From his early days climbing the ranks on the junior circuit, to becoming the No. 1 ranked junior doubles player in the country, to most recently writing a book chronicling his experiences, Brandon Vu’s journey both in tennis and life has been an extraordinary path of hard work, triumph, self-reflection and vulnerability. Now competing in his first year at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, he continues to shape his identity through a sport to which he has always felt a profound connection.

Born to Sang and Michelle in April 2006, Brandon is the youngest in the family, with an older sister, Katelyn, just three years his senior. Growing up in Chino Hills, Brandon has resided in the same neighborhood for nearly all of his life, only moving once across town. Surrounded by family, including five cousins who live in the same neighborhood, Brandon has always placed great importance on his loved ones.

Although Sang played tennis recreationally in his free time, he was skilled as a professional cyclist, and initially introduced both Brandon and Katelyn to cycling. While this was the first sport that Brandon became involved with, he eventually branched out to explore soccer and even played a year of football and basketball before deciding to focus fully on tennis, like Katelyn. This shared interest in tennis helped foster a close bond between the siblings, one that remains strong to this day. 

Katleyn was the first of the siblings to pick up a racquet, but Brandon followed suit as soon as he possibly could, first stepping on court when he was three years old to participate in a tennis clinic at Ayala High School. While this was the first time he participated in organized play, his earliest memory comes from hitting with Katelyn. 

“We had that typical fierce sibling rivalry, but looking back, those moments of competition built a strong bond not just between me and my sister but between us and the sport as well,” shared Brandon. “Tennis gave me a vessel to pursue one of my passions while also spending time with my family, which I think is a big reason why I fell in love with the sport.”

As Brandon grew older and stuck with the sport, he decided to become more involved with junior tennis in Southern California, first participating in a USTA tournament when he was eight years old. At the same time, he signed up for a Junior Team Tennis league, to which he fell in love with, due to the opportunities it provided for him to craft his talent and compete against some of the best players in the section for his age, all the while playing alongside some of his closest friends. It was here and through the inspiration of the Bryan Brothers, that Brandon molded his game in doubles and in team competition. 

“Ever since I began playing tennis, I have always been more of a doubles specialist,” Brandon mentioned. “It all started when I watched the Bryan Brothers. The chemistry and communication they had was something I strive for with every partner I played with. I even often wore matching outfits with my partners because of them.”

As Brandon’s skills on the court improved, his dedication and hard work began to yield positive results. After struggling to find his footing in his first few sanctioned tournaments, Brandon earned the biggest victory of his young career in 2017 at the Fullerton L2 alongside Quang Duong. A true underdog story, the duo who had never played alongside one another, pulled off multiple upset victories en route to their championship. Brandon followed up this performance later that year with two finalist appearances in L3s as well as a semifinal appearance in a National L3. As Brandon’s 2017 came to a close, he had found even more success in doubles, adding two sectional titles to his resume, in addition to a semifinalist appearance in two others. These accolades helped skyrocket Brandon in the rankings for his age division, launching him from outside of the top-100 to No. 3 in Southern California. 

As 2018 began, Brandon set his sights on one major goal, winning the Bryan Bros. Doubles Race. Throughout the year, he competed in numerous hard-fought tournaments alongside his partner, Mason Bui, ultimately triumphing in the standings to claim the championship. Along the way, Brandon achieved an impressive milestone of 22 consecutive victories in boys’ doubles play, ultimately reaching 25 in the weeks following the conclusion of the race. This victory held special significance for him, as it not only validated his place among the elite talent in Southern California, but also allowed him to win the tournament named after his idols. 2019 proved to be another triumphant campaign for Brandon, who reached the semifinals in three supernationals: the Easter Bowl, the National Doubles Championships and the Winter National Championships. 

“Winning the Bryan Bros. Doubles Race gave me the chance to meet my idols and solidify my love for doubles,” Brandon stated. “Being able to compete at some of the highest levels that the USTA had to offer is something that I’ll always be grateful for, with these three tournaments in particular. Reaching those three semifinals was a huge milestone for me at the time, and I felt that it was a direct translation of the hard work I was putting in.”

