Heather Watson - Future of British Tennis

Womens British tennis is looking up after years in the international wilderness.  There is a long way to go before Britain can get into the elite group, but in Heather Watson, we have a player who has the desire and talent to make a real impression on the WTA tour for years to come. 

We also have a situation where we have two British players of a similar age vying to be British number 1, the other player being Laura Robson.  That can only be good for British tennis if both players can push each other to ultimately rise up the rankings and be consistently in the top 30 of the womens game.  

That process has already begun this summer.  Heather Watson reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon, which was the first time that has happened since Sam Smith in 1999.  And last weekend Heather won her first tour doubles title in Stanford with partner Marina Erakovic of New Zealand.  With that triumph, Watson reached a career high 71 in the WTA rankings and claimed the British number 1 ranking for the first time.  Meanwhile, Laura Robson reached her first WTA semifinal on clay in Palermo dispatching top players like Roberta Vinci along the way before losing in 3 sets to Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová. 

This is very good news for British tennis to have two young players pushing each other to improve and get as far as possible up the rankings.  Watson is not averse to pushing the envelope, she took the decision at the age of 12 to leave England and head for the Nick Bollettieri academy in Florida which has produced so many great champions over the years.  It is always a brave decision to leave for another culture and country at such a young age but it shows her determination to progress and succeed which will hold her in good stead for years to come.  Especially when things don’t go to plan, Heather should be able to draw on an inner strength.  This is reflected on the court as Heather always displays great fighting spirit, you rarely see her give up. And Heather has already tasted success as a junior, winning the junior US Open title in 2009.

In terms of her game, Heather is developing a strong first serve and during Wimbledon was getting up to speeds of 105 mph (170kph).  Heather is also a tremendous mover along the baseline and possesses exceptional footwork, always taking little steps before getting to the ball and hitting her shots.  I am also impressed with her willingness to go down the line off both wings to stretch her opponent.  Heather is working hard to introduce more variety into her game such as the use of the slice on the backhand side and take to the net off short balls or after creating a short ball to attack and take any floating replies out of the air.   

Like many young players starting out, Heather is working to improve her 2nd serve delivery to make it more reliable for her to defend her serve with.  A good player to study would be Justine Henin, Henin didn’t have the reach to hit big kicker serves so developed a really good slice serve which jumped at her opponents, especially when serving into the body on deuce and ad courts.  The slice 2nd serve can often be more effective than a topspin serve; a topspin serve can be a liability if they are slow and not well directed, they are easily attackable. 

I linked up with Heather recently to ask her views on her tennis and related things, here’s what she had to say:   

1.    Congratulations on winning your first WTA tour title in Stanford with Marina Erakovic.  How does it feel to get a tournament win under your belt so soon into your career and to be British number 1?

It felt great to win that title with Marina and my first career WTA Tour title.  It makes me want to keep working hard and keep fighting.  Becoming the British number 1 is a great accomplishment for me but I still have a long way to go.

2.    You received great support at this year’s Wimbledon championships, how inspiring is it to play in front of your home crowd in a major tournament?

I love playing at home and feeling the support of the fans there.  Their energy really carries over onto the court and is such a big help.  I can’t wait to feel that same energy and enthusiasm when I play at home for the Olympics!

3.    How much are you looking forward to the Olympics and seeing other sports?  Which sports do you watch or play most outside of tennis?

I think  it is going to be so exciting to compete in a home Olympics.  It is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so glad I have the opportunity to represent my country.  I would love to be able to see Usain Bolt race because he is one of my favourite athletes.  I think the swimming would be very cool to see as well since I swam competitively when I was little as well.

4.    Which players inspired you the most whilst growing up in tennis?

I loved the Williams sisters when I was little.  It is a bit surreal to be playing in the same events as them now though.

5.    There are now four British women in the top 100, how do you see the future of British womens tennis developing

We have all been working really hard and this is such a great accomplishment.  We all want to keep climbing though and hopefully this will help motivate other young girls to start playing tennis.

6.    What would you say is your best attribute on the tennis court and why?

I think I would say my best attributes are my movement and my fighting spirit.  I never give up until the last ball is hit.


7.    What goals have you set, how far would you like to go in your career?

Every winter I sit down with my father and we go over the my year and then set goals for the following year.  He really helps me take a step back and see the big picture.  Of course I want to be #1 and that is what I work for every day.  It is a process though and takes consistent dedication on court and off.

8.    I am very impressed with your personality and attitude on the court.  Do you think this helps you to stay as relaxed as possible during the big moments in a competitive match?

I think I am very different on the court and off.  I am a very friendly, playful person off the court but when I step on the court I am a fighter and a competitor.  I have always been very competitive in everything I do and that is something I love about playing tennis for a living.

9.    What are your favourite pastimes outside of tennis?

 I am really just a normal girl that likes to hang out with my friends when I can, listen to music, go see movies and of course do a little shopping from time to time.