A New Chapter: Stepping Up to Competitive Tennis

October marks an exciting new chapter in Charlotte’s tennis journey.

For the past few years, tennis has been a big part of her life. As Charlotte has continued to develop, it has gradually become clear that she needed a different training environment to support her next stage of growth. While the club’s elite training program provided a strong foundation, the overall level and training structure could not always fully match her individual development needs. In addition, frequent coaching changes made it difficult to build continuity, while the mental side of competitive tennis has become an increasingly important area of focus as she gains more tournament experience.

An exciting opportunity arose when Miles Sheldon became available for more regular coaching. Miles had already been Charlotte’s private coach for some time, and whenever his schedule allowed, she greatly enjoyed training with him. Nevertheless, his availability depended largely on his commitments coaching Caroline Hermanns, the training schedule had previously been difficult to maintain consistently.

With the possibility of more structured and regular coaching, we had several discussions as a family about what this opportunity would mean. We talked with Charlotte about the advantages and the challenges, including the increased training commitment, travel requirements, recovery needs, and the importance of continuing to prioritize her education alongside tennis.

As part of this process, we also engaged in a constructive dialogue with her school to explore opportunities for a more flexible school schedule when needed. We are very grateful for their openness and support in helping young students pursue their passions while continuing to meet their academic responsibilities. Having both the school’s understanding and Charlotte’s commitment gives us confidence that she can continue to develop both as a student and as an athlete.

After careful consideration, Charlotte decided she wanted to embrace the challenge and commit fully to the new program. Starting in October, she began training approximately 12 hours per week with Miles, complemented by 2 hours of dedicated fitness training. This represents a significant increase from her previous training schedule and marks an important step in her long-term development as a competitive player.

The goal is not simply to improve tennis skills, but also to develop the physical strength, movement, endurance, resilience, and discipline required to compete at a higher level. Tennis is about much more than hitting great shots. Sustainable success comes from consistency, fitness, mental strength, recovery, and the willingness to keep improving every day.

It has only been two weeks since Charlotte started the new program, but she is already enjoying the extra time on court. The more structured schedule allows her to focus on the small details that can make a big difference in matches, while also dedicating time to improving her physical fitness and overall athleticism.

The road ahead will require patience, discipline, and plenty of hard work, but Charlotte is excited for the challenge.

This is just the beginning of the long journey. Let’s see where the next few years of tennis will take her.