Iowa’s Jake Jacoby found his game on TV

IOWA CITY - He picked up a tennis racket when he was 9 years old and hasn't put one down since.

Now senior at the University of Iowa, Jake Jacoby has made a name for himself on the tennis court and it all started by watching television.

Jacoby played almost every sport as child in Little Rock. Ark., except tennis. He was an all-state goalie in soccer and his parents were Ivy League athletes in swimming and football.

But it wasn't until he watched the Wimbledon tournament - and caught a glimpse of Rodger Federer - that he decided he wanted to play tennis.

'It looked like a game that I wanted to try,” Jacoby said.

Jacoby ranked No. 1 in the southern regional by the time he was 14. He was a four-time Arkansas state champion and a five-star recruit, receiving college offers from schools across the country.

But Jacoby wanted a school that challenged him athletically and academically. Iowa's business school and Iowa tennis coach Ross Wilson did just that.

'I wanted a coach that wasn't OK with the status quo,” Jacoby said.

During the recruiting process, Jacoby was open to the changes Wilson wanted him to make, to make him better.

Jacoby has had a winning record every year and was named an ITA scholar-athlete and an academic All-Big Ten last spring. He had career records of 44-38 in singles, including 17-12 last year, and 56-38 in doubles heading into the fall season.

'He does everything you want a player to do,” Wilson said. 'I have no doubt that every time he goes out on the court he's going to give his best effort mentally and physically.”

Jacoby attributes his success to the Hawkeye coaching staff and his competitive teammates. His strong work ethic comes from his parents.

'They both had to work in very different ways to be good at their sports,” Jacoby said. 'It gave me a different perspective.”

After he graduates, Jacoby hopes to play pro-club tennis in Germany with teammate Josh Silverstein or become a college coach. Either way, he won't be putting down his tennis racket anytime soon.

The Big Ten indoor tournament starts Friday.

'I know he's going to bring everything he's got,” Coach Wilson said.

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