadal prefers the forehand to the backhand and hits with incredible spin. I also like to hit with more spin than pace and prefer my forehand.”[22]

Jack has a very strong service game, being able to hit serves at speeds of up to 227 km/h (141 mph). He is able to also hit very powerful and consistent kick serves.

He has excellent touch at net, being able to hit volley winners with ease. While he does not come to net often, in recent months he has played a great deal of doubles, both improving his net game and showcasing his impressive reflexes. This improved net game helped him and Vasek Pospisil win the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title.

Furthermore, Sock is very fast around the court, and is particularly good at running around his backhand to hit powerful inside-in or inside-out forehands. His great court speed allows him to retrieve many shots and use his forehand, his main weapon from the baseline, more frequently. Sock aggressively slides his left foot on the ground when running to his forehand, which wore a hole in his sock and shoe, and drew blood, at the 2015 BNP Paribas Open.

Some commentators have remarked that his technique on the forehand, while quite effective, actually hinders his ability to hit returns well. If Sock has a successful singles career, it will be in spite of, not because of, his technique, according to retired American tennis champion and now commentator Jim Courier.

Significant finals

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 1 (1–0)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 2014 Wimbledon Grass Canada Vasek Pospisil United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan 		7–6(7–5), 6–7(3–7), 6–4, 3–6, 7–5

Mixed doubles: 1 (1–0)

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]

ATP career finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)

Winner – Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–0)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (1–0)
Titles by Surface
Hard (0–0)
Clay (1–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Outcome No. Date Championship Surface Opponent Score in the final
Winner 1. April 12, 2015 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, United States Clay United States Sam Querrey 7–6(11–9), 7–6(7–2)

Doubles: 8 (4 titles, 4 runners-up)

Winner – Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (1–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (1–2)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–1)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (2–1)
Titles by Surface
Hard (3–4)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (1–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Outcome No. Date Championship Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1. February 24, 2013 U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships, United States Hard (i) United States James Blake United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan		 1–6, 2–6
Winner 1. March 3, 2013 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, United States Hard United States James Blake Belarus Max Mirnyi
Romania Horia Tecău		 6–4, 6–4
Winner 2. July 7, 2014 Wimbledon, United Kingdom Grass Canada Vasek Pospisil United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan		 7–6(7–5), 6–7(3–7), 6–4, 3–6, 7–5
Winner 3. July 27, 2014 Atlanta Tennis Championships, United States Hard Canada Vasek Pospisil United States Steve Johnson
United States Sam Querrey 		6–3, 5–7, [10–5]
Runner-up 2. August 17, 2014 Cincinnati Masters, United States Hard Canada Vasek Pospisil United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan		 3–6, 2–6
Runner-up 3. October 19, 2014 If Stockholm Open, Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Philippines Treat Huey United States Eric Butorac
South Africa Raven Klaasen		 4–6, 3–6
Winner 4. March 21, 2015 Indian Wells Masters, United States Hard Canada Vasek Pospisil Italy Simone Bolelli
Italy Fabio Fognini 		6–4, 6–7(3–7), [10–7]
Runner-up 4. April 4, 2015 Miami Masters, United States Hard Canada Vasek Pospisil United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan 		3–6, 6–1, [8–10]

Singles performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR LQ (Q#) A P Z# PO SF-B F-S G NMS NH

Won tournament; or reached Final; Semifinal; Quarter-final; Round 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a Round Robin stage; lost in Qualification Round; absent from tournament event; played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off; won a bronze, silver (F or S) or gold medal at the Olympics; a downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament (Not a Masters Series); or a tournament that was Not Held in a given year.

To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

Tournament201020112012201320142015SRW–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A A Q1 2R A 0 / 1 1–1 50%
French Open A A A 2R 3R 0 / 2 3–2 60%
Wimbledon A A A Q1 2R 0 / 1 1–1 50%
US Open 1R 2R 3R 3R 1R 0 / 5 5–5 50%
Win–Loss 0–1 1–1 2–1 3–2 4–4 0–0 0 / 9 10–9 53%
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Indian Wells Masters A A 1R 1R 1R 4R 0 / 4 3–4 43%
Miami Masters Q1 1R A Q2 2R 3R 0 / 3 3–3 50%
Monte Carlo Masters A A A A A 0 / 0 0–0 0%
Madrid Masters A A A A A 0 / 0 0–0 0%
Rome Masters A A A A Q1 0 / 0 0–0 0%
Canada Masters A A A Q2 2R 0 / 1 1–1 50%
Cincinnati Masters A A Q1 1R 1R 0 / 2 0–2 0%
Shanghai Masters A A A Q2 3R 0 / 1 2–1 67%
Paris Masters A A A A 2R 0 / 1 1–1 50%
Win–Loss 0–0 0–1 0–1 0–2 5–6 5–2 0 / 12 10–12 45%
Career statistics
Titles–Finals 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0 / 0 0–0 0.00
Year End Ranking 878 381 150 102 42 $1,608,211

Doubles performance timeline

This table is current through the 2014 US Open.

Tournament2011201220132014W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A A A 0–0
French Open A A 2R 3R 3–2
Wimbledon A A A W 6–0
US Open 1R 2R 1R 3R 3–4
Win–Loss 0–1 1–1 1–2 10–2 12–6

Wins over top-10 players

Season 2014
Wins 1

Wins over top-10 players per season

# Player Rank Event Surface Rd Score
2014
1. Japan Kei Nishikori 6 Shanghai, China Hard 2R 7–6(7–5), 6–4

References

  1. ↑ atpworldtour.com
  2. ↑ American Closed ITF Championships 2008 Results ITF. Accessed September 9, 2011
  3. ↑ Activity – Jack Sock ITF. Accessed September 9, 2011
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sock, Gavrilova win US Open junior titles SIFY News. 2010-13-09. Accessed September 9, 2011
  5. ↑ "Jack Sock 2009 Singles Activity". ATP. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  6. ↑ 2010 SONY ERICSSON OPEN SINGLES AND DOUBLES DRAWS Sony Ericsson Open. Accessed September 9, 2011
  7. ↑ SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS ATP RANKINGS HISTORY ATP. Accessed September 9, 2011
  8. ↑ The Decline of Weston Civilization Part I – The Final Weekend of the USA F3 Futures Challenger Tennis. February 2, 2011. Accessed September 9, 2011
  9. ↑ Roddick vs. Sock: Breaking It Down New York Times. September 3, 2011. Accessed September 9, 2011
  10. ↑ Melanie Oudin-Jack Sock reach final ESPN. August 9, 2011. Accessed September 9, 2011
  11. ↑ ATP – Coaching updates on Donald Young and Jack Sock TennisworldUSA. September 28, 2011. Accessed September 29, 2011
  12. ↑ "Blake impressed by Sock; Querrey in Challengers". Tennis.com. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  13. ↑ "ITF Futures – Jack Sock wins second ITF title". Tennis World USA. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Hit with Robby Ginepri – Honolulu Challenger Conclusion". 10S Balls. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Almagro beats US teen Sock in US Open 3rd round". Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Sock falls in Champaign Challenger final". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Jack Sock re-emerges with Memphis run". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  18. ↑ Oddo, Chris. "Lopez's 300th Win Knocks Sock out of Memphis". Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  19. ↑ "B.Bryan/M.Bryan – J.Blake/J.Sock Match Result". Tennis Databank. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  20. ↑ http://www.startribune.com/sports/209636731.html
  21. ↑ http://www.si.com/tennis/2014/12/16/daily-bagel-jack-sock-hip-surgery
  22. ↑ http://www.memphistennis.com/news/story-150

External links