Who is Brandon Holt? Everything you need to know about the American sensation who upset Taylor Fritz at the US Open 2022

America's Brandon Holt hogged the limelight on the first day of the ongoing US Open 2022 as he stunned 10th seed Taylor Fritz in the opening round. The 24-year-old from California lost the opening set against his compatriot in the tiebreaker but bounced back in style to win 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4 to defeat Fritz.

This was Holt's Grand Slam debut and the American made it a memorable one, with the win being Holt's maiden triumph on the ATP tour.

Earlier in the qualifiers, the youngster defeated France's Alexandre Muller, Ecuador's Emilio Gomez, and Bulgaria's Dimitar Kuzmanov to qualify for the main draw.

Who is Brandon Holt?

Brandon Holt shakes hand with Taylor Fritz. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Brandon Holt is currently ranked No. 303 in the ATP rankings. He is the son of Tracy Austin, who won two US Open titles in 1979 and 1981. Austin is a former World No. 1 and is the youngest champion in US Open history after lifting the trophy aged just 16 in 1979.

Meanwhile, Holt turned pro in 2020 but the Covid-19 pandemic and a hand injury impeded his young career.

Austin, who also won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon 1980, was on cloud nine after her son defeated Bulgaria's Dimitar Kuzmanov in the final match of the qualifier. The 59-year-old felt her son handled the pressure well as there were rain delays throughout the match.

“He did it. He did it. He handled the moment. He handled the pressure. He won the third time in a row, didn’t have that letdown,” Austin said while talking to the ATP Tour.

“These are big wins for him. It’s a lot of time to think in the locker room. He basically had an hour and a half and [another] hour and a half to think about the last five points, so you’re just so happy that now he’s in the US Open. I still can’t believe it.”

Brandon Holt, on the other hand, stated that his mom is an inspiration for him, adding that her competitive nature and her drive to give everything a 100% was his biggest takeaway from the tennis veteran.

“She’s an unbelievable competitor. I think just watching her do day-to-day things, it’s kind of 100 per cent or nothing. I’ve never seen her give anything less than 100 per cent and it’s always that [way], whether she’s doing things for her family — it seems like her favourite thing to do because she’s always there for us,” Brandon Holt said.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned. Whether it’s in tennis or playing a game of cards. She’s not going to lose. She’ll reach across the table and rip your heart out and then hug you after.”

Brandon Holt will face Argentina's Pedro Cachin in the second round of the 2022 US Open. Cachin bested Slovenia's Aljaž Bedene in a five-set thriller in the opening round.

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results