From Tennis Courts to TV Stardom: Joey Graziadei’s Incredible Journey

From humble tennis beginnings to the bright lights of Hollywood, Joey Graziadei’s journey has been anything but ordinary.

Florida Tennis sat down with him for an exclusive interview to dive into his early days playing junior tennis, college tennis, and his transition to teaching the sport in Hawaii. Later, we discuss Joey's surprising career turn to becoming a world-famous reality TV show star.

Joey's introduction to tennis came at age 13, thanks to his uncle, a teaching professional in Chicago. “He put a racket in my hand for the first time, and I fell in love with it,” Joey said. From there, he played high school tennis and eventually walked onto the team at a Division 2 program at West Chester University.

Above: Joey appears on The Bachelor. Photo credit: ABC/John Fleenor.

Joey’s game had an old-school flair. “I was a serve-and-volleyer,” he said. “That was the strength of my game. My uncle wouldn’t even let me hit a groundstroke until I had a crisp volley.”

It worked—his lefty serve and net game helped him play at a competitive level. It took him two years improving his game in college before being able to walk on to his team his junior year. “Playing college tennis, even at a D2 level, was an amazing experience. It taught me discipline and gave me lifelong friendships.”

After college, Joey found himself in an enviable position—teaching tennis in Hawaii. “It was one of those opportunities that was impossible to say no to,” he said. Then came The Bachelorette, The Bachelor, and Dancing with the Stars. “I believe everything happens for a reason, and I’ve been grateful for these opportunities.”

Above: Joey becomes the champion on Dancing with the Stars (seen alongside his partner, dance pro Jenna Johnson). Photo credit: Disney/Eric McCandless.

Tennis helped Joey prepare for his Dancing with the Stars season. “Footwork was key. You have to be light on your feet in both,” he said. His experience as a teaching pro also helped him adapt. “In coaching, you have to find different ways to explain things. That helped me with learning new dance techniques quickly.”

With his newfound fame, Joey has gotten to interact with some of the biggest names in tennis. “Fila brought me to the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. I played with Kim Clijsters and Andre Agassi—it was surreal.”

At the US Open, he had courtside seats to watch Novak Djokovic and even spent time with James Blake and Pam Shriver when they appeared on The Bachelor. “Tennis has taken me to places I never imagined.”

Joey is finishing up the Dancing with the Stars live tour but has big plans ahead. “I want to do more TV, more hosting. Maybe something in tennis,” he said. “We’ll see where this all leads.”

For now, you can follow Joey on Instagram to stay updated on his latest projects. And if you’re into dance, check out Joey during his Dancing with the Stars tour! To purchase tickets and to get the full list of all the tour dates ahead, visit dwtstour.com.

Exclusive Interview

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Written by Florida Tennis Editor and Publisher Matt Pressman. Photo credit (top): Disney/Eric McCandless. Video: Florida Tennis. Special thanks (and video clips /photos from) Joey Graziadei (Instagram), ABC, Disney, The Bachelorette, The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, and DWTS Live.