There’s so much more that goes into being Serena Williams: Jarmere Jenkins
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Jermaine and Jarmere Jenkins might not be well-known in the international circuit, but are prominent names in US tennis. They grew up among seven other siblings as tennis-obsessed kids, watching the Williams sisters on TV.
Jermaine is currently a USTA Player Development women’s national coach and has worked with Venus as a hitting partner from 2015-18. He then went on to coach Naomi Osaka in 2019. Jarmere, a former ATP Top 200 pro, has been Serena’s hitting partner since 2017.
“Growing up watching Serena and Venus on TV, you only get to see one side of them,” Jarmere explained. “Working with Serena, I view her as much more than just a tennis player; I see her as an entrepreneur, a mentor, a wonderful mom, wife, sister, and an amazing friend. There’s so much more that goes into being Serena.”
Workwise, on court, the younger brother is taking full advantage of the opportunity to work with and learn from Serena and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. Jermaine, 36, did the same with Venus and then-coach David Witt.
There are no off days. That’s what makes her who she is: Jarmere Jenkins on Serena Williams
“Working with Serena, it’s definitely going to open up some doors and some other opportunities down the road,” Jarmere said. “Right now, I’m 100-percent focused on the job at hand, and then I’ll let this take me to wherever it can go.”
“This job has prepared me for anything else that I’m going to have to do in the future, whether it’s tennis-related or not. When you step on the court with Serena, whether you feel like it or not, you’ve got to be ready to go. The pressure in those moments is high.”
“She commands that level of excellence on a daily basis; there are no off days. That’s what makes her who she is.”
The Jenkins brothers have been setting there name up high for a few years now. As Black men, working with leading Black women like the Williams sisters, Osaka and Gauff, the Jenkins brothers are pioneers in the coaching world—a predominantly white profession in a predominantly white sport.
“They really shattered the mindset when it came to what we typically see as hitting partners and training partners,” offered former WTA player Jewel Peterson, who grew up playing with the brothers in Atlanta.
“That really changed the culture. That’s a really big deal. And to have two brothers, working with two sisters… we may not see anything like that ever again.”
Also read: Watch: Serena Williams Trains With Grigor Dimitrov Ahead of Miami Open 2021
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Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)