Q.) Why did you start playing tennis, and was there a specific player that inspired you to try the sport?
A.) When I was around four or five years-old, when I still lived in Germany, my kindergarten used to do weekly trips to the local tennis club to get the kids interested. I started doing one session a week, which after a while I really began to enjoy. I therefore started playing more often at the same club and began to get private sessions. My love for the sport just grew and grew until I then started competing in tournaments and inter club events. At the time I didn’t have a favourite player, or a player who inspired me to try the sport.
Q.) Tell us about where you currently are with your career…where you train, what level you play at and what type of game-style you have?
A.) I currently play at two different clubs, Milton Keynes Tennis Club and Halton Tennis Centre. I only recently joined Halton because I needed a new challenge and new training partners. You could almost say that I had grown out of Milton Keynes Tennis Club. They no longer had any squads available for players at my level because just like me, all the other good players who once trained at that club had moved somewhere else. Some had even stopped playing tennis completely. The facilities at Halton are also much better than at MKTC which allows me to be more flexible with my training and be able to still train even when the external elements aren’t in my favour (rain, snow or icy courts).
Currently I am just outside the top 400 in the UK in my category (U16), however 2020 hasn’t been kind to me so far. I had an ankle injury which prohibited me from playing for about four weeks. Then just as I had been able to get back on the court and play again, the Coronavirus pandemic struck. Therefore, further hindering me and millions more around the world to play tennis. At the start of 2020 I set out a goal which was to get into the top 100 in the country for my age category. I felt like this was an achievable goal because I felt confident in my team and the training program I had around me. However, some unfortunate events got in the way of the goal becoming reality. I would consider my playing style to be more of an aggressive baseliner. I like to use my forehand to dictate play and to stay aggressive in points. When the opportunity arrives for me to attack and approach the net, I will do so.
Q.) There is no tennis being played because of Coronavirus, what are you working on at home to develop your game? Could this break end up being a positive, in terms that you are training parts of your game you wouldn’t usually focus on?
A.) There’s only so much one can do in these circumstances. I’ve been doing as much as I can by maintaining my stamina and physical strength. I go on two or three 5km runs a week and go to do gym work in my garage almost every day. This lockdown has given me the opportunity to work on areas of my body which I normally wouldn’t work on in my usual physical training. I’m trying to do as much work as I can to make my body less prone to injury after lockdown. It’s important that when I start playing again after lockdown, that I start slow and work my way up to where I was before lockdown. If I start playing at 100% straight away, I could put myself at risk of injury. Hopefully when I get back on court, my endurance and strength will have improved due to all the off-court training I’ve been doing during lockdown. Also, both the clubs I train at are doing online fitness sessions and Tennis theory sessions via Zoom. Therefore, I do believe that something positive can come out of this whole situation.
Q.) The length of delay in tennis is unknown, but what do you want to achieve within the next 18 months in your tennis career?
A.) Like mentioned earlier in the interview, one of my main goals was to be in the top 100 in the UK in U16 by the end of 2020. Due to many different things which have happened this year already, I won’t be able to achieve this goal. Another one of my goals for the next 18 months was to play some of the higher-level tournaments in the UK such as the G2 events and play more of the G3 events. Playing more of these level events will eventually help my ranking a lot. I’m also hoping that I’m still able to go to Spain this summer in July and August. I go to an academy in the summer in Mallorca called Global Tennis Team. I have gone there every summer for the past two years. When I’m there I hope to play some challenging tournaments and possibly even a Tennis Europe event.
Q.) Are you planning on joining a tennis academy, or are you confident you can be successful with your current setup?
A.) As mentioned in the segment above, I already visit an academy in Mallorca which is run by Jofre Porta (Rafael Nadal’s and Carlos Moya’s old coach). After my sixth form (Year 12 & 13) here in the UK, I am planning on going to Global Tennis Team (Tennis academy in Mallorca) for a year. The reason I love their academy so much is because of their work rate and intensity. This is what sets it apart from other academies. They may not have the same facilities as Rafa Nadal Academy or Mouratoglou Academy, but they for sure train their players very well and work them extremely hard. I have first hand experienced how much players have improved after being at the academy for a year, so I thought I want to try it as well because it would help my tennis a huge amount. Its not that I’m not confident in the setup I have right now, but there will always be a setup somewhere else which could help you improve at a faster rate. I love it at the academy in Spain because I feel like it suits the type of player I am really well, I love to work hard.
Q.) The mens game is in a great place right now, with many different styles of player on tour, are there any players you really study and learn from?
A.) I really enjoy watching tennis matches as I can learn a lot from the pros’ game. I like watching a lot of players however my favourite would have to be Dominic Thiem. He’s been my favourite for a good two or years years now even before he started getting to Grand Slam finals and winning the big tournaments. I really admire his work ethic and love the way he plays on court. I have spent a lot of time trying to implement parts of his game into mine, such as his amazing kick serve and the amount of spin he gets on his forehand. At one point I even tried to copy his exact forehand technique, unfortunately it didn’t work for me.
Q.) Finally, what is the ‘dream achievement’ for yourself in tennis?
Just like most players my age, my ambition is still to become a professional tennis player. My ultimate goal has always been to earn money of tennis (prize money from tournaments) and to travel the world and see new places. I feel like tennis gives me the opportunity to do so. I just have to carry on working hard and hopefully dreams become a reality.
Thanks a lot to Paul. A hard-working, dedicated tennis player – we wish you the best with your career. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
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