Devin Bowen

Bryce Alderton

Lately Devin Bowen and whomever happens to partner with him in

men’s doubles at the U.S. Open in New York City play some of their

best tennis in one of the world’s most recognizable cities, and that

held true again at this year’s Open.

Bowen, 30, and partner Brandon Coupe, friends that played tennis

together growing up, reached the quarterfinals before losing to Jonas

Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge, 6-1, 6-3.

For Bowen, a Newport Beach resident, it marked the second

consecutive year he has reached the quarterfinals in men’s doubles in

his fifth Open and he accomplished the feat with a close friend.

“Overall I’m disappointed with the loss but we played extremely

well,” Bowen said from his hotel room in Brazil last week after he

won a singles’ qualifying match for the following week’s Brazil Open.

“We did everything right at the U.S. Open and both of us can agree

that we played better than we expected.”

Bowen and Coupe have played at other Grand Slam tournaments such

as Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open, but this year

they finally broke through and had success, Bowen said.

“We’ve been best friends on tour for years and have played several

times but for whatever reason we were trying too hard to win together

and never had much success. This year we decided to play together

because (Coupe) tried to come back into the game and I just helped

give him a lift with his comeback.”

Advancing to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open highlights Bowen’s

career achievements, but he also appreciates doubles’ victories over

fellow tour players Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moya and Marat Safin.

Safin and Moya are ranked No.’s 2 and 5, respectively, in points for

the 2002 ATP Champions Race.

“It’s still nice to know you can compete with them and win,” Bowen

said. “I’ve reached the finals of four events the last two years so

it’s not easy to win.”

Growing up in Costa Mesa and playing at Estancia High, Bowen

played both singles and doubles and still enjoys both equally even

though doubles is where he mainly makes his living.

“I love playing and watching singles and love doubles,” Bowen

said. “I think (doubles) is one of the funnest sports there is.

Singles is more of a physical game and doubles is more a game of

specialties such as volleying and touch and being able to make quick

reactions. I have a lot of respect for all singles players. Singles

was my main focus growing up.

“College tennis is based on singles and doubles so you’re

considered a ‘tennis player.’ It just happened that when I started

out on tour, for whatever reason, I started excelling in doubles and

there are factors involved with making a living and the need to make

choices. Playing doubles was putting food on the table so to speak.”

After this year’s U.S. Open, Bowen had a 13-17 record in doubles

action this year, earning $44,260, and has won $333,717 in his

eight-year career on tour.

Even with his two quarterfinal appearances at the U.S. Open, Bowen

prefers the tour’s first Grand Slam stop in January, the Australian

Open, as his favorite Grand Slam venue.

“I like Melbourne (city that hosts the Open), I always have a good

time there and the Australians are so friendly,” Bowen said. “New

York can be big and chaotic so I’m usually a bit overwhelmed when I’m

there. I don’t mind being halfway across the world in Australia.”

He travels about 40 weeks per year, usually internationally, and

while he said the traveling can get exhausting at times, he realizes

it comes with the territory.

“I can’t say I enjoy the actual traveling but the last thing I

will do is complain,” he said. Playing tennis has it’s moments where

I’m going to be exhausted, but I won’t complain about it. It’s a

wonderful life and I appreciate it.

“Right now I’m looking out over the ocean as the sun is going

down. It’s beautiful (in Brazil), I have no complaints.”

When he’s not traveling to tennis tournaments Bowen calls Newport

Beach home and is currently looking to move into a condominium in

either Newport Beach or Huntington Beach.

His parents, Dianne and Bart Bowen, and older sister Debbie

Ohland, all live in Costa Mesa so he visits them when he’s in town.

“I go wherever I can and sleep on someone’s couch if I have to,’

Bowen said speaking about his traveling.

Bowen gives credit to pros Glenn Morton, Randy Myers and Kirk

Orahood at Mesa Verde Golf & Country Club in Costa Mesa, and his high

school coach at Estancia, John Flagg, for teaching him the game.

Bowen has a political science degree from Texas Christian

University, where they were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in

men’s tennis at one point during his stint on the team from 1990-94,

but wants to keep playing tennis for as long as possible.

“I love the game,” Bowen said.