SCARBOROUGH tennis star Tristan Schoolkate, who is one of Australia’s top junior singles players, dreams of turning professional in the near future.
The Churchlands Senior High School student is ranked no.2 in Australia and 480 in the world for under-19s singles.
Schoolkate (16) has been the top singles player in WA for eight years and is part of the Junior Davis Cup Squad and the Tennis Australia national academy.
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READ NOWHe recently won the under-19 Australian singles title and captained WA to a silver medal for the team event.
He also coaches at Doubleview Primary School – where his tennis career began at the age of five.
Schoolkate said he thrived on representing Australia at tournaments in Thailand, Czech Republic and Fiji.
“It is great being around in a team environment with some of the best juniors in the country,” he said.
“It is a good experience to play in such places and it adds a bit of honour as well.”
He said it was his goal to become professional but he wanted to finish high school first.
“Ideally, I want to become a professional down the track, it will just be a different path to get there,” he said.
“I loved playing against all the big guys on the big stage and putting it to the test and using all you’ve got to see if you can get the job done.”
His father Peter Schoolkate said his son’s great technique was up there with the best nationally and internationally.
“When Tristan moves towards the net he looks dangerous and his opponents are in all sorts of trouble,” he said.
“Tristan works very hard to continue to further develop his tennis while achieving fantastic grades at school.
“It is at times not an easy juggling act but Tristan seems to cope with all this very well, that in itself I find amazing.”
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