The ATP Tennis Radio Podcast · ATP Media

EXCLUSIVE - Cecilia Fillol On Her Son Nicolas Jarry

·12 min·1 clip

Fernando Gonzalez told Nicolas Jarry that representing a smaller country like Chile brings an unbelievable joy of winning.

This episode features an interview with Cecilia Fillol, the mother of Chilean tennis professional Nicolás Jarry. Host Matt Roberts speaks with Fillol about her son's upbringing and career development. Cecilia Fillol is a former volleyball player and the daughter of former ATP player Jaime Fillol. Nicolás Jarry is the eldest of five children and was raised in a sports-oriented family where tennis was a frequent topic of conversation. He experimented with golf, rugby, and soccer before focusing on tennis, influenced by his grandfather's professional background. The family lived in Florida from 2011 to 2012, where Jarry utilized dual citizenship to represent the United States in junior tournaments for competitive opportunities. Former Chilean tennis player Fernando González convinced Jarry to ultimately represent Chile, citing the passion of representing a smaller nation. Fillol describes her parenting philosophy as requiring commitment to a chosen sport for at least a semester, rather than being results-driven. Jarry demonstrated his own dedication by requesting a morning physical trainer and switching to homeschooling to accommodate his junior circuit travel. A key moment was his decision to forgo college tennis when he achieved a specific junior year ranking, which his parents had set as a benchmark. Fillol emphasizes the family's effort to provide Jarry a "normal" upbringing, including graduating from a high school in Chile. She is currently traveling on tour to help Jarry and his wife with their two young sons, Juanito and baby Santiago. The name Santiago was chosen partly because it is a derivative of her father Jaime's name, and Jarry won the Santiago tournament the same week they learned their baby was a boy. The family maintains American traditions like Thanksgiving, reflecting their bicultural background. The conversation is warm, personal, and conversational, focusing on family influence and personal anecdotes. Listeners interested in the personal backgrounds and family dynamics of professional athletes would enjoy this episode. Those seeking match analysis or technical tennis discussion might find it less relevant.

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