Tennis dream is on
Teenager has ambitions to play at Wimbledon
Teenager Sam Macleod hopes to get a taste of Wimbledon now that he’s on Tennis Scotland’s National Player Programme.
The 17-year-old, who is coached by Rutherglen Lawn Tennis Club’s Jonny Wilcox, is one of 11 players who have been selected for the programme.
Two of those selected have played at Wimbledon, and Sam hopes he can get a chance at that level before long.
Tennis Scotland’s programme gives all 11 players access to centralised training in conjunction with the University of Stirling, where the Scottish National Tennis Centre and GB National Tennis Academy are based.
They will also receive expert sports science and medicine support via the sportscotland Institute of Sport, and financial grants towards coaching and competition costs.
Sam, who is 40th in Britain at under-18 level, and third in Scotland, said: “There are 11 of us on this programme and Jonny O’Mara played at Wimbledon last year, as did Connor Thomson, who is more my age.
“Seeing them at Wimbledon is a spur for me to want to go there and that team aspect really gives me belief that I’ll get to that level.”
The programme brings with it funding, but also facilities and coaching that are the top in Scotland.
Sam said: “I train at the University of Stirling, and I get all the funding and support with that.
“Tennis Scotland have already supported me through tournaments and things like that, and that funding really helps.
“I was all over Britain last summer, played a different tournament every week, and that funding really helped with that.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do that without them, to be honest.
“During lockdown I’ve also had a special tailored programme, where they maximise fitness, and I used that to get strong and be ready to get back out there once lockdown has stopped.
“Being on this programme is a great achievement for me and it shows that the hard work is paying off and is being recognised by Tennis Scotland.”
Sam has been playing tennis for nine years, and his next step is to enrol at Mercer University in Georgia, USA, in August. Part tennis sholarship, the four-year course will provide Sam with a degree in sports marketing and analytics.