Centre College Athletics Photo
Ty Bush played for St. Xavier, a traditional high school tennis power in Kentucky, and was on state doubles championship teams in 2021 and 2022. He was used to playing elite competition because St. Xavier often had to play talented out of state teams to challenge its own deep roster.
However, he knew the competition he would face at Centre College his first year would be really good and he was right.
“I would say the overall competition was pretty much what I expected but the one difference is that we played tough matches all season. In high school it was kind of random on whether it would be a tough or easy match. Here the competition was very consistent and that was awesome for me to have to face consistent competition,” Bush, Kentucky’s 2022 Mr. Tennis, said.
His brother, Bo, is a junior on the Centre tennis team and the two played No. 1 doubles. Bo was injured about midseason and missed a few weeks but Ty felt they played well with their losses coming to “highly ranked teams” in some close matches.
The brothers lost 8-4 to Swanee’s No. 1 team in the Southern Athletic Association Championships to end their season. It was their second loss to the same team this season and two of their other losses came to teams from Virginia ranked at the top of the regional standings.
Ty Bush did not originally expect to attend Centre College. He took a visit to Centre in the fall of his senior year but admits he still didn’t think about coming to Centre. He knew how much his brother liked all Centre was doing for him and eventually decided it was the right spot for him, too.
“It was not about him (Bo) being here but that did help,” Ty said. “I knew he enjoyed being at Centre and it looked like I would, too. Turns out it has been awesome and was definitely the right decision for me. It’s just funny how I never really thought about coming to Centre and then out of nowhere it was Centre and has been perfect.”
Bush finished the 2023 season as a member of the All-SAA First Team as a freshman, collecting seven wins as a member of the singles lineup, competing as Centre’s No. 2 competitor for a majority of the season. Bo and Ty had a team-high 12 wins in 18 matches they competed in as a doubles team throughout the season.
He won Kentucky state high school doubles championships with different partners. He was scheduled to play with his brother in 2020 before COVID cancelled the season.
“I was so excited to play with him and then the season got cancelled,” he said. “I was so disappointed. I had been playing with those guys I won state with and had known them since junior tournaments. Senior year it was a little tricky because my partner played basketball and came into the season a little late. But the field was also a little tougher our junior year so I guess it evened out.”
He didn’t come to Centre to specifically play with his brother in doubles but was hoping it might work out that way.
“He was in France studying abroad in the fall and Coach (Currie Martin) kept telling me he wanted Bo and I to play together,” Ty said. “He got back and we practiced together over Christmas. Coach decided before the season started that we should play together.”
So who is the better Bush brother?
“I would tell you me but Bo would probably tell you differently,” Ty said. “Coach would probably say as long as we both play well he does not care who is the best.”
It worked out well as four times during the season they were named the conference doubles team of the week. Ty said they had grown up playing together and knew each other’s game well and what would impact each other on or off the court.
“He is a little louder on the court than I am, which helps me. I am more calm which helps him,” the Centre freshman said.
Ty tried other sports. He played football until sixth grade and basketball until eighth grade — he even played recreational basketball through high school. He still plays golf.
“Tennis was always my main sport, though. My dad’s side of the family never played tennis but my mom is from a huge tennis family. We even won the (United States Tennis Association) Southern Tennis Family of the Year in 2019.”
The Bush brothers had multiple private coaches growing up but his mother would be the one to take them to lessons and/or tournaments.
“Our parents have always been super supportive because we were traveling for tennis at an early age,” Ty said. “Mom can sometimes be a critic if she needs to be and she does really get into matches but she knows to just let us play.”
