The Islander is pleased with his efforts this year after managing to travel the length and breadth of Europe to compete in ITF Future tournaments, although he says it has not been plain sailing due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.
Parker, who is coached by former world number four Thomas Enqvist in the French town of Aix-en-Provence, has climbed to 700th in the men’s rankings as a result of solid displays in Tunisia and Greece and he is targeting further gains in 2021, towards the ATP Challenge Tour.
The multiple Island Games gold medallist returned to Jersey as the pandemic took hold in March and spent the following three months doing all he could to keep sharp for a season of uncertainty. The ‘all clear’ for a trip back to Aix-en-Provence was given in July, before he tackled the ever-changing logistical challenges associated with international travel. His fortunes are in stark contrast to fellow Island professional Scott Clayton, who has remained in Jersey throughout 2020 due to the extra hurdles associated with doubles play.
Parker said: ‘When I came back to Aix-en-Provence they had an exhibition tournament on here with top-600 players, which was good, then in September I went to Tunisia for four tournaments, Jersey again for a week and then Greece for three weeks.
‘It was a nightmare to be honest … the rules were changing all the time so I was never 100% sure if I could travel to places. Originally you didn’t need a test to get into Tunisia from Rome, so I went to Rome to fly there but then the rules changed and I couldn’t get on the flight. I got a test and managed to arrive the night before my first match. Travel has been tough and now for all tournaments you need to have a negative test before you can play.
‘Tunisia went pretty well for me but Greece – it was the strongest Futures event ever. The problem is all the tournaments are so strong because there aren’t that many being held. Greece was basically a Challenger event to be honest, with guys ranked at 400 in qualifying. I’m 700th and usually I’m straight into the main draw.
‘I did alright, though, and I got a couple of points. It probably cost me £2,000-£3,000 and the prize money’s not that much, but luckily I’m sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Capital and a private sponsor and if your ranking goes up, it’s worth it. I’ve moved up over 100 places this year, which is great. I think it’s actually been a fantastic year for me despite everything that’s going on. I didn’t think there was going to be any tournaments but I’ve played the same number of tournaments, if not more, than I did last year. And with all the draws being so strong I think I’ve done pretty well to get my ranking moving in the right direction.’
Parker, who began a ten-day isolation period in Jersey on Sunday, having returned for Christmas, is scheduled to return to France in January to resume his 2021 pre-season work – and formulate a plan for Challenger status.
‘The goal next year is to reach the top 300,’ he said. ‘The main draw cut-off for Challengers is around 340, and for qualifying you’ll get in at around 500, so that’s the plan … to play a lot of tournaments and get my ranking a lot higher.
‘You can’t lose points until March so if I have a good start to the year my ranking can go up quite quickly.’
