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Brian Vahaly, Virginia’s first tennis All-American, recently retired from professional tennis after six years on tour. VirginiaSports.com caught up with him to look back at his pro career, his move into the financial business world, and the success of the current Cavaliers.
Question: You recently retired from playing professional tennis; what went in to that decision?
Vahaly: The 2006 US Open was basically my last tournament, at which point I had to undergo the first of three surgeries, primarily on the rotator cuff. That was basically a year-long recovery process, which included a lot of physical therapy and long hours. Unfortunately, I actually needed to have another, more extensive surgery on the other side of my rotator cuff where there was a labrum tear. At some point, enough was enough. It was possibly going to be a two or two-and-a-half year stint off the tour, which would have made it even more difficult to come back and be at a point where I would have been happy with my ranking. I inevitably had to make the difficult decision that it was time to move on.
Question: How frustrating was it that you really didn’t get a chance to go out on your own terms; that injuries forced you to retire?
Vahaly: The worst part about all of this is leaving on someone else’s terms – on your body’s terms basically. You really have these visions of ending tennis, knowing when it is coming, and being completely ready to end your career. At the same time, I always questioned myself throughout my playing days if I would ever know when it was time to stop. You are always hungry to play. You love competing. You love being out there on the court; the lifestyle, the experience, and the travel make it a job unlike anything you will really ever experience again. I don’t know how I ever would have stopped. You always feel like the next tournament is yours. Maybe if I can just string together a couple good points, a couple good games and matches, I can get my ranking back and be at my best ever. Honestly, it was very devastating to have my body telling me my career was over, but at the same time, in the long run it probably was a lot easier because I really have no regrets for how hard I worked, for the time and energy that I put into the game. Every minute I was out there I felt like I was giving it my all. It is unfortunate that tennis was taken away but at the same time I don’t know how I could have ever walked away. It is all I have ever known.
Question: Looking back at your career, what are some of your fondest memories?
Vahaly: For me, it starts at such a young age. I had a tennis racket in my hand at the age of two. By the time I was in middle school, I was traveling around with my family and seeing the country, and really the world, winning some national junior tournaments I thought it was about as exciting as it can get. Getting a scholarship to the University of Virginia was a huge deal for me, and at that point in my life I thought that was as high as I would go. I still hold my time and memories in Charlottesville very close to my heart. I am still very close with the guys on the team that I came in with: Huntley Montgomery, Brian Hunter, Tommy Croker. So much of tennis is an individual sport, so I feel fortunate to have been at Virginia and received such a great education as well as develop such amazing friendships. I think I was able to build on those experiences at Virginia going out on tour, struggling at first, and then really starting to pick up my game through the 2002-2006 seasons.
On the pro tour, your best memories tend to come from your best results. Any time you are playing great on a large stage, which for me it was Indian Wells, it was Memphis, it was Wimbledon, and a few other tournaments where I played well and beat some of the best players in the world. That is something that will always stick with me. Having played tennis for 26 years, there are so many separate and distinct memories that stick out. I had some amazing memories beating the number-one player in the world in singles and then teaming up with Andy Roddick to beat the number-one doubles team in the world. Accomplishments I never thought in a million years that I would have. From my family’s support and great relationships from school, I really got to see where I could take my talent. Fortunately, I took it a lot higher than I ever would have dreamed.
Question: How hard was the transition for you when you went from playing in college where you have teammates and a structured daily routine to being on tour where you are basically on your own?
Vahaly: You just get so comfortable practicing and hanging out with your team. I had such an incredible time when I was in Charlottesville, I would probably say the first four months after I left school I actually really struggled, not only on the tennis court but personally. I missed being in the Charlottesville environment. Virginia was just an amazing experience for me. So not only did I struggle because the players were better, but I missed the friendships and the people from the University. Tennis-wise, I got my butt kicked when I went out there. At my first US Open I played in the qualifying and lost 6-0, 6-0. I never thought I would see those days, as well as I did at Virginia. I thought, “What the heck am I doing, not even able to win a game against some of these guys?” But it is a growing process, it is a learning process, and I had to learn how to become myself again and become a successful individual player.
Question: Looking back on your professional career, what are you most proud of?
