6 minute read
Serving Success: Alexa Guarachi Bruner takes the Watersound Club court
By Laurie Einstein Koszuta
Given her high-wattage smile and refreshingly positive attitude, it’s hard not to be drawn into a conversation with Watersound Club Director of Tennis and Pickleball Alexa Guarachi Bruner. “I am a very positive person,” Bruner pointed out, “but I do have a very intense and competitive side.”
Those combined qualities made Bruner a standout professional tennis player on the world stage for over a decade. Having retired from playing professional doubles tennis in December 2023, she found her new cadence in February 2024 in her Watersound Club role.
“What excites me is that the Camp Creek amenities are such a hidden gem,” she shared. “Many people aren’t aware of it, so my aim is to make tennis and pickleball special by establishing high-quality programming. I want the area to be known for more than its beautiful golf course and amenities. We have eight fantastic clay courts for tennis and eight pickleball courts.”
Hosting larger tournaments to draw players to the area is on Bruner’s agenda. She also wants to bring in well-known professionals so that locals can enjoy meet-and-play opportunities. Her trove of ideas includes kids’ programming and increased exposure and participation in men’s leagues.
“If someone else organizes the events, more men will play,” chuckled Bruner. “We already have great women’s participation. In fact, there are at least four women’s teams from our club that play in the Northwest Florida Tennis Association league.”
Bruner has already impacted the program by hiring Val Goncalves Jr. as the new head pro. “He’s a great player and an amazing teacher. And he can play at a high level.”
With the program in great hands, the future is promising for Watersound Club tennis and pickleball enthusiasts.
Additionally, Watersound Club facilities boast Camp Creek Inn, where guests can enjoy convenient access to all the amenities just steps away from their vacation stay. These very areas will likely cultivate and nurture a love of tennis, where enthusiasts can enjoy quality facilities, socialize and make new friends while playing the sport they love.
Growing up, Bruner frequently played the courts at the Seascape Resort in Miramar, Florida, where her mother, Holley, and her Chilean-born father, Fernando, have worked as tennis pros for more than 30 years.
“I had participated in many other sports,” she recalled, “but my parents told me I had to choose one to concentrate on. It was an easy choice because I was around tennis all the time, and I was good at it. So, when I was twelve, I began focusing solely on tennis.”
Bruner attended public school until the seventh grade and then chose to be homeschooled from her eighth-grade year through high school. “Homeschooling was tough because I am a very social person. Switching made sense because I missed a lot of school due to all the traveling I did for tournaments. It is one reason I wanted to attend college, and I knew I wasn’t mature enough to turn pro before finishing my education. It was important to me to have something to fall back on in case I couldn’t play anymore.”
Paying for college was always a concern for Bruner because she worried that her parents couldn’t afford it. “I knew that if I wanted to go, I needed to work hard and get a scholarship.”
As her junior rankings rose, many universities with tennis programs reached out with full-ride scholarship offers. Ultimately, she chose the offer from her father’s alma mater, the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and majored in public relations.
“Being on scholarship and part of a team in college taught me a lot about balance and work ethic,” noted Bruner. It was character-building. You learn that the team is far more important than you as an individual.”
In 2013, after graduating from college, Bruner turned pro and began climbing the ranks as a singles player. But a devastating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in 2015 meant surgical intervention, a year of rehabilitation, and a sudden stop to what had been a rising career.
“At the time, I wondered if tearing my ACL was a sign,” she said. “I loved singles, but I was also good at doubles, and it was a way to keep my dream of being a professional alive.”
During her long rehab, Bruner felt like she had another awakening. “I realized that I had taken so much for granted and that things could be taken away in an instant. When I was cleared to play again, I had a different mentality and a clean slate. It also made me think of my brother, Stefan, who is two years older and has Down syndrome. He always looks at me unconditionally with the same big smile. He is so inspirational.”
Bruner began pairing with different partners in doubles matches in tournaments worldwide. Because of her father’s Chilean background, she was able to obtain dual citizenship in 2015 and represent Chile in various matches. One of her favorites occurred in 2019 in front of a packed crowd on Centre Court at Wimbledon. Representing Chile and paired with Germany’s Andreas Mies, the duo lost hard-fought, mixed-doubles games to Serena Williams and Andy Murray with a score of 6-4, 6-1.
By the time she retired, Bruner’s was ranked 11 internationally. “I had more success in doubles, was more relaxed, and had more fun.”
Since Bruner's retirement, she has married Vince Bruner, her boyfriend of four years, and hopes to start a family soon.
“As a pro, I traveled around the world for about 40 weeks a year. But the people I cared about weren’t traveling with me, and I was alone a lot,” shared Bruner.
Bruner’s journey in tennis led to incredible moments on the court, and now, Watersound Club members will reap the benefits of her success.
Pickleball enthusiasts can rest assured that Bruner also plans to bring her enthusiasm to the pickleball courts.
“Pickleball players are on the courts all day, every day. They love it, and we plan on hosting tournaments and special events to meet their needs,” emphasized Bruner.
“I play some pickleball,” she laughed, “but I’m very competitive. I don’t like to play games that I am not good at but I’m getting better all the time.”