With this success soon followed a brief break in the action not only for Brandon, but for all players, as the pandemic struck in 2020. Reaching as high as the No. 5 doubles player in the nation at that time, Brandon was unsure on whether he would ever be able to reach his dream of being the No. 1 doubles player in the country. After a six month hiatus, action began to resume, which also meant that the national ranking system was back online. In September, Brandon rose to No. 3 in the ranks after a series of tournaments, and by early October, he had surpassed his friend and former partner, Quang, to become the No. 1 doubles player in the nation. Achieving this ranking in doubles at a young age was a double-edged sword for Brandon. While he relished the success, it brought an immense pressure to maintain that standard.

“I found it to be a bit of a blessing and a curse; on one hand, I initially enjoyed the success throughout my junior years. However, my accolades instilled a feeling of pressure that only grew with time, and I felt that I put myself to an unattainable standard,” added Brandon. “I think that feeling was accentuated once I reached the No. 1 ranking spot – the dream I had since I started playing tennis – and I actually felt rather unmoved by the accomplishment, feeling that I still hadn’t done enough.”

Despite seemingly reaching the pinnacle of his achievements, Brandon felt a sense of unfulfillment and did not enter 2021 as the same confident player he had been just a few years earlier. He faced challenges in several tournaments at the start of the year, particularly struggling in singles. Although he later found success with some strong finishes in doubles, a disappointing loss in a lower-level tournament ultimately prompted him to engage in a period of self-reflection and disappointment.

Feeling at the lowest point of his tennis career, he decided to set his racquet aside and step away from the sport he had developed a complicated love-hate relationship with. However, in the weeks that followed, Brandon engaged in a series of heartfelt conversations with friends, family, and mentors about his next steps. Ultimately, his absence only deepened his appreciation for the game, especially with the support of his loved ones. Realizing he still had much to offer, Brandon chose to return to tennis toward the end of 2021, training with a new group of coaches and players at a facility closer to home. This renewed focus helped him prepare for his first matches back, with the goal of rebuilding his ranking and continuing to carve out his legacy.

Having trouble in his first matches back, Brandon secured an improbable upset in one of the final L2s of 2021, knocking off his former partner Mason in the round of 16, to give him his largest victory since returning. Following a series of mixed performances, Brandon regained his footing, with perhaps the most significant boost to his confidence coming from his success at the 2021 Jim Hillman Junior Doubles Sectionals.

In a miscommunication, Brandon’s future in doubles at the event looked bleak, with his scheduled partner having double booked another tournament in South America. On the lookout for a new partner in such a short notice, Brandon struck gold, as his close friend Cayden Wang was also in need. While the two shared a close bond, their lack of doubles play together was worrisome, and left doubt in both players’ minds on how far they would be able to go in the tournament. As the No. 3 seed, the pairing made quick work in their first three matches, winning all in straight sets. In the semifinals against the No. 2 seed, the last-minute partners prevailed to pull off the upset, before rounding out their tournament with a championship victory over the No. 8 seed. A seemingly fairytale ending to both the weekend and his wild year, Brandon was once again on top.

During these years of self-reflection, success and struggle, Brandon decided to conceptualize his thoughts in writing. Documenting everything from his play on court, to relationships with family and friends, to internal battles, Brandon wrote a book titled, “It Takes Two: A Tennis Memoir.”  A remarkable feat in itself for someone at such a young age, Brandon credits this achievement as the most rewarding of his tennis career. The book was released just a few months ago, and is available for all to read. 

“I regard “It Takes Two” as my love letter to tennis,” commented Brandon. “In the book, I wrote about my initial rise up the rankings, which was followed by feelings of self-doubt and pressure. I wanted to especially document a time in 2021 when after reaching the No. 1 ranking spot in 2020, I had considered quitting the sport as my ranking plummeted following an injury. But that adversity is what made me who I am today, both as a player and a person. Of course, in the two or so years it took for me to write my book, my life continued to change, and I updated my book with journal entries all the way until my 18th birthday and final junior tournament.”

