Charlie Robertson is working hard to improve his game so that he can compete on the tennis court “as good, if not better” than his fellow Scot and role model Andy Murray.
The 17-year-old Dundonian, who is ranked 10th in the world junior rankings and made it to the US Open semi-finals this season, displays early potential in the sport.
Robertson’s journey in tennis
The athlete admitted that he did a bit of dancing when he was younger. He said: “I actually did a bit of dancing when I was younger as well – street dance.”
From split-step to hops and slides, good footwork is one of the most important skills of top tennis players, and dancing has been a perfect preparation for the young athlete.
He further said: “I love to dance and that is my personality… If music is on in the gym or whatever during tennis, I always like to dance.”
However, Robertson devoted his life to hitting a tennis ball. Robertson shared: “I think my first couple of classes were at Arbroath Tennis club… I have a brother and sister, I am the youngest, and I just got brought to all their sports classes…I actually wasn’t old enough for the tennis classes, but I was just brought along and I just started hitting off the tennis wall when I was really little.”
He added: “And seeing Andy at that point was doing so well also, winning Wimbledon and stuff like that, I just found it really exciting and have just loved it since then.”
When Robertson advanced to the US Open Juniors semi-finals in New York earlier this month, his profile soared. He admitted: “Andy helps me… We started our relationship from the grass season. He is just an amazing role model for me and he has been a great help to my game… He was still playing at that point, so I was hitting with him and felt I could ask him questions and he would give his honest advice, which was really helpful, and to hear it from Andy Murray means a lot.”
Robertson’s optimism that he can “become as good as him if not better” has been strengthened by his close-up experience and his observation of Murray’s Grand Slam victories. Despite his goals, the athlete acknowledges that the initial steps towards achieving them will not be easy.
He says: “It is definitely not a cheap sport, tennis… I guess it brings you to reality, but this is my decision to do it and I have just got to believe in myself that I can make a living out of tennis, which is what I dreamed about when I was a little kid.”
“I see it as an exciting journey now, but I know it is not going to be easy. I am going to have to work a lot to reach the top and I think everyone in the men’s game is fighting for their mortgage. I am looking forward to it,” he added.
Source: BBC