We all know British tennis star Andy Murray trained in Barcelona, but did you know another British world champion player (aged 10) plays on the Costa del Sol?

It may seem a bit early to be talking about Wimbledon, but in the competitive world of tennis, there's no let-up in the preparation for the world's most famous tournament.

And what better place to forecast the future of the British game than in sunny Spain, where you can train outdoors to your heart's content.

And making the most of the training facilities at the Marco Tennis Academy in Elviria is ten year old Eleanor Dean, who's been training there for three years and is already the world champion (yes, world champion) in the 10 and Under category. And guess what? She's British!

"After tennis training, I do one hour of just physical training every day," explains Eleanor, a fluent and intelligent talker, already au fait with the demands of the game and the necessity to talk to the media in this age of Internet communication and 24-hour news.

And she's open about her approach to big tournaments: "At first you're a bit nervous, because you watch the other players practising next to you and you think 'wow, they are so good!' but then once you get onto the court and you feel how they hit the ball, then it's fine.
"I feel excited then, because I know I am going to enjoy the match. It feels great to win. It’s fun to be holding the trophy while everyone is taking pictures."

A British player who enjoys winning? It seems somewhat at odds with the traditional British schooling of 'it’s the taking part that matters'.

She demonstrates her ambition with an aggressive rasping cross-court volley to her coach Andres Marco (one half of the Marco tennis empire – his brother Daniel is also enthusiastically involved with the centre).

Eleanor's pleasant nature seems somewhat at odds with her on-court presence, but that's all part of the psychology of lulling your opponent into a false sense of security.

"We have trained and if I may say 'created' some top class international juniors," says Marco with pride.

"When you go to tournaments you see lots of dogs but very few wolves, because the number of factors which create a true champion are enormous – physical condition, the ability to learn, dealing with stress and having the intelligence to really understand the game.

"The game has also had an incredible evolution, it is far more professional than it was even fifteen years ago. You now have amazing bio-mechanical and audio-visual aids to track your performance. It’s far more competitive than it used to be." 

And it's not just about enhancing your own skills; you need to pay close attention to the opposition.

Marco's protégé is already on the case:  "I see a lot of tennis on TV," says Eleanor. "I was watching Maria Sharapova playing another girl and I noticed she was serving slices to this girl because she wasn't very good on her backhand. All the players have different tactics."

So, with all this information, ability and drive, what does Eleanor aspire to be? Her answer is swift and unequivocal. "Number One."

Marco Tennis Academy – Elviria
Tel: 952 831 739

[Copyright Expatica]

[February 2007]

Subject: Spain; Tennis star Eleanor Dean
 
This article first appeared in the magazine Dreamlife, which has a circulation of 60,000 in the Costa del Sol. See: www.dreamlife-magazine.com