Vahaly: I would probably say being part of the Davis Cup team, that was an amazing experience. As I said, beating the number-one players in singles and doubles, and making it to the quarterfinals of a Master Series event, the semifinals at Memphis and winning some tournaments along the way. Those are great memories for me. In order to be successful at the professional level, you have to push yourself to limits that you never thought you could even do. Not only the time, hard work, and energy you are putting into it, but also dealing with a lot of mental stumbling blocks along the way. Do you think you are good enough to do it, and can you really beat these guys? In the end, not many people get the opportunity to play Andre Agassi on the center court of the Australian Open or Lleyton Hewitt on the center court of the French Open, or James Blake on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open. I was able to share those experiences with friends and family who were able to watch me play in person and on television. Like I said, I have been playing tennis since I was two years old and those moments were basically my dreams in a nutshell. Being able to live those dreams already, even at 28 years old, it is as good as it gets.
Question: At one point you were the only guy in the top 100 with a college degree – what does that say not only about you as a player but what UVa was able to prepare you for?
Vahaly: I cannot say enough good things about the experience I had at Virginia. It not only pushed me academically, but it also gave me a platform to continue to train and follow dreams that I had in tennis. For me, Charlottesville was a very busy time in my life. UVa is full of over-achievers. I felt pushed and motivated by teammates and friends, but what I felt was unique about spending four years at UVa, was that it also gave me this amazing academic experience, which I feel matured me to become an even better tennis player. So I think I owe so much of my accomplishments to what I experienced while I was at UVa, and I think anybody who knows me and who coached me would agree with that 100 percent. There just are not a lot of players who could go out and get their college degree, and then go out and play successfully on the tour, and I wanted to try and show other players that it was possible, that there is a place on tour for educated, smart players. I look at a guy like John Isner, who just graduated from the University of Georgia, whom Somdev (Devvarman) actually beat in the finals of the NCAA’s this past year. He is now in the top 100 in the world with a college degree, and I think it is a great example. I just don’t want players to think that if they go to college they have wasted their chance. I think what I was able to accomplish at Virginia showed that, and I hope Somdev is following in my footsteps, and will surpass what I was able to accomplish.
Question: You mentioned Somdev – you set the bar pretty high for a player at UVa. How much have you talked to him about preparing for the highest level of college tennis and preparing to play as a pro in the future?
Vahaly: Somdev and I actually stay in pretty good touch. Any time he plays a professional tournament we exchange text messages. He tells me who he is playing and I give him a strategy based on my experience against that player. We actually have done that almost at every tournament he has played, so I really enjoy that relationship. What he has been able to do thus far at UVa is nothing short of amazing. We both had the same opportunity to play Georgia’s No. 1 player at UGA in the NCAA finals, and he came through and I did not. I have seen the way that he handles pressure and stress and the way that he competes on the court – I think he is definitely ahead of where I was when I was competing at Virginia. I have high hopes for him and I am going to do everything I can to help. To me that is the beauty of the UVa experience. The alumni take such a part in the players’ lives. I don’t even know if I would have been able to accomplish and stay out on the pro tour if I did not have UVa alumni following and supporting me, which is exactly what I want to do for others. I want to help them not only on the tennis court but also with anything that I wish that I had when I was on the circuit. I think Somdev will find that the supporters at UVa are all behind him. I am thrilled to feel like I could help a team that went on to win a national championship. I take great pride in being associated with this program, as does every player who ever played for UVa. What Boland and his coaching staff are doing with the team and for this community is amazing. I mean all you have to do is look at the attendance records. If I can help Somdev, if I can help Treat Huey, if I can help any of those guys, I will always do it.
Question: What are your plans for the future now that you have retired from playing?
Vahaly: It took me a while to figure it out. I basically spent the last year and a half in a doctor’s office. Again, it was a very difficult process. I have just recently accepted a job as a financial advisor in the private wealth division of UBS Financial Services. I came out of the Comm School at Virginia where I double majored in finance and business management so it was a natural fit. UBS was the title sponsor for my foundation, The Brighter Future Foundation, which was started five years ago, and I have just gotten to know so many people there that I feel welcome, I feel comfortable and it is a great environment for me to be mentored and taught by the industry’s best. I am currently working on growing my client base and reaching out to the hundreds of people I’ve met through tennis and kept in touch with through UVa. It has been great, a good start for me, but I still miss tennis. If I play it right – I just might find a way to mix this new career with my old. Who says the biggest deals have to be made just on the golf course?