GEMMA Bayley proved herself one of Jersey’s brightest tennis prospects recently when she sealed a spot to play on Wimbledon’s prestigious courts in August for the ‘Play Your Way to Wimbledon’ national finals.
Bayley, 12, said: “I’m looking forward to this – it’s something I never thought I’d get to do and I’ve never played on a grass court before, so it’s really exciting.”
Her father, Caesarean Tennis Club tennis coach Adam Bayley, added that this is “a once-in-a lifetime opportunity” and represents a massive milestone for the young tennis star.
Play Your Way to Wimbledon is the biggest junior tournament in British tennis and gives all players aged 14 and under the opportunity to compete on the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s world-famous grass courts.
However, the road to SW19 was a challenging one, as Bayley had to top a strong group of four girls in a round-robin competition.
With everyone evenly-matched, it was all up for grabs and, with the added challenge of the 12-year-old having to face older opposition, it certainly wasn’t going to be easy.
Gemma Bayley shared her experiences en route to qualification, saying: “We played in a round-robin competition and there was four of us – as all of us are at a similar level, it really wasn’t easy, but all of the matches went well, even though the last one was pretty tight.
“I do feel that I’ve improved quite a lot over the past couple years and my groundstrokes, especially forehand, are where I am strongest. That improvement definitely extends to the mental aspect, as I’m not all about winning and don’t put too much pressure on myself.”
That mindset towards the game seems to stem from her upbringing, as her father is focused on ensuring she maintains her love and passion for the sport.
“I just want her to enjoy the sport, so I don’t put any pressure on her – if she doesn’t want to play tennis some days, that’s fine with me,” said her father.
“As I’m quite a sporty parent who was brought up the same way, I managed to achieve everything I wanted to and have no regrets without that extra pressure, so there’s no need to change that approach with Gemma.”
This milestone really has shown that all the work has paid off for the youngster, as she’s been involved with the game since she was “around four-five years old”.
“As a single parent, I initially brought Gemma and her brother up to the club on Saturday mornings while I held sessions, so they naturally got involved and, after a few months, it really caught on and they started improving,” Adam Bayley shared.
“Now, we’ve got to a point where they don’t want to leave the club, it’s always me having to almost drag them away. They’ve just made so many friends down there and it’s such a tight-knit community.
“Having experienced players and figures such as Natasha Forrest, Emily Frost, Eva Hurst and Sonia Smith have been a huge help, as they’ve always inspired and encouraged Gemma to work towards something. Sonia (Smith) is also the head of Jersey Tennis & Padel and she’s volunteered her time to do so much for tennis in Jersey.”
Although qualifying for this prestigious tournament is a real milestone for the young Caesarean, her toughest test so far lays ahead as she’ll be facing some of the nation’s best talents at Wimbledon.
“This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for her and I want Gemma to really enjoy the whole experience,” Adam Bayley continued. “But, she’s going to have her back up against the wall for this one as UK tennis is very strong, especially since they’ve got such a larger pool of players to draw from.
“Gemma’s got to go in there with an open mind and, as a 12-year-old, playing older opponents of up to 14 years will be a big change. But, above all, I just want her to enjoy herself, there’s no pressure.”
Expanding the view to Jersey’s wider tennis community, this just goes to show that the pathway is there for junior athletes to reach high levels and make the most of incredible opportunities.
Adam Bayley went on to explain the pathway: “If you want to start, then join any tennis club in Jersey, doesn’t matter which one, and get started playing local competitions.
“Jersey Tennis & Padel offer something for everyone, whatever your age, ability or gender. Andrew Evans runs girls days and offers loads of opportunities, even with red and orange balls.
“It’s nice to see that we have around 50 boys and girls down at the club and it’s forever growing, but we’d love to grow the sport further. Tennis is a brilliant sport which can be played all-year round and it’s brilliant for meeting new people and making new friends.”
Gemma Bayley’s a perfect testament to this, adding: “I love tennis as it’s such a fun sport and I’ve made loads of friends. It’s such a great sport that I’d advise everyone to just go for it and give it a try and, looking at the younger girls coming up, they’re looking very promising and I’m sure they’ll follow in my footsteps.”
