Bangor ace (9) could be set for big things
Rory McKee
SHE may have not yet turned 10, but Bangor girl Xena Watt is a name to watch out for as her burgeoning tennis career continues to go from strength to strength.
The talented Crawfordsburn Primary School pupil has already begun to earn plaudits for her performances on not just the national circuit but also on the continent, with a host of victories including against opponents several years her senior.
At the end of April, Xena became the first player from Northern Ireland to taste victory at a TenPro event, with a straight sets win in the final of the Under 10 Turkish Bowl in Antalya.
Designed to give promising young players the experience of competing against others from across the globe from an early age, the TenPro tour aims to prepare them for an eventual career on the professional tennis circuit.
Xena practices out of the courts at Ward Park under the tutelage of her father and coach Paul, who is naturally excited about her future in the game.
“Xena has watched me coaching the kids at Ward Park and to start with, just wanted to come and hang out with dad on court,” he explained. “But I think she actually took a lot of things in over that time and during Covid, we made an indoor tennis court at home and spent the time improving her skill set.
“If you really want to be a top player, you’ve got to invest in the time,” said Paul.
“I decided to do an early-morning programme with Xena and for the last four years, we have spent two to three hours on court each morning before school at David Lloyd in Dundonald.
“We’re very fortunate that we have great support from her school, Crawfordsburn Primary.”
Xena and Paul have just returned from Amsterdam where Xena was representing Ireland alongside three others in a friendly match against the Netherlands, dropping only five games over the course of her four Singles matches and being the only player on the trip to win every match.
On their way home, they were able to take in some of the action from Roland Garros where Xena got to watch first-hand some of the game’s leading lights such as Jasmine Paolini and Madison Keys.
As both Xena’s father and coach, Paul stressed the importance of separating the demands of training from family life.
“When we leave the court, we leave the tennis on the court. We encourage her to be with friends and do what any normal nine year-old does,” he said.
“Of course, the father and daughter relationship has to be the priority. It’s a huge commitment as a family and we need to find the balance to let her be a normal kid as well. “For example, while in Paris we had a day at Disney, but her excitement to go to Roland Garros was probably greater than what it was for Disney!”
Paul has overseen the progress of many young players during his 30 years as a tennis coach and firmly believes his daughter is ahead of schedule.
“My experience would tell me that she’s a good bit ahead given her age.
“When Xena was eight, she won the Under 10 All-Ireland Championships in pretty convincing style. Our strategy is not to over play, but any tournament she’s entered within her age group she has won quite comfortably.
“When I look at Xena, she’s one of the kids who ticks all the boxes,” he added. “She’s good both physically and mentally and her tactical awareness on court has developed really well. “Part of going abroad and getting the exposure is to see how good she actually is and so far, so good.
“Locally, she has been competitive at Under 14 level and when we were in Amsterdam, Xena beat the Dutch number one in straight sets. There were a lot of positive comments from people in the know with regards to her level.
“It’s very early days but I would say that it’s now Xena driving the programme more than me – if we aren’t training, she will want to know why.”
Paul explained that Xena has ‘embraced’ the physical element of sport already.
“It’s a big part of the development of young kids. When she was six, I took Xena to Croatia and we worked with a guy called Dario Novak who was Elena Rybakina’s (2022 Wimbledon champion) physical fitness coach.
“I think the penny dropped for Xena then that the physical side of the game is every bit as important as the tennis itself.
“She has also had the privilege to work with Andy Murray’s fitness coach, Max Little, so there is something to learn from everyone.
“Part of our short-term version is to give her the exposure and hopefully meet others in the industry with experience of how to take a player to the next level.
“There are lots of hurdles still to overcome but along the way we will definitely be seeking guidance about the next best thing to do.
“It’s early days for Xena but we just keep working every day.”
Next on the agenda for Xena is the prestigious Dubrovnik Dub Bowl in Croatia at the start of July, an invitational event known for bringing together the world’s best junior players.
