Tennis ace

St Kilda Road Year 6 student Matthew Bosancic has had a busy month, recently winning the Eastern Metropolitan Region Tennis competition, and a Queen’s Birthday Under 12 Singles tournament. Matthew is a dedicated tennis player, dividing his time between the Wesley Firsts, Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia. He first picked up a racquet at the age of four, and he hasn’t stopped playing since, saying “if I could be on the court all day, every day, then I would be!” His passion keeps him very busy for an 11 year old.

Training involves technique development and fitness training, 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week. He also competes in about 20 tournaments a year, often interstate.

It’s clear that all that hard work has been paying off. Matthew has a slew of tournaments under his belt, and is currently ranked second in Victoria, and third in Australia, in his age group. He dreams of one day representing Australia in the Davis Cup, and having a crack at a Grand Slam tournament, preferably on home ground in the Australian Open.

Matthew feels his strength on the court is his attacking forehand shot. If he could use that in a match with anyone, it would be World Number 1 Rafael Nadal. Matthew would “love the opportunity to see how well he could return Rafa’s famous top spin shots”.

When asked what his favourite sporting achievement is, Matthew says he is lucky to have many, and wants to continue to improve, but there is one moment that stands out for him. In 2013 Tennis Australia recognised Matthew’s hard work, and invited him to do the coin toss at the 2013 Australian Open Quarter Finals match between Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych (pictured above).

Meeting his idol Novak Djokovic was an experience he will never forget. Matthew says the encounter has inspired him to train hard and be the best tennis player he can be, and most importantly to never give up.

Wesley congratulates Matthew on his hard work, and encourages him to continue to dream big!