ATP Tour
Inside Money & Tracy’s partnership: From surgical procedure & finance to US Open stardom
Be taught extra in regards to the former American school standouts
September 04, 2025
Pete Staples/USTA
JJ Tracy and Robert Money are competing of their second US Open.
By Andrew Eichenholz
When JJ Tracy was going by the method of determining which college he would attend, the product of Ann Arbor, Michigan and Hilton Head, South Carolina visited Ohio State College. His host on the journey was Robert Money, whom he had crossed paths with within the juniors however by no means performed in opposition to or with.
“Normally as a result of I would not make it that far within the tournaments,” Tracy stated.
“No, he is not giving himself credit score,” Money, from New Albany, Ohio, shortly added.
Each Individuals laughed. Right now, they’re shut pals and doubles companions on the ATP Tour who’re into the semi-finals of the US Open, making an attempt to develop into the one All-American males’s doubles crew to say the title this century moreover twins Bob and Mike Bryan.
However the former Buckeyes’ bond really started to kind on that go to earlier than they have been teammates.
“I simply realised how all the way down to earth JJ was. It is sort of uncommon in tennis,” Money stated. “I felt like we had a connection off the rip. We have been very related in a whole lot of methods. He was very cool, very humorous, meshed with the crew extraordinarily nicely on his go to after which when he began faculty, he labored more durable than all people else and that is what I actually admired about him.
“He tried so onerous on the court docket and was an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable buddy. I simply assume that we get alongside so nicely off court docket and on court docket, and it helps us each methods.”
Money’s longtime dream has been to go to medical faculty and ultimately develop into a surgeon and his associate, Tracy, studied finance at Ohio State.
“By no means actually acquired to get an enormous head about any particular finance main as a result of we had a pair medical doctors on the crew,” Tracy joked.
The pair’s skilled journey almost was over earlier than it started. Within the 2024 NCAA Doubles Championship, Money and Tracy confronted two match factors within the semi-finals. Had they let slip a type of factors, Money would have totally centered on medical faculty functions and Money would have put his power into singles.
As an alternative, they received the event and earned a US Open wild card. In addition they have been awarded a wild card into the Corridor of Fame Open, reaching their first ATP Tour ultimate there. The Individuals made sufficient progress on the ATP Challenger Tour on the finish of the season that they determined to forge ahead collectively and Money put his dream of turning into a surgeon on pause.
This 12 months they received their first tour-level title in Los Cabos and with their semi-final run in New York are eleventh within the PIF ATP Dwell Doubles Groups Rankings.
“It is unbelievable. I used to be enjoying singles again then, however by no means in one million years would I’m going play a 15K or a Challenger in singles and commerce it for this. I imply, that is unbelievable,” Tracy stated. “It has been tremendous particular to see us climb the ranks, from profitable our first Challenger event to stringing just a few of them collectively, making our first ATP look and Los Cabos, getting our first title.
“We have been getting interviewed some in Los Cabos and I stored saying that our purpose is to win considered one of each degree of event. We have knocked out all the things besides 500, 1,000 and this, so this is able to be a superb one to knock off.”
A transparent purpose behind the Individuals’ success is how nicely they get alongside and work collectively. They don’t simply merge collectively nicely when it comes to their video games, but in addition their personalities.
“He is simply very easy to be round. He is all the time acquired a superb perspective, nice power,” Money stated. “Folks feed off of him, and nothing actually brings him down, so he is all the time acquired a smile on his face, bringing individuals, placing smiles on individuals’s faces round him, and such a straightforward man to be round.”
Tracy stated: “[He is a] excellent chief off the court docket, on the court docket. There’s been occasions in my life I used to be down, there are occasions I am down, he is all the time knocking on my door saying, ‘What is the deal, dude? What’s good?’ He’s all the time making an attempt to select me again up. He led all by school as a teammate, as a buddy.”
When Money and Tracy superior to the final 4 on Wednesday night, countryman Ben Shelton posted his congratulations on Instagram Tales: “Hype for these boys”. They have been all in school on the similar time.
“I believed it was very good of him, the faculty crew sort of sticks collectively. That man completely is crushing it. He hit the bottom operating. He is an excellent, tremendous good man off court docket. Very humble, very grounded, and he is been nothing however supportive and good to JJ and I off the court docket,” Money stated. “He did not have to do this. He is High 10 on this planet in singles. He would not have to present us the time of day, however he is such a pleasant man off the court docket, and we’re actually appreciative of that.”
The previous school standouts know their job will not be but performed. Money and Tracy return to the court docket Thursday to face this 12 months’s Roland Garros champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos for a spot within the ultimate.
“Our coach has been on us on a regular basis about it off the court docket. He tells us to remain within the filth. Keep within the filth, simply do not go too far within the clouds, look too far prematurely,” Money stated. “We’ve acquired to take it one step at a time. There’s nonetheless matches to be performed, matches to be received. The job’s not completed, so we must be glad, have a good time the win tonight. However we’ve acquired to focus and put all our power and energy in direction of the match tomorrow.”
