A more mature Wolf, now rocking a classy moustache and goatee combo, flashed his warp-speed forehand and radar-breaking serve, knocked off second-seeded Raphael Perot of France 6-3, 6-2 Wednesday night at a packed Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club.
Although sleight at 5-foot-8, Perot was no pushover but he couldn’t match the firepower of Wolf, who at his peak in 2023 was ranked No. 39 in the world. Now ranked No. 947, Wolf is o the comeback trail and chose Vero Beach to get in much needed match play.
WATCH.some of his match highlights and his post-match interview here https://youtu.be/WeLF1D28Cxo?si=5jAl_7RParoCN-3p
Wolf, who received a wild card entry into the Mardy Fish event by the USTA, will play another USTA wild card entry, Jordan Lee, at approximately Noon on Thursday. Lee, who turned 16 on Monday, is regarded as a promising young prospect by the USTA.
The full schedule for Thursday, which features the not-before 5:30 pm night match that features Quail Valley teaching pro Gaston Erhardt and partner and partner Alejandro Orihuela can be found here: M15 Vero Beach, FL 2026 Tennis Tournament | ITF
Forty-five-year-old Ryan Haviland, who became a viral sensation after his final-round qualifying win over 15-year-old Teodor Davidov Tuesday, was defeated in his first round match by Justin Roberts of The Bahamas 7-6, 7-6.on Wednesday, but was featured on Tennis Channel as you can watch here: https://youtu.be/Z9V6I6m7_sE?si=Odkw4aftqFBwnJAf and conducted an interview with the New York Times as well.
Watch a highlight video of Day 3 on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/yFEhxxeymp0?si=Mcez-CJpZuVHLdBf
Wolf, a Cincinnati native, was ranked the No. 1 collegiate player in the nation when he starred for his beloved Ohio State University in 2019 when he went 45-3 in singles and doubles. During his three years there, the multiple All-American led the Buckeyes to three Big 10 titles. After college, he quickly won five ATP Challenger titles, tournaments one level below ATP main-level events, but the pandemic and a ripped pelvis (double hernia) slowed him down.
Wolf eventually rocketed up the ATP ranks to the Top 50 after reaching the fourth round of the 2023 Australian Open before losing to Ben Shelton in five sets. Prior to his Aussie run, Wolf knocked off No. 33 Max Cressy, No. 44 Alexander Bublik (now No. 11) to reach his only ATP Tour final in Florence before bowing out to then No. 13 Felix Auger-Aliassime.
He reached his career-high at No. 39 by making the 2023 Dallas Open 250 semis after defeating then No. 14 Frances Tiafoe before losing to No. 39 John Isner 7-6 in the third set.
Ironically, his horrific shoulder injury occurred at the 2025 Delray Beach Open where two years earlier he entered at his career-high rank after Dallas.
Rehabbing his torn labrum and broken bones of his dominant right shoulder over the last year has changed the charismatic Wolf’s perspective to the realization that one never knows what they have until it’s gone or taken away suddenly.
“It was kind of a collision type injury, more similar to a car wreck than a tennis injury,’’ Wolf said. “I was playing in Delray. My feet kicked out, and they kind of went straight up in the air, and my full body weight landed on my shoulder, so it dislocated, tore my labrum, and broke a couple bones.
“I’m just happy every time I step on the court now. I feel so grateful. I went through so much to get back here. No tournament feels like it’s not a privilege anymore. When an injury like that happens, you never know. So, the surgeons were hopeful. They were telling me, you probably won’t get 100 percent of it back, but you can get pretty good, and last week, I was in Savannah, I was back hitting [serves] about 145 mph. So, I’m very hopeful.”
Wolf, 27, whose grandfather Charles Wolf was a head coach in the NBA for the then Cincinnati Royals and Detroit Pistons in the 1960s, said he owes his full rebound to his physio Hardik Patel and trainer Gena Ball.
“They’ve been there every step of the way,’’ said Wolf, who made the third round of the US Open in 2020 and ‘22. “It was some dark times, obviously, when I couldn’t watch tennis for two years; it was just too hard for me.”
Wolf has held his own against many of today’s top stars such as Tiafoe, Aliassime, Bublik, Denis Shapovalov, Nick Kyrgios, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Cameron Norrie, Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz, Lorenzo Sonego and Roberto Bautista Agut, but he realizes the players have improved at every level.
Wolf returned with a zero ranking in February and immediately won an M-15 in Naples. He then lost two first-round matches in this run of Pro Circuit ITF Future tournaments in Florida, before a second-round exit in a Savannah Challenger two weeks ago.
“They had some Challengers in Ohio that I was lucky enough to win,’’ Wolf said. “I never got to experience, kind of like the ITF Tour. Played one or two, OK. We kind of skipped over it. So now I feel like it’s cool getting in here in the trenches. Everyone’s so nice, and just kind of grinding it out.”
Wolf, now ranked 947, knows that although he’s facing players ranked well over 1000, he takes no one for granted.
“I think the depth is incredible now,’’ said Wolf, now residing in Boynton Beach. “It’s super physical. It’s a lot about staying healthy and making sure that you’re fit. Everyone’s good now. Everyone can hit a forehand, a backhand; everyone can serve. So, it’s a lot about mental and doing all the stuff off court.
“My short-term goal is to stay healthy. I want a full year of being healthy. My long-term goal is I want to come back better than I was. I don’t think I’ve hit my peak yet. We’re putting in so much work that I know that we can do it, just if I can stay healthy.”
Don’t be surprised if the sleeveless muscle shirt returns as Wolf is working with Boast Tennis clothing company to produce new designed muscle shirts.
“The muscle shirt will be back,’’ Wolf proclaimed.
Top-seeded Alex Rybakov of Plainview, N.Y., now living in Coral Springs, advanced as did American teens Gavin Goode of Raleigh, N.C., and wild card Jordan Lee of Orlando Qualifier Matthew Segura of Orlando, the great-nephew of legendary Ecuadorian star Pancho Segura, who taught him his ambidextrous style, advanced into the second round with a straight-set victory over Romanian Vladislav Melnic.
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