Jensens' mom keeps order at Atlanta Tennis Championships

Jay Johnson, 14, has worked on the stadium court every day. Accordingly, he is well-versed on Jensen’s orders.

Shirts tucked in. Socks pulled up to the top. Stay hydrated.

“Here, you can see I sit with my shirt untucked,” Johnson said. “But I was eating lunch.”

Then he looked to Jensen, who returned a nod of approval.

“It’s one thing to be a ball person picking up the balls and getting towels,” she said. “But what we advise the ball people is that they are representing the community so the whole country can see what great people we have.”

“Ball boys,” which the volunteers often are called, is a misnomer. The group includes individuals whose ages range from 13 to 28 years of age.

After an application process, individuals were invited to tryouts that included tests of foot speed, ball toss and attention span.

Those lucky enough to be chosen were rewarded with an opportunity to work at the Atlanta Tennis Championships. Their jobs have included 12-hour days, spent mostly in the sweltering heat.

But for Johnson, the perks outweighed the pain.

“I always say good match, and players will start a conversation if you catch them at the right time,” he said. “Like, ‘Hey man, how long have you been playing tennis? Keep going. Thank you for ball boying.’”

And when he finally is able to head home after his long work day, he does not need to look far to find Jensen.

"I love working with young people," she said. "And we need to have someone make sure they are hydrated and that they aren’t getting sick. And keeping their shirts tucked in, that's important."

More often than not, she has left the premises after midnight -- a routine she is all but too accustomed to.

She recalled one summer when she traveled around 90,000 miles to get her four children to their respective tennis tournaments.

Her hard work paid off. Luke and Murphy, her two sons, won the doubles title at the French Open in 1993.

At one point all four of her children, including twin daughters Rebecca and Rachel, were playing professionally. So it was not a surprise that in 1995, the Jensens were ranked No. 3 on Racquet Magazine's list of powerful people in the tennis world.

More than a decade later, the family remains influential. Luke serves as the women’s tennis coach at Syracuse and works as a regular commentator for ESPN. Murphy coaches for the Washington Kastles professional tennis team and has hosted three programs on the Tennis Channel.

Rebecca continues to coach tennis. As for Rachel, she’s busy as the mother of five children.

Patricia remains busy taking care of 40 of her own this week. Then it is on to the next tournament or tennis event.

“Tennis has given so much to my family,” she said. “Understanding how the game was so good to them. I know it’s important we contribute to the game.”