34-year-old Pennsylvania-born tennis sensation Alison Riske-Amritraj is enjoying a thriving career after winning 3 WTA and 9 ITF titles since turning pro some 16 years ago. In addition, she has competed at the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open, and Australian Open.
Born and raised in a family of tennis enthusiasts, Alison’s older sister and brother both played tennis, while her parents, Albert and Carole Riske retired from working as a secret service agent/FBI investigator and teacher, respectively. Also, she is married to a former American-born Indian professional tennis player, Stephen Amritraj.
Early Life And Background Of Alison Riske-Amritraj
Alison Riske-Amritraj was born on July 3, 1990, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Albert Riske and Carole Riske. She has two older siblings; a sister Sarah and a brother Dan.
She grew up alongside her older siblings who played tennis in the past. Her older sister Sarah is a former professional tennis player who played collegiately for Vanderbilt University before turning pro and is now married to Todd McGlamery. While her older brother Dan only played college tennis for West Liberty State and is currently an accountant.
Riske fell in love with tennis at a tender age after her father introduce her to the game when he was 3 years old. The two will always play together in the backyard of her family’s home, in the living room, and even in the driveway. Moreover, she actually became more interested in it at the age of 7 and began to train with her first coach, Janice Irwin.
She had her high school education virtually at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, but she played for Peters Township High School tennis team in the 2006 fall season, helping them to the Championship title, in addition to winning the singles title. It was here that she built meaningful friendships with the member of the team and those around her.
Over the course of two years, she won the USTA National Collegiate Clay Court Championships and won the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championship Sportsmanship Award, thus earning the top spot in the Girls’ 18s category.
It was after these successes that Riske realized she had all it takes to take her career to the next level. She turned pro in 2009 and has had an incredible journey since then.
Who Are Alison Riske-Amritraj’s Parents?
As indicated, Albert Riske and Carole Riske of the parents of the Pennsylvania-born tennis star. Her father Albert used to work with the United States Secret Service before becoming an FBI Investigator later and is now retired.
Due to the nature of his former work, Riske once likened him to the fictional character Jack Brynes, portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 2000 film Meet the Parents. She said he normally tells them to be alert in crowded places and to always look left and right when going out. She went on to state that she thinks her father is Robert De Niro 100 percent.
As captured, he introduced her to tennis when she was tender, and would often play everywhere to the displeasure of his wife, her mother. It is safe to say he plays it more as a recreational activity, but with Carole.
Riske’s mother Carole was a school teacher, and is now retired too. Even though there isn’t about her, she has been of support to her daughter’s career. A look at some of the pictures from her daughter’s verified Instagram page show she attends most of Riske’s games.
Alison Riske-Amritraj Has Been Married To Stephen Amritraj For 5 Years
Alison Riske-Amritraj’s husband is Stephen Amritraj (41). She got married to him on July 21, 2019, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after dating for a long time. The wedding was attended by several active retired tennis stars, including Rajeev Ram, Jennifer Brady, Coco Vandweghe, and Shelby Rogers.
Outside this, Stephen Amritraj was born on March 28, 1984, in Calabasas, California, and is of Indian heritage. He is the son of a former Indian tennis player and entrepreneur Anand Amritraj.
He also played tennis and represent India in international events.
Riske Earns From Her Tennis Career
Alison Riske-Amritraj has been earning good amounts of money since her professional career took off in 2009. As regards her net worth, several outlets have given different figures ranging from $2 million to over $10 million, hence there is difficulty in ascertaining the authenticity of the different figures. However, the Pennsylvania-born so far has raked a career prize money of over $6 million.
Quick Facts About Alison Riske-Amritraj
- Alison initially signed a letter of intent to play college tennis at Vanderbilt University where her older sister Sarah was a 4-time All-American, but chose to turn pro in 2009
- She won her first WTA title at 24 at the Tianjin Open in October 2014 after beating Çağla Büyükakçay, Olga Govortsova, Varvara Lepchenko, and Zheng Saisai to reach the final
- Riske has recorded multiple career wins over several top-1o players, including Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Angelique Kerber
- She stands at a height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75m) tall
- Alison and her older sister Sarah did a traditional Indian dance to honor her husband’s family during her wedding
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