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Lachlan King, a 13-year-old from Melbourne, will represent Australia in the Wimbledon 2023 14-and-under boys’ competition.
Melbourne, Australia, 12 July 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Lachlan King’s favourite Wimbledon memory is sitting up late in his Melbourne home to watch Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic’s epic five-set battle in the 2019 final.
The 13-year-old will get to create his own Wimbledon memories this year, after being selected to represent Australia in the 14-and-under boys’ singles competition.
King, who earned this opportunity through a strong performance at the Australian Junior Grasscourt Championships at Wodonga in January, is still in disbelief he’ll get to compete at the famous All England Club.
“I’m feeling pretty nervous, but excited,” King said ahead of his Wimbledon debut today.
Introducing Lachlan King, a rising star of Australian tennis …
How old were you when you started playing tennis?
I was four years old. My older sister was playing tennis and I got bored watching, so I tried a few lessons. I’ve played ever since and really like it.
What do you enjoy most about tennis?
I find it good how you can build new friendships and always keep trying to improve. There’s nothing really stopping you from getting better.
What are your tennis dreams?
My dream it to become a top-100 player one day and win an ATP title.
You recently played at the Australian Teams Championships at the Gold Coast. How did you enjoy that experience?
It was a good experience. We managed to come through with a win, but it was just really good being in a team environment and being out there supporting your team-mates and having them supporting you. When one of them is down, you need to make sure that they’re feeling alright. Backing it up with some doubles was also good.
> READ: King leads Victoria to victory at Australian Teams Championships
Lachlan King, middle, with team-mates Raphael Savelli, left, and Jenson Yokota‐Ho, right, at the 2023 Australian Teams Championships. Picture: Tennis Australia
Have you had the opportunity to play overseas before?
I went to Germany for some European junior tournaments last year, which was quite a different experience for me. I got to see what the level was in some of those tournaments. But apart from that, I haven’t really travelled overseas that much yet.
Have you set any goals for Wimbledon?
I haven’t really thought about any goals. I would just like to enjoy myself and see what the level is with all the other people my age around the world. Hopefully it will be a great experience and something to build on.
Have you had much experience competing on grass?
I’ve had a bit of experience on grass. It’s probably not my least favourite surface or my favourite surface, but I’ve had some good results, so I quite like it. It’s good how you can be very creative on it, so that’s fun.
Lachlan King in action at the 2023 Australian Teams Championships. Picture: Tennis Australia
Who are your favourite players?
I was a Roger Federer fan, but now that he’s retired, not as much. My favourite player at the moment is probably Jannik Sinner. I feel like we play similar in some ways.
Who are the players you’re most hoping to see while at Wimbledon?
Hopefully Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. They’re both pretty good. Hopefully there will still be some Aussies there as well.
What do you like to do when you’re not playing tennis?
I like to exercise a lot, so I quite like running and swimming. I like mountain biking as well.
Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!
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