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“I have always dreamed of winning an ATP event and competing at this level. Now it’s come true. Penta water has been a great addition to my game, giving me an advantage over the competition.”
From the minute he could grab and throw, anything round and within Graydon’s reach went flying. At age seven Graydon picked up a tennis racquet and hit a tennis ball against the garage door for hours. His father saw an ad in a Boca Raton newspaper for a summer tennis camp. Asked if he would like to go, Graydon answered, “Yes!”
Over the next ten years Graydon would be taught and influenced by Larry Gottfried and John Evert. Larry Gottfried told him, “You’re not always going to be this small and you’ve got great hands. I’m going to teach you how to serve and volley!” With that he finished his junior tennis career with Doubles rankings of #3 in Florida and #7 nationally.
Following his Junior year of high school, Graydon won the International Hard Courts Tournament in Washington, D.C. with Kyle Porter. That win propelled the duo into the Junior US Open. That same summer Graydon was both the Singles and Doubles Champion at the Southern Open at Louisville, Kentucky. That Fall he was recruited by more than 15 colleges and universities and ultimately decided upon Alabama because of the school’s coach, Joey Rive. Joey had been where Graydon wanted to go…the Tour. In his Freshman year, Graydon won a Rolex Regional Championship in Doubles and was ranked as high as #13 nationally.
As a Junior, Graydon decided to transfer to the University of Illinois and play under Head Coach Craig Tiley. Tiley was NCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and Captain of the South African Davis Cup Team. Graydon matured and blossomed as a Singles and Doubles player and after a great season, he won the deciding match at the Big Ten Conference Tournament giving Illinois an unprecedented fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship. Graydon also won the clinching match at the NCAA Regional earning Illinois a trip to the “Sweet Sixteen” NCAA National Tournament in Athens, Georgia. There Graydon won an NCAA National Championship in Doubles which earned the Big Ten Athletic Conference and the University of Illinois their first-ever National Championship in tennis. Graydon was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame and got a wild card into the Main Draw of the US OPEN. A childhood dream come true.
In his Senior year, Graydon rose again to a #1 NCAA national doubles ranking and a #18 Singles ranking. His combined season-end Singles and Doubles rankings gave him a 2000 / 2001 NCAA national American player ranking of #8. Soon after, Stan Smith called Graydon and congratulated him on being chosen for the 2001 USTA College Team. Each year the USTA chooses the top 6 college tennis players “with the best prospects for success on the Pro Tour.” Graydon achieved All-American and Academic All-American status in his Junior and Senior years. In his Junior year, Graydon was named Illinois Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In his Senior year Graydon won the Big 10 Medal of Honor.
Introduction to the Pro Tour
Graydon played well at the US OPEN in 2000 and got the attention of professional players and their coaches. He was asked to “hit” with Mark Philipousis, Greg Rusedski, and Pete Sampras. Being chosen to warm-up a player for a match is an honor and a testimony to Graydon’s ability.
In March 2001, Graydon got a Wild Card into the Citrix Tournament in Delray Beach, an ATP Tour event. He and his partner won the first round easily. In the second round, they lost the first set 4-6, but Graydon realized that he could compete with the world’s best. They won the second set 6-1.The third set was a repeat of the first and they lost the match. But they had won 14 of 27 games and a ton of self-esteem. After that first ATP Tour Event Graydon said, “The crowd, the lights, the noise…I loved it. And I know I can beat the world’s best. It erased all doubt. This is what I want to do.”
Graydon graduated in December 2001, and turned “Pro” in February of 2002. One month later Graydon met Jan-Michael Gambill. The two quickly became friends and agreed to play together, “to see how two Americans with big serves would do.” The U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston in April was their first Tournament and they reached the Finals. They were a “team” and they have been on a “tear” ever since Houston reaching the Round of 16 at Wimbledon (another dream realized), the Quarterfinals at the Mercedes Benz Cup in LA and the Semifinals at the TDWaterhouse Cup on Long Island in August.
On Sept. 30, 2002, Graydon and Jan-Michael brought home Graydon’s first ATP Title at the Salem Open, Hong Kong’s only ATP tournament, in the deciding match over Australians Wayne Arthurs and Andrew Kratzmann. The court is just waiting for Graydon Oliver’s next success. Back to Penta People Index | 
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