How it felt to step on court and play tennis with some of the biggest names in the game

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Tennis365 reporter Kevin Palmer at the UTS Grand Final in London
Tennis365 reporter Kevin Palmer at the UTS Grand Final in London

As you step on court to hit some balls with some of the biggest names in tennis, there is a curious sense of excitement and trepidation washing over you.

My 25 years playing tennis have been a mix of the indifferent and the disappointing, with local league tennis in the UK allowing me to throw up the odd performance that makes you believe you can compete with the best.

Yet as we tested out the impressive Babolat Pure Drive Lite racket at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown Grand Final in London, the hitting partners served up were of a slightly different calibre.

GETTING STARTED

First up was a rallying session with esteemed coach Patrick Mouratoglou and British star Jack Draper and while these two giants play the same game I have always played, their version of the sport has rarely looked like mine.

It started pretty sedately, with one of the Mouratoglou coaching team feeding balls to start rallies on a newly laid court that felt a little strange underfoot.

This was a surface that took some getting used to, with some unexpected bounces and there was also the unfamiliar sight of a court without tramlines, as the UTS event is a singles-only competition.
Some of my fellow reporters looked a little more nervous as they were relatively new to tennis, but the mindset changed as the 45-minute session continued.

SWIRLING MIND

It is strange to play tennis with players you have been watching and analysing for years from a very different perspective.

After hitting with British No 1 Cameron Norrie at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre earlier this month, this experience on the UTS Grand Final court took the experience to the next level.

Norrie was gently hitting the ball back to guests of his sponsor Lexus at his event, but this was a little more competitive as occasionally, the elite players showed us what they are capable of.

Lengthy rallies allowed us to get into a rhythm, with Draper stepping onto the court for the first time ahead of an event he would go on to win a few days later.

What you notice hitting with someone of Jack’s level is the stunningly impressive length of ball he was serving up, with each of his shots landing close to the baseline.

Jack Draper at the UTS Grand FInal in London
Tennis365 reporter Kevin Palmer hit with Jack Draper and Holger Rune at the UTS Grand Final in London

His touch and movement around the net were also impressive for a big man, as he confirmed when what I thought was a winning drop volley was greeted with a wondrous lob over my head as the Brit stopped to scrape the ball off the court.

We switched between hitting on half a court with Draper and Mouratoglou, with the latter a little more generous in his serving as he eased us into the action.

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ROUND TWO

When Draper and Mouratoglou