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Joseph Logan wins County Boys' Singles at Wimbledon

The Road to Wimbledon competition has been running for 17 years and this year our very own Joseph Logan (S3) competed in the 14 & under challenge!

Joseph reflects on his experience-

"During the last week of July, as weather forecasters predicted that we would experience the hottest day ever, I was enjoying my holiday with my family in North Berwick, taking part in the East Lothian Open tennis tournament.

Throughout the Summer, I’ve enjoyed playing in many tennis tournaments and so I was grateful for the warm, sunny days! One tournament, in particular, has been a highlight.

Through Newlands tennis club, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to enter the Road to Wimbledon competition and after playing in several rounds, I was pleased to win the club Boys’ Final. This meant that I qualified for the West of Scotland County Finals which were to be played at the end of June.

The County Finals took place at the David Lloyd, Renfrew- It was a lovely sunny day, the start of the glorious Summer, and I was excited to be given the chance to take part in Finals Day. Including me, there were 12 players in the draw, all having qualified from their own Clubs. After winning my first matches, I was in the Final!

The final was a good competitive match but I worked hard throughout and I was delighted to win - and so, I was going to Wimbledon to represent the West of Scotland at the National County Finals.

The National Finals were to take place from 12th to 18th August and over the Summer my family and I organised our travel arrangements, accommodation and most importantly, my Wimbledon whites!!

On the first day, as I approached the gates of Wimbledon, I felt a real buzz of excitement and anticipation as we entered the grounds to collect our security tags. The place was swarming with people - tennis officials and friends and family of other competitors who, like me, were all dressed in white ready to compete in their matches which, for me and others, was to begin that day.

We firstly had to report t the reception area to collect our Welcome pack and at that time we were informed of the draw. We were in groups of 4 and had to play each other with the top two players in each group qualifying for the main draw.

At the beginning of my first match, I was quite nervous as I didn’t know what to expect but I soon relaxed and learned that I really enjoyed playing on the grass - it was fast and you had to think and respond quickly. I won my match and really enjoyed my first experience on grass as my family and friends looked on.

As the tournament progressed, I appreciated the warmth and support from my own family but also the support from the other competitors from Scotland and their families- there was a real sense of camaraderie and support for each other as we attended each other’s matches to eagerly watch us all progress through the rounds.

I was so delighted to get to the main draw but also to get to the finals in both singles and doubles - up until then, I had just been concentrating on playing and competing my best in each match and here I was in the finals! Amazing!

Finals day was an unbelievable experience. We were all so excited and were treated to a real Wimbledon experience!! We didn’t have to worry about line calling as we had line judges and an umpire in a high chair who called out things like ‘Logan to serve! ‘It was amazing!  I was excited but felt remarkably calm as I focused on each point. I started well with a lead:  ‘Logan leads 5 games to 2’ but my opponent cleverly fought back and I lost the first set 7-5. I composed myself enough to win the second set 6-2 and so it was a tie - break!!! I just knew I had to focus and concentrate and keep the ball in play as my opponent was very consistent and didn’t make many mistakes. We got to 6-6  in the tie break which was quite nerve wracking but I managed to win eventually 10-8 and as I did so I heard screams of sheer delight from my family and friends who were proudly looking on. As I walked up the stairs towards to the Aorangi Pavillion area, smiling after my win, I was met by a film camera and had to give my first post-match interview! I was a bit stunned but did it! Again just like the real thing!

The Finals presentation was fantastic with many famous tennis people there- It was such a special occasion! I won the Boys’ singles, and came runner up in the doubles. 

I am so immensely grateful for this most amazing opportunity to compete at Wimbledon. Playing on the grass courts at such a prestigious venue and being treated so well throughout the whole week is an experience that will stay with me forever. I am grateful to my family, friends, and friends from both tennis clubs (Cambuslang and Newlands) and my coach, who have all supported me throughout.

My teachers at St. Aloysius' College have always encouraged me to work hard and strive for excellence in all that I do and I am grateful for their continued guidance and support. I look forward to the new session ahead!"

We are all so proud of you Joseph- keep up the fantastic work!