Great Britain’s next great tennis player, 14-year-old Hannah Klugman, draws inspiration from fellow teenager Mirra Andreeva in the junior draw in Melbourne.
As Klugman told reporters at the Australian Open on Sunday: “Mirra was here this time last year [in the junior event] and a lot of things can change really quickly. Made it to the fourth round this year [of the main draw, before losing to ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova]. This is madness.
“I actually think I play a little bit like him,” Klugman added. “You know, it changes the tempo. It doesn’t hit that big, it doesn’t hit like crazy. I think that’s what I do too. So yeah, it definitely gives me a lot of confidence and confidence that I can do this if I just keep working hard every day.”
Klugman, the fourth seed here, was speaking after a straightforward opening match against 17-year-old Chilean Antonia Vergara Rivera. For context, Klugman doesn’t turn 15 until February.
The British player never wavered in the modest 6-2, 6-3 victory that lasted only 61 minutes. A sizeable crowd gathered on Court 3 to watch him advance to the second round.
Klugman has become one of the most sought-after facilities for young tennis players since his championship run at the Orange Bowl in December. The Orange Bowl, held in Plantation, Florida, is arguably the most prestigious youth event of the year, with a roster of former champions including Chris Evert, Gabriela Sabatini, Caroline Wozniacki and Coco Gauff. No British woman has ever won this award before in its 76-year history.
Reflecting on his championship run, Klugman said he lost early in last week’s Class One junior competition in Mexico. “I went in without a lot of expectations and with a fresh mind,” he explained. “And yes, I played really great tennis. It was amazing. I was walking past a poster with the winners and there were some pretty amazing people there. A lot of Brits like Jack messaged me [Draper]Katie [Boulter]. “Yes, they were really good to me about it.”
Klugman grew up playing tennis and hockey to a high standard at Wimbledon. His first coach was Alison Taylor, wife of former Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor. Today he works with the equally respected Ben Haran.
He says that’s a key when he has to choose between his two favorite sports. “I loved the team side of hockey,” he said. “I am a very social person. I love being around my friends and tennis is a pretty lonely thing. That’s why it’s so important to have a good team around you.
“I’ve been working with Ben since I was about nine years old,” Klugman added. “So yeah, we’re really close. He’s like another dad to me when I’m traveling. Me, him and my fitness coach Laura, we all get along really well.
‘It’s tough juggling GCSEs when you’re in Australia’
This is Klugman’s longest trip abroad yet. She flew to Australia two weeks ago, bringing her father Robert with her, but left her mother Libby at home. Last week he played in the Grade One junior competition in Traralgon, a few hours east of Melbourne, and reached the semi-finals.
One casualty of the program was its place in the classroom at Wimbledon High School. “I literally switched to online teaching a week ago,” she said, “because it’s literally becoming impossible. I want to do well in my GCSEs. I want to get a good education. So it’s hard to juggle all that when you’re away in Australia.”
Will he miss school? “Yes, a lot, but I will definitely keep in touch with my friends. My favorite subject? Maybe biology. My sister is studying biology. So yes, I think it’s in the genes. I didn’t actually start [online schoolwork] yet but I know I have to be disciplined.
Already tall, strong and athletic, Klugman has so many virtues that managers gather around him like bees around lavender; He has not signed an agreement with an agency yet. On Sunday his serve reached a top speed of 183.7mph, which would be well above the average on the main table here. Even so, he doesn’t rely on strength alone, preferring to establish points with intelligence and variety.
She is not the youngest player in the Australian Open junior draw, she is a few months older than Australia’s Renee Alame. However, at the Orange Bowl he became the second youngest Briton to win such an important tournament. Due to her precociousness, this success was surpassed only by Laura Robson, who won Wimbledon in 2008 at the young age of 14. Coincidentally, Robson turned 30 on Sunday.
An excellent natural ball-striker, left-handed Robson would break into the world’s top 30 before suffering a career-limiting ankle injury (first flared when he was just 19). Barring a similar misfortune, Klugman can be expected to be a fixture at these events for years to come.