Could A Baby Rush Be Key To A Jarry US Open Run?

Nicolas Jarry’s first-round win at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati was ordinary. The Chilean’s life ever since has been anything but.

Instead of taking the court for his second-round clash at the ATP Masters 1000 event against Alexei Popyrin last week, Jarry rushed home to await the birth of his second child.

“It wasn’t that much of a surprise. I already had said with my wife that if something happened, she would be monitoring herself and the baby already since Toronto. And whenever the doctor said that it was close, I would just get a flight,” Jarry told ATPTour.com. “And the day after I won, she went to the doctor and they told her that it was better if I can go home because it could go any day. She already was having contractions. So that was enough. I went.”

Last Friday Jarry’s wife, Laura, gave birth to their second son, Santiago. They also have a 17-month old, Juan.

“[I got there with] two days, so I had time to be with her,” Jarry said. “I arrived and everything was very, very smooth. She didn’t want to be alone if something happens. So that gave her mental [calm].”

For fans who have closely followed the ATP Tour this season, they will know the Chilean won his first tour-level title in nearly four years in Santiago. Ironically, that is when his family discussed potential names for Santiago.

“It was during the Santiago tournament, the Chilean Open. And we were thinking about the names. My wife said she liked Santiago, she asked one of my sisters. And without her knowing she said Santiago,” Jarry said. “Then she went to another person and that other person said Santiago. It was right before the final of the Santiago Open. So after I won it, she told me this story.

“It was like okay, maybe it can be, but I didn’t want him to have a name after a tournament I won. I wanted it to be a little bit bigger than that. And then she said that Santiago also meant Jaime, that is my grandfather’s name. So it’s like, okay, you have a little bit of everything and that’s a good reason for me to name him Santiago.”

Jarry enjoys bringing his family to tournaments, but they are currently home given how young Santiago is. Jarry, who is at a career-high No. 24 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, has done everything possible to stay close to his wife and children despite being in New York for the US Open, where he will begin his tournament against #NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche.

“I try to whenever I can always try to give them a call. Always I try to give a good night to my wife before going to sleep and I try to ask them for a lot of videos on whatever they’re doing, to always be engaged or in touch with them,” Jarry said. “For now, it’s been okay, it’s just been a couple of days, so I’m hanging good. I’m hanging okay. Probably in a couple of weeks, it will be more difficult.”