UPDATE November 2023:
My name is James Watt, and I am writing this report to provide an overview of my professional tennis journey, including some goals, results, and training experience. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to the trustees for their invaluable support, which has significantly contributed to my development this year. Breaking through in tennis poses a significant challenge, largely attributed to the financial obstacles from the constant need for travel.
I am fortunate to have been under the guidance of numerous experienced mentors and coaches, most notably Kane Newland, who is going travel with me as I build up my tournament calendar for 2024. His expertise has been instrumental in honing my skills, technique, and strategy towards our goals of developing a “top 100 game style” with my 6’10” frame. Along with the guidance of former top professional players, we are confident that I am on the correct path to achieve this in the coming years.
Spending the past 4 years studying and playing for Saint Mary’s College of California in the United States has allowed me to mature mentally and physically, providing a platform for my tennis career to take off. To ensure my development continues, I have set up a training base in Melbourne as it is the home of the Australian Open and contains a larger volume of high-level players and opportunities for growth. So far, I have been able to maintain a high-level of consistent training partners and therefore have noticed great improvements in my performance.
Since my graduation in May, I have gained invaluable experience through travel and professional tournaments in the United States, Thailand, and Australia. Since then, I have managed to improve my professional ranking in singles to a career high of 986, and doubles to a career high of 1259. I also managed to win my first professional title in doubles at the ITF Caloundra 15K with fellow kiwi Isaac Becroft. I have no doubt that more exposure to experiences and tournaments will continue to elevate my level and rankings in 2024.
I have also been included in the past NZ Davis Cup selection team and wider training squad that played Thailand this past September. I hope to be selected for this team in the oncoming years.
For the remainder of this year, I will be participating in the NZ Wellington Open, Caro Bowl interclub for Next Generation in Auckland, Wellington and Papamoa 15k ITF professional tournaments, and the ASB Wildcard Playoff on the 26-27th of December. I am excited to wrap up my year with a strong summer of tennis back home, and am expecting positive results.
In conclusion, I remain committed to my tennis career and am dedicated to continuous improvement. ASPECT Trust’s support has contributed towards my journey, and I am immensely grateful for the assistance. I am excited about the future and the opportunities it holds for my career.
Thank you once again.
James Watt
