TENNIS STAR HEATHER WATSON
HEATHER WATSON TELLS ok!’s KIRSTY HATCHER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORT AND PREPARING FOR WIMBLEDON
OPENS UP ABOUT HER WIMBLEDON NERVES AND WHY SPORT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION
With Wimbledon kicking off this week, we could forgive Heather Watson for feeling a little nervous. But when OK! catches up with the British number two on a tennis court in south London, her overriding emotion is excitement.
‘I always really look forward to it,’ says the star. ‘Wimbledon is my favourite tournament of the year.’
We’re with Heather at The Sherwood School in Mitcham, where she is continuing her work with Give It Your Max, a UK tennis charity which gives children in deprived areas the chance to take part in in-school tennis programmes.
The 27 year old appears in her element as she helps the youngsters perfect their technique on the court. And she knows better than most what it takes to succeed, having played tennis since the age of seven. Heather tells OK! she sacrifices everything before a tournament, training for hours every day and even cutting out her beloved chocolate from her diet.
But despite winning the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2016, and her place as one of our most celebrated tennis stars, Heather often faces criticism from online trolls. ‘I get negative comments on social media every day but I’m used to it, it’s not a big deal,’ she reveals.
As she prepares for her first day at Wimbledon, Heather opens up about dealing with pressure, receiving death threats and being happily single…
How are you feeling about Wimbledon?
I’m so excited! I always really look forward to it, Wimbledon is my favourite tournament of the year. I have every emotion going through me right now: I’m happy, excited, anxious, nervous – everything!
Do you still get nervous?
Oh my gosh, yes! It’s very rare for me not to be nervous. It’s good to have nerves, though, it shows you want to do well.
What’s your favourite thing about Wimbledon, Heather?
I love the tradition and the history of the championship. Players come from all over the world to compete and they all want to win. I think that’s really special.
‘i get negative comments on social media every day’
What’s your training schedule like in the lead up to a big tournament?
As a competition nears I slow down a bit to conserve my energy, but before that I train pretty much every day. I’ll play two or three hours of tennis and do two fitness sessions a day. It’s a lot! I do that six days a week, but two of the days will only be for half a day.
Do you change the way you eat, too?
I always try to eat healthily. I make a conscious effort to drink more water and I cut out treats like chocolate. My main problem is that I eat too much, I love food and I never feel full!
You recently hit back on Twitter at someone who said you always get knocked out in the first round. Why did you want to respond?
I just like to call people out when they’re being stupid. Trolls don’t bother me, though – I get negative comments on social media every day but I’m used to it, it’s not a big deal. It can be scary when people send death threats, though. Do you get a lot of death threats?
I wouldn’t say a lot but it does happen. I try to let it go over my head but if I ever feel genuinely threatened I report it to the Women’s Tennis Association and they look into it. Largely it’s just people with nothing better to do hiding behind their computer screens so their words mean nothing to me.
Earlier this year you said you had seen a sports psychologist. Why did you decide to do that?
Working in tennis can be hard, there are lots of ups and downs. It’s a very solitary sport so it can get lonely, too. I saw a sports psychologist for a while but now I’m trying meditation, which I’m enjoying.
Does your job ever make it hard to date?
I travel a lot so there has to be a lot of trust in the relationship for it to work. I’ve had two serious relationships, though, and I managed to juggle them with work pretty well.
Are you looking for love right now? No, I’m happily single and putting all my emotion and efforts into tennis. Have you been happy to see England doing so well in the Women’s World Cup?
It’s so encouraging to see everyone getting behind them, especially for the younger generation. I do some work with children’s charity Give It Your Max and I met a girl who told me it’s made her love football and she was so inspired by how much they were being celebrated.
Tell us about your work with Give It Your Max…
I love working with young kids. It’s such a pleasure seeing children who are less fortunate having the opportunity to pick up a tennis racket. I visit schools and give the kids tips on their technique and show them the types of drills they do and they get to ask me questions. It’s fun! Why are you so passionate about getting kids involved in sport?
It’s so great for their health and their interpersonal skills. Both of my parents played tennis for exercise and fun so that’s how I got into it. Sport keeps you fit and happy and that’s such an important message to teach the younger generations.
GIVE IT YOUR MAX PROMOTES HEALTHY LIVING, SELF-CONFIDENCE, RESPECT AND FUTURE ASPIRATIONS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. THE CHARITY RUNS 17 IN-SCHOOL TENNIS PROGRAMMES IN SOME OF THE MOST DEPRIVED AREAS OF THE UK. TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT WWW.GIVEITYOURMAX.ORG.
TWITTER.COM/KIRSTYHATCHER PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES, LICKERISH SYNDICATION