The sun is not up yet, but Jermaine Jenkins sure is. Jenkins is already on the treadmill at the gym warming up. Next he will get into his daily routines of injury prevention exercises; band work, stretching and core work. While injury prevention work is common among players, Jermaine takes his role as a professional hitting partner for Venus Williams just as serious. ELITE sat down with Jermaine in New York to listen to what his job is like between matches at a grand slam.
_______
I usually head to the courts to get an hour practice session in before my practice session with Venus. This hour is sacred to me because it allows me to make as many mistakes as I want without feeling the pressure and demands of making errors. In addition, I feel like I’m sharp after this hit therefore, enhancing the quality of my practice with Venus. In the beginning it was high pressure. I wanted to prove myself and prove that I was the right person for the job. So, I might have over prepared but it definitely helped me to be ready and give quality practice sessions.