“I think that the most difficult component of writing a memoir isn’t the technicalities of writing but rather deciding how much of your story you are willing to tell. I regard myself as a very open and expressive person, yet even I found it hard to find the strength to be vulnerable, especially in the late entries of my book. It required much thought, but after spending this past summer deliberating, I came forward with a story that I was extremely proud of. Releasing “It Takes Two” to the public helped me find closure and identity within myself, leaving me ready to tackle the next chapters in my life.”

In the final years that Brandon competed as a junior, he attended Ayala High School, but took an online approach to keep him able to play tennis competitively. His experiences built within high school helped shape him as a person and prepare him academically for his next steps at university. 

“Being a student-athlete is rarely easy, and balancing AP courses with national events requires a lot of hard work and discipline,” Brandon added. “However, I found the challenges I faced to be extremely rewarding, as they prepared me with life skills for college and beyond. From a social aspect, it was hard to connect with new friends as an online student, so I’m very grateful to have had tennis as a way to create those connections. A lot of close friends of mine started out as opponents, partners, or even just acquaintances from tournaments.” 

As he wrapped up high school just this past summer, Brandon made the transition to university, where he is now studying and playing tennis at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Although balancing the demanding coursework with his tennis schedule has been an adjustment, Brandon is thoroughly enjoying his first year as a Stag. Currently undecided, he is considering Economics as his major, while also hoping to leverage his math skills along with his passion for reading and writing in whatever his future may hold.

“My recruiting process was not only deciding what college I would go to but whether I would play tennis in college at all,” mentioned Brandon. “With college looming, I wanted to get into a school with great academics, and I was wondering if I would have to push tennis to the side to achieve that. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was a chance to pair two of my biggest objectives by pairing a premier education with a competitive athletic program. After receiving an offer from the school at the end of summer, it really was a dream come true. The team here truly feels like a family and there’s such a strong sense of camaraderie, where everyone is trying to lift each other up and push each other to work hard. Off the court, my teammates can always serve as someone to talk to or simply have some fun with.” 

In some of his first moments on court as a college athlete, Brandon has already made an impact for the Stags. Closing out the month of September, he captured the ITA DIII West Regional Championship, and also achieved All-American honors alongside fellow freshman, Caleb Settles. This victory set the pair up for an exclusive opportunity, as they will now be competing in the ITA Cup beginning on October 10th. 

Looking to the future, Brandon hopes to play tennis for as long as possible. More importantly, he aims to cherish the memories and relationships he has built and will continue to build through the sport, as these connections hold greater significance than any trophy or medal he has received. In college, he intends to further hone his skills on the court while doing everything he can to help lead his team to an NCAA championship.

Advising others thinking of picking up a racquet, and even those that are already playing competitively, Brandon stresses the importance of finding joy in the sport. 

“I’d say just to enjoy it as much as you can,” Brandon said. “I know that sounds obvious, but I feel that in athletics and especially in an individual sport like tennis, you may feel a need to compare yourself with others, even when you’re just starting out. I would know because it was something that I fell victim to for many years. Now, I realize that enjoying every step you take in your own journey as a tennis player is key to not only success but happiness on the court as well.”

Outside of tennis, Brandon inherited a passion for photography from his father, and recently took up other sports in his spare time as hobbies. A natural storyteller, he channels his creativity not only through his memoir but also through the lens of his camera. 

“All my life, I love to tell stories, and I’m looking to write more books in the future,” said Brandon. “As for photography, I began to pick it up this summer, when I took photos at the CIF-SS Championships and Hard Court Nationals in San Diego. Maybe my dad can take me under his wing. I also have been picking up other sports like pickleball and golf, along with going to the gym with my friends.”