Top 5 things to know about Jennifer Brady

Jennifer Brady is one of the sport's highest trending players this fortnight, and for good reason. The American is blazing past anyone who stands across the net from her, having not dropped a set in five matches.

Much of the tennis world knows the 25-year-old has made massive improvements to her game and it's showing as she enters her first career Grand Slam semifinal, and pockets her biggest payday yet (at least $800,000).

1

UCLA Standout

Before making the decision to turn pro, Brady played college tennis.

During her two years with the UCLA Bruins she picked up All-American honors and helped her team claim the NCAA team championships in 2014.

2

Where It All Began

The world No. 41 picked up a racquet for the first time at seven years old and trained primarily at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla. She would later relocate to the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla.

3

US Open History

It wasn't always straight set wins for Brady in New York. She had her fair share of straight set losses at the majors as well, including a devastating, 6-1, 6-0, loss to Karolina Pliskova at the 2017 US Open inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Before 2020, that round of 16 run was her best showing in New York.

4

First WTA Title

Brady would turn pro after her sophomore year in 2015, and just last month she captured her first WTA title at the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky. She absolutely dominated her way through the draw, defeating the likes of Coco Gauff, Maria Bouzkova and Jil Teichmann.

5

Hello Germany

Late last year she decided to mix it up for the off-season and packed her bags for a true winter experience. She left Florida to train with new coach Michael Geserer and fitness trainer Daniel Pohl at their home base in Regensburg, Germany.

"I decided if I want to give myself an opportunity to maximize my potential and see how far I can get as a tennis player, I think I have to make a change," Brady told press. "Because they were based out of Germany, I decided, Okay, I'll go to Germany. I had no problem with that."

Brady is set to face 2018 US Open champion Naomi Osaka on Thursday.

"I don't feel like the favorite weirdly enough," Osaka told press. "I just feel like I'm going into a match with a really talented player, which is all of my previous matches anyway. I know she's a big threat."

It will be their third career battle and they've split meetings having faced off at an ITF W50 in 2014 and Charleston in 2018.