Tennis

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In some sports, the players seem to be getting younger and younger. My guests today are 14-year-old Alice Winters and her coach, Bruce Gray. Alice, as National Junior Tennis Champion, has been described as the most talented young player for years. Alice, Bruce, welcome. Hello. Hello. Let's start by talking about money. Have you found it easy to get help in that respect, Bruce? Not really. We've applied to local companies for sponsorship, but they would sooner put their money into something which gets them publicity. Alice isn't that well known yet, so we'll probably have to get there without it. And I reckon that with Alice's talent, there's no reason why we can't. That'd be an even greater achievement, wouldn't it? Now, Alice, you must do a lot of training. Is it sometimes a bit too demanding for someone of your age? Well, a lot of players my age might ask themselves, why can't I be like everyone else, you know, free in the evenings and at weekends? But that side of it doesn't bother me. I must admit, though, that there are times when I just don't fancy it, you know, freezing cold winter mornings when Bruce comes round to take me on a training run. And I think, oh, go away and leave me alone. But apart from that, well, I don't because I enjoy it. Nobody's making me do it, are they? So I don't really see it as making sacrifices. And what about your schoolwork? Well, I'm managing to keep up with that at the moment, although I can see that if I do get more successful, the sport might get in the way of academic work. But, well, I know which comes first for me. After all, if I make it to the top in tennis, I won't need any academic qualifications. Now, Alice, when you're competing in a tournament, is it all terribly serious or do you have fun? Well, I'm only there for one reason, really. I mean, I can't see the point otherwise. I'm not one of those people who think that taking part matters more than winning. I mean, I know I can't win every time, especially up against people a lot older than me, but that's always the aim. And if I lose, well, I look at my performance with Bruce, look at ways of improving it, and, well, I don't let it get to me. I'm just more determined next time. Bruce, what do you think makes Alice different from other players of the same age? I've never come across any young player quite like her in all my years as a coach. What amazes me is you can watch her play, and she doesn't seem to be trying, even though, of course, she is. With other players, you can see the effort involved, but with her, well, she's just so gifted. So, Alice, how do you see your future? Well, I'd love to turn professional, but it's a bit early to think seriously about that. I mean, I'm a big fish in a small pond at the moment, but as I get older, well, there are going to be a lot of tough players out there. If I do end up doing it full-time, the lifestyle looks glamorous from outside, but it might just be too hard for me, and I might decide to get out. But it's hard to say. Some people stay at the top for years, don't they? Bruce, do you and Alice get on well? Is she an easy person to coach? You know, sometimes I find it difficult to remember how young she is, because she's got an old head on young shoulders. We've had the odd, shall I say, disagreement, but she doesn't have much of a temper. It soon passes. She doesn't have a great deal to say, I guess, when we're working or travelling to tournaments. She has friends outside the game, but she doesn't have much time for her social life at the moment. Well, Alice and Bruce, thanks for being my guests, and good luck for the future. Thank you.