BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Luke, top, and Murphy Jensen are almost inseparable.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
As a doubles team, they are ranked No. 95 in the world.
They have won only three matches on the ATP Tour this year.
But when Luke and Murphy Jensen play, it is usually on center court, in a late evening time slot (to keep people around), in front of more fans than a typical doubles match.
It is an event.
That's because the Jensens -- who compete this week in the Great American Insurance ATP Championship -- have become the pop stars of doubles tennis. With natural charisma and a tireless ability to work the crowds, they are entertaining and captivating.
Win or lose, they will be the most visible players at the ATP Tennis Center in Mason. Unlike many of the top pros who retreat to the players lounge or leave the grounds immediately after a match, the Jensens will sign autographs for hours, attracting fans of all ages and gender. In a sport trying to improve its indifferent image, the approachable Jensens are the ultimate ambassadors.
Luke and Murphy ham it up in a promotion for a children's TV show.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
"Their demographics are birth to death," said Patricia Jensen, their mother and agent, a perpetually in motion sturdy 6-foot red-head. "They are just as effective in corporate settings as kids' days."
Murphy, 29, is the one with the head shaved clean, shining in the sun and gleaming with beads of sweat.
Luke, 32, has the long hair, usually in a ponytail, often tucked under a bandana.
They market themselves as rock 'n' roll tennis, the Grunge - Gen-X doubles team, and often begin conversations with "Hey, dude." They seek to "Jensen-ize" every tournament in which they participate, bringing a spirit, enthusiasm and energy level to the site.
"Let's face it, tennis right now isn't so popular compared to other sports in America, and they're entertainers," doubles player Mark Keil said. "The game needs them."
'It was crazy'
The Jensen brothers catapulted into the international spotlight at the 1993 French Open.
|
FUN FACTS
|
In the celebration on the court after winning the 1993 French Open, Luke broke Murphy's nose
Murphy once went to see Forrest Gump in the movie theater eight straight nights
Luke is left-handed but mostly plays tennis righty; Murphy is right-handed but plays tennis lefty
Patricia Jensen made her sons take tap-dancing lessons when they were young to improve their footwork
The Jensens have performed in their band "We Never Heard of You, Either" with other tennis players such as Patrick McEnroe and Jim Courier.
|
Six months after they began playing together as professionals, they won the men's doubles championship with an improbable run through the tournament (five of six matches went to three sets; their first two matches ended with 12-10 third sets).
They caught the attention of the media world-wide with their visibly passionate play. They were soon featured in Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and People magazines.
"That is when everything went nuts," Patricia Jensen said. The brothers ran with their sudden fame. They landed endorsement deals with Prince, adidas and Oakley sunglasses.
The Jensens were hot.
"The year after they won the French, they . . . were a nightmare to play," doubles player Dave Randall said. "It was really a joke. On the court, they were chest-butting and high-fiving. Guys would double fault and they would jump up, "Woo, yea.' The fans loved it. There was a lot of interest behind them, but I think their tennis suffered a little bit."
Luke rides his Harley onto the court at the ATT Challenge in Duluth, Ga.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
"It was Milli Vanilli," Luke said. "It was crazy. We had guys get really pissed off. Guys who are our friends were saying, "It's a show, it's a circus act.' We didn't know how to handle it."
They were criticized by -- among others -- John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Some say other players are simply jealous. Top-ranked Pete Sampras has said: "It's not my gig. But for what they do to benefit the game, you've got to hand it to them."
The Jensens toned down their antics but kept their intensity on the court.
They have won four ATP Tour titles since 1993. Last year, they finished No. 15 in the world as a team -- their best season-ending ranking since 1993 when they were No. 5.
The Jensens felt they were on the verge of competing for another Grand Slam title. But this year has been a disappointing struggle. Luke had arthroscopic surgery on both knees in November -- he hurt the left one in Cincinnati last year -- and the right knee has caused problems most of the year. Murphy has endured ankle troubles. They are 3-14 in ATP Tour matches. Their last victory came in May in Rome against Sampras and No. 12 Tim Henman.
"I don't think we've reached our full potential yet as players," Murphy said. "The best is yet to come. We're getting smarter and I'm getting more mature all the time."
No limit to appeal
While their game struggles, their success as celebrities continues, primarily because they work at it as hard as they work at tennis. It was on the flight home from Paris after their French Open victory that Luke told his brother: "We're going to sign every autograph for everyone who asks."
Kids are guaranteed a good time when Murphy is around.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
They wanted to be fan-friendly stars who would give back to their sport and treat people right. Both recalled meeting tennis heroes Stan Smith and Arthur Ashe for the first time and how each impressed them.
"When kids look at me and I see that look in their eye, I know what they're feeling," Luke said. "Now if I'm a jerk to them, they're going to remember that forever.
"But if I give them two seconds, give them a high-five and a "how ya doin?,' that kid could be the next Wimbledon champion."
The Jensens have managed to reach fans across a broad spectrum:
- Serious tennis fans love the way they play. It's an all-out, fight-til-the-end style that often leaves them scratched, bruised or bloody. Make no mistake: They want to win.
- Casual fans enjoy the show. The Jensens pump their fists, talk to the crowd, ball boys, opponents. They yell and coax each other.
- Kids relish the special treatment. With each autograph they sign, the Jensens try to engage kids in conversation. Hi, I like your smile. How's your tennis game? How are you doin' in school? What's that on your shirt?
"I feel bad if I don't make eye contact, if I don't say, "Hey man, what's happening?' " Murphy said.
Their mother, Patricia Jensen, lines up appearances for her sons.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
Patricia Jensen -- PMJ as the boys call her -- works full-time lining up appearances for her sons. She allows them off for Christmas, but otherwise they're up for grabs for charity events, clinics, pro-ams, corporate dinners, ATP Tour Kids' Days. Whatever.
"We both love the game," Luke said. "We both love the spotlight. We've bought into our marketplace. We understand where our niche is in the game of tennis."
A family affair
When Patricia married Howard Jensen in 1965, they kidded about having 11 sons, all of whom would play football.
PMJ coached high school gymnastics in Ludington, Mich. Howard, a former New York Giants offensive lineman who played with Y.A. Tittle, was an elementary school teacher who was asked to take over the high school tennis team. At the time, he knew nothing about the sport. More than 30 years later, he remains Ludington's tennis coach.
Luke honors his favorite sports heroes, Ronnie Lott and Y.A. Tittle, on his shoes.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
When their sons were still 7 and 5 and focused more on football, the Jensens built a tennis court in their backyard, clearing out trees and pouring concrete.
By the time he was 18, Luke -- a former Punt, Pass & Kick champion -- was the No. 1 junior tennis player in singles and doubles (with Patrick McEnroe) in the world. He beat Andre Agassi and Boris Becker. An ambidextrous player who once dreamed of being Notre Dame's left-handed quarterback, he turned toward tennis stardom.
He attended Southern Cal -- picking the school after alums O.J. Simpson and Marcus Allen showed him their Heisman Trophies -- for two years before turning pro in 1987. He then played doubles on the ATP Tour with Australian Laurie Warder.
Murphy and Luke do the 'clanking of rackets' between points.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
Murphy and partner Al Parker combined to win 10 national junior doubles titles and were at one point the No. 1 college doubles team in the country. Murphy followed Luke to USC, then transfered to Georgia for one year before turning pro in 1991.
Twin sisters Rachel and Rebecca, 25, also became tennis pros. Rachel retired in 1995 and lives with her husband in Atlanta. Rebecca still competes on the women's tour.
The brothers teamed up in 1993, and it was tough to find a person outside of the family -- players, coaches, tennis officials alike -- who thought it a good idea. Luke was told that he would ruin his career by playing with his brother, that Murphy lacked the work ethic to be a champion, that he was lazy, unpredictable, unproven.
"Family was more important than maybe getting a better partner," Luke said. "When I win with Murphy, it's so much better."
Murphy's play typically decides matches. He's the one who's going to make the spectacular shot down the line, or knock a routine shot into the seats.
Murphy jumps rope to get his heart rate up while Luke works on his serve.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
One of Luke's roles on the court is to keep his brother focused, keep his spirits up, keep the emotion flowing.
"I was never going to win a Grand Slam with the other guys I played with because we didn't have enough firepower," Luke said. "This guy's all firepower.
"I think I have more confidence in him than he does. Deep down, I don't think he thinks he's that good. He thinks he was better when he was 16 or 18. That's not even a conversation."
They are a team by choice. Neither has any desire to have another partner full time. In fact, should Luke decide to hang it up, Murphy said he would ask: So, now what are you going to do?
"He'd probably tell me, "Well, I've had enough of tennis and I'm going to Hawaii. I just want to go surfing, or I'm going to buy a big boat and live on a boat.'
"And I'd say, "Well, do you mind if I come?' -- hoping that he'd let me go with him."
Luke gives a ride to a child during ATP Tour Kids Day in Duluth, Ga.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
Busy, busy, busy
The Jensens have a plan for their stardom, and they work hard at it. One week in April went like this:
Sunday: Play exhibition in Houston.
Monday: Fly home to Atlanta.
Tuesday: Leave for tournament in Orlando, where they have no hotel reservation and can't get in a room until 2 a.m.
Wednesday: Win first match.
Thursday: Return to Atlanta for program with inner city kids. Fly back to Orlando and lose in quarterfinals.
Friday: Fly to Philadelphia for Arthur Ashe auction fund-raiser.
Saturday: Conduct clinic in morning. Head to New York City to speak to New Jersey's top junior players, then play exhibition. At night, attend premier of Spike Lee's movie He Got Game. ("I saw Kathleen Turner," Luke said. "Man, she looked great. Murphy kicked Earl "The Pearl' Monroe in the shin.").
Luke returned home to Atlanta on Sunday night; Murphy did not arrive until 1 a.m. Monday from New York City. On Monday night they had their first-round match at the AT&T Challenge. They average three cities a week.
"It's what pays the bills," Murphy said. "I think the reception we've gotten from tennis fans has given us the get-up-and-go to keep doing what we're doing. They make it worthwhile to make the sacrifices. But we have desires and dreams to be No. 1."
And without compromising their relationship with fans.
It is a warm spring night in Duluth, Ga., where the Jensens are playing in the AT&T Challenge.
A teen-age girl eases her way to the front row, leans toward midcourt and whispers, "Luke."
The Jensens trail 3-6, 1-2 and are in the middle of a changeover, wiping sweat off their faces, guzzling water and trying to figure out what's going wrong. Luke finally hears the girl and looks over. "Luke, can I have your 99X t-shirt?"
"Can you wait until after the match?" he replies patiently. "I'm leaving right now. Pleeeeease? I'll love you forever if you give it to me."
"Forever?"
Luke reaches down, pulls a gray t-shirt bearing the logo of a local radio station from underneath his equipment bag, balls it up and tosses it to the girl.
Her face breaks into a wide smile as she dashes off.
Luke returns to work.
The Jensens lose.
"You have a split second to be the good guy or the bad guy," he said later. "You know she doesn't mean anything by it. She just wants the shirt.
"It's no big deal. If I can't handle someone coming up and asking for a t-shirt I got for free, then I'm a mental basket case. I'm sure now she's a tennis fan."
|
LUKE AT A GLANCE
|
Favorite movie: The Right Stuff
Favorite book: Das Boot
Favorite food: A lot of it
Song that psyches you up: Rocky
If you were an animal, which one would it be and why: Walrus, "Because it's a cool Beatles song"
If you could have one date with someone, who would it be and why? Marilyn Monroe. "Because she is the ultimate hot babe"
If you could have dinner with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be and why: Abe Lincoln, "a great motivator of men and ideals"
|
The question that trails the Jensens: Could they be more successful if they curtailed their off-court activities?
Absolutely.
"No doubt we'd win more matches -- on court 15 and 16," Luke said. But personal appearances are part of who they are and what they have created. "There's no doubt it's a business," Luke adds.
Balancing the fun and business and competition is not always easy.
"Even before he started playing with Murphy and doing well, no one had more fun on the tour than Luke," friend, foe and neighbor Richey Reneberg said. "Now, if anything, they take on too much responsibility to the point where it affects their results. But what they do is good for the game definitely."
|
MURPHY ON LUKE
|
|
"He's a man-child. He's an amazing talent both as a person and as a player. His entire focus is to be No. 1, doing it the right way, don't treat any two people differently. Luke has tremendous foresight. The way he acts is that of great leadership. I'd follow him everywhere."
|
Whether it's good for the bank account is the question.
The Jensens earn twice as much money from appearance fees and sponsors as they do from prize money, PMJ said.
On the other hand, they have lost result-oriented sponsors over the years. Some companies are continually in search of the next young superstar, throwing money at unproven up-and-comers. "I believe so much in what we do," Luke said. "I used to have an idealistic view of if you won and you put a good product on the table, people would endorse you, and I've had a big slap in the face.
|
MURPHY AT A GLANCE
|
Favorite movie: Animal House
Favorite book: Cat in the Hat
Favorite food: Skyline chili
Song that psyches you up: Anything by Barry White
If you were an animal, which one would it be and why: Curious George. "There's not much difference in the way he lives his life and I live mine."
If you could have one date with someone, who would it be and why? Cameron Diaz. He likes her laugh and says she's mature. "And I'm ready to tie the knot."
If you could have dinner with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be and why: Frank Sinatra. "Frank's the man. One of these guys had an autograph, and he misspelled the guy's name and his own. I think that's pretty cool."
|
"Being in doubles only, we've broken a lot of barriers and achieved a lot more than the (tennis) establishment thought possible. I think there's a lot more out there."
"I never envisioned them being what they are," said Brian Marcus, who coached the Jensens when they were teen-agers and is a white shirt and wooden racket traditionalist. "They've made a virtual career out of their antics and their personalities.
"Probably they ought to slow down their promotional schedule and their public appearances and that kind of stuff. It would probably behoove them longterm-wise to focus on their game a little bit more."
The Jensens presently have deals with Jensen Audio, Oakley sunglasses, Breath Right, Wavex and the Cartoon Network. They lost their adidas sponsorship via a fax in 1995 after a misunderstanding and have not have a clothing deal for 2 1/2 years.
|
LUKE ON MURPHY
|
|
"He knows how to shop, and he knows how to live first-class. He's a celebrity. He definitely could be a superstar in the movies; he's got that aura. He can go up to anyone and start a conversation and all of a sudden get rolling. He just has a very good way with people."
|
Top American players Sampras and Michael Chang have been criticized for being too bland. Agassi has the superstar persona but shuns the media and limits interaction with fans.
The Jensens take the opposite approach.
"I know that we don't win that much, but while it may not be a win in a win column, we win over fans," Luke said. "We bring fans to the seats. We create more business for the game of tennis.
"TV people think people turn off their sets when doubles comes on. Maybe it sounds arrogant, but I know that we can put on a show that people buzzing through the TV will stop and watch."
Grateful for success
The Chattahoochee River runs behind the Jensens' spacious two-story brick house in a quiet, upscale Atlanta suburb.
Framed magazine covers of the brothers are everywhere.
Luke pushes a shopping cart filled with tennis balls past the front of his house after practicing at a nearby court.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
Luke, who bought the house in 1995, lives in the basement, which is full of sports and western memorabilia. A large TV screen gets 500 channels.
PMJ, now divorced from Howard, lives and works on the main floor, constantly on the phone setting up appearances.
Murphy and Rebecca live on the second floor, which has a mini-exhibit from the 1993 French Open championship with tennis balls, trophy, programs and pictures. The family dream was an all-Jensen Grand Slam mixed doubles final: Rachel and Murphy vs. Rebecca and Luke. Luke and Murphy don't hang out much together. They practice every day and make appearances, but they don't eat together, share hotel rooms or go out at night.
In the public spotlight, where they can be boisterous, "a lot of people think we're drunk," Murphy said.
Away from the crowds and the courts, they are just two guys who enjoy their freedom and ponder their future.
Luke, deeply affected by his parents divorce, isn't sure he wants to get married. He has worked for ESPN and ESPN2 and is intrigued by the possibility of acting professionally. He played cello in high school and now plays bass guitar.
Murphy taught himself to play guitar.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |
|
Murphy, too, dreams of a career in Hollywood. Both Jensens are, in fact, reading for a part in an upcoming Oliver Stone movie featuring Al Pacino. Murphy also wants to paint. He collects sports memorabilia. He played violin in the high school band. He has posters of John McEnroe, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, the Blues Brothers. A Curious George doll sits by his bed.
Luke, whose long hair makes him appear the wilder of the two, does not drink, smoke or touch drugs. Never has.
Both own Harleys, though Murphy spends more time in his 1976 Eldorado convertible.
"We definitely live a rock-style life," Murphy said. "I get to do some amazing things. From Spike Lee's premier to hanging out with Chris Evert. It's an amazing deal. It's cool. A lot of celebrities think we've got rocks in our head because we just are into it. We think it's a privilege.
"I think the biggest misconception is that we don't work hard and we don't care about winning. We care very much about winning." Luke has earned more than $1.2 million on the ATP Tour; Murphy has earned more than $600,000 in his career.
"This house represents so much to us," Murphy said. "I came downstairs one night in the middle of the night, six months after having the house, and Luke was there. Neither of us could sleep. When you're a junior tennis player, you stay with families, and a lot of times they're well-to-do and have nice homes. We're in the kitchen, and Luke said: "When are these people going to come home and throw us out?' "
Said Luke: "When I look into the river, I still think I'm 8 years old, hanging out with my dad and thinking about professional football and wanting to be a quarterback at Notre Dame. To me, living in a half million dollar house, traveling the world, making six figures . . . That blows my mind. I'm just very fortunate to be where I am."
ATP PAGE
