Reggie Bush, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL running back, is now a proud tennis dad. His daughter, Briseis, is a rising star in the sport, with aspirations of playing at Wimbledon.
Briseis, 10, has been playing tennis since she was 5 and has already shown a natural talent. She competes in 10-and-under tournaments and has even received a special Naomi Barbie doll from her idol, Naomi Osaka.
Reggie, who retired from the NFL in 2016, has become a dedicated tennis dad, supporting Briseis’s dreams. He has even taken up the sport himself, becoming an excellent golfer in the process.
“I like doing tournaments just to get her feet wet, so she can see what the competition is like,” said Reggie. “Practice is practice, but competing is a different thing. It’s great, and I think it’s good for the mind and good for the spirit, because you learn a lot about yourself in those moments.”
Briseis is taking a break from tournament play this summer to work on her serve with Los Angeles-based coach Cecil Mamiit. She is also inspired by Osaka, who she hopes to emulate one day.
“I like that it’s competitive,” she said about tennis, “and once you win, you’re just like, ‘Yes!'”
Reggie is aware of the impact his celebrity status can have on Briseis’s career, but he tries to stay out of her way during matches.
“The last thing I want to do is be a distraction for her,” he said. “I try to remove myself from her vision, so that she’s not looking at me after every good or bad point.”
Despite her father’s legendary status, Briseis seems to be handling the pressure well. She is confident in her abilities and has even set her sights on coaching her father one day.
“He’s actually getting better,” she said. “I would like to coach him one day.”
