Mark (Year 9) is one of the most talented tennis players in the UK. Last week, he won the highly regarded Les Petits As tennis tournament, beating the no.6 seed and his doubles partner 6-3 6-2 in the final. Les Petits As (Little champions) is a junior tennis tournament for players aged 12–14, held in Tarbes, France. The event has seen several of its champions go on to become grand slam winners, including Rafael Nadal.

The tournament is played on indoor hard courts. Roughly 7,000 players enter the pre-qualifying tournaments held across France, with that number being narrowed down to 350 for the final qualifying stage and 64 for the final tournament. The previous week Mark won the Junior International in Bolton. This means he has won his first 11 singles matches of 2023. He is currently ranked no.1 U14 boy in Europe according to the race rankings. Here is his report on the tournament:

Elite sportsmen at Wilson’s receive close support and attention to help them achieve, with special programmes in place to help them stay on track academically alongside their training schedules, which are often very challenging. The school liaises with professional associations and coaches, working with parents to ensure each child’s wellbeing and progress is prioritised as they pursue their sporting dreams!