Five Minutes With… J.J. Wolf

WATCH: J.J. Wolf reunites with red clay and dresses up for the infamous all-white party at Houston's ATP event on this episode of My Tennis Life.

Let’s start at the top: where did the mullet come from, and did you expect it to become such a hit?
JJW: I did it for the first time when I told my team [at Ohio State] during the NCAA tournament that we should all do it, but all of them wimped out! I was the only one to go through with it, and then I cut it for my mom’s birthday a month or two later. It was maybe a year after that when I thought, ‘I liked it; let’s bring it back.’

Now I’ve started to see eight to 12-year-olds, even 18-year-old kids starting to rock them at tournaments. I didn’t know anyone else liked them!

There was a big fan reaction when you cut it off; what made you decide to do it?
I’m really trying to step up my professionalism, and I didn’t want all the attention that came with it. I just wanted to focus on my tennis, and want a full, healthy year. That’s my main goal.

I’m kind of sad for the mullet to be gone, but I think it was time to give it a break; we’ll see if it comes back or not.

I’m kind of sad for the mullet to be gone, but I think it was time to give it a break; we’ll see if it comes back or not.

What do you think stands between you, say, reaching the Top 100?
I haven’t thought too much about ranking goals. I think I’m making some huge mental strides right now, and I really believe the results will come if I continue this route that I’m on. I still haven’t had a season where I’ve gotten to play a ton of tournaments, and it’s going to be hard to have a successful career if you can’t play full schedules.

There’s obviously been bad timing: I turned pro in the middle of 2019, then COVID-19 hit and I had hernia surgery.

What do you still need to improve?
I think the biggest thing is just that overall professionalism, where I’m really taking care of my body so I can compete as best I can on court. I’m trying to stay in good physical condition and make sure my mind is in the right place.

It’s all about getting used to being on tour, because I do like to be home, and it can feel really different on the road. But I’m ready to embrace the life and start enjoying wherever I am.

Is there a match you watched that inspired you to become a pro?
My favorite time of year was always the Cincinnati tournament, the Western & Southern Open. I’d get to see it in person and sometimes I’d even sneak down to the front rows and watch guys like Federer, Rafa, Isner.

I got to see what their ball looked like from a court-level view, and that’s what really got me to be like, ‘I want to do that.’

What’s on your pre-match playlist?
Oh, there’s a plethora of music, but it’s all country. I’ll probably listen to that for about 20 minutes before I step on court, and then it’s “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

Who are your favorite social media follows?
I love the adventure pages on Instagram, getting to see people do things like whitewater rafting, skydiving, fly fishing—anything outdoors.

There’s also plenty of sports pages because I love sports. And, of course, can’t forget all the puppy videos out there.