Growing up I was always chasing the dream of becoming a footballer following in my brother’s footsteps; anything he did I wanted to do better! By age 10 I’d lost my passion for it and fell in love with tennis instead. I met Harry at Hertford Tennis Club where he began his coaching career. I instantly loved our sessions and we created a life long friendship as my coach and now one of my boss’!
I started competing at 11 eventually training in Gosling’s performance program and playing for the county, travelling for tournaments, and competing in adult teams at the tennis club. Harry continued to be my 1-2-1 coach through this process and offered me the opportunity to assist with junior sessions, which I loved!
My training schedule consisted of two private lessons a week with Harry, both before and after school, along with group sessions at the local club. I also took part in strength and conditioning sessions at Gosling to improve my movement, and attended two-hour squad lessons twice a week. Any free time I had was spent practicing my serve or playing social tennis at the club.
I began competing locally in Grade 5 and Grade 4 tournaments and matchplays to improve my rating and ranking. After two years of consistent effort, I progressed to Grade 3 tournaments, and at age 14, I won my first Grade 3 title at Rickmansworth. Over the following years, I worked hard to raise my rating to 3.2 and achieve a top-100 national ranking in the U16 category. I then began competing in Grade 2 tournaments and qualifying for the British Tour, which allowed me to travel across the UK.
Through competition, I developed confidence that extended far beyond the court. Each challenge strengthened my resilience and taught me to fight for every point, no matter the score. My motivation to improve and belief in my potential were at an all-time high. I was also incredibly fortunate to have a supportive network of coaches—and my dad, who dedicated countless weekends driving me to matches and offering encouragement, especially when things didn’t go my way.
By 18 balancing high-level competition with school and injuries became too much, I began to lose enjoyment from competing so I stepped back from LTA tournaments. When I finished sixth form, I wasn’t ready to give up on tennis as it was my passion so Harry and Dom offered me a coaching apprenticeship at Broxbourne Tennis Club! Working alongside them has been amazing, they have guided me through my coaching career and I’ve never looked back!! Millie also joined the team a year later and we quickly became besties on court and off the court. I still love tennis 7 years into my coaching life and I’m so grateful I get to play this sport everyday and work with some awesome people. Tennis has played a major role in my growth and has shaped me into a confident person I am today.