Wolf returns home after long injury setback & ‘mental barriers’

By Grant Thompson

J.J. Wolf returns to this year’s Cincinnati Open with a newfound perspective.

The Cincinnati native suffered a severe shoulder injury in February 2025, forcing him to be sidelined for one year. That time away tested more than Wolf’s surgically repaired shoulder.

Competing in qualifying as a wild card, Wolf spoke openly about the difficult 18 months he has endured since a freak injury occurred last year at the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach.

“It’s been a lot of mental barriers,” Wolf said Sunday at the Cincinnati Open. “The pain hurt, but when the doctor put [my shoulder] back into place at the court and told me I was done for the year, that’s what hurt more.”

The 27-year-old paused before describing his recollection of that painful day, the memory seemingly still carrying its weight. Wolf recalls his feet “kicked out” from under him, sending his full body weight crashing onto his right shoulder. The impact was devastating.

Wolf dislocated his shoulder, tore his labrum and broke three bones.

“It was a weird one for tennis. It was more like a car wreck injury than a tennis injury,” Wolf said. “I had a great team around me after surgery, getting me back to being able to play.”

When Wolf returned to action in February, he was unranked — a far cry from the career-high No. 39 he reached in 2023. That time away gave Wolf a new outlook when he returned to the Tour.

“At that point, it was just to be appreciative of being able to play at all,” Wolf said. “That was my mindset coming out. After you spend so many days in the gym, on the practice courts, you just crave that competition. When I got a taste of that, I was off to the races.”

The former Ohio State University star has been feeding off that craving. He began this month by triumphing at the ATP Challenger 125 event in Vancouver, his biggest title since 2021.

“It meant the world to me and my team. We put so much work in over the past year and a half to get back to being healthy and being able to play free,” said Wolf, World No. 282. “It was an emotional one.”

The American first competed in Cincinnati Open qualifying as an 18-year-old in 2019. Wolf was a newcomer who found himself warming up with record seven-time champion Roger Federer.

Wolf has since become a fan favorite, not only in his hometown, but around the country. There was a time when a signature mullet gave him an almost Agassi-esque look, complemented by his laid-back personality yet fierce competitive spirit.

Now back at the Lindner Family Tennis Center for the first time since 2024, the home hero spoke highly of the tournament’s transformation, a nod to the $260 million renovation that has given the ATP Masters 1000 event a new feel.

“Any chance to play in front of the city and my family means the world to me,” Wolf said. “It’s definitely different coming back this year with all the improvements that have been made. It’s a totally different tournament. I feel like I’m walking up to a super Slam. The facilities, especially for the players, are so unbelievable.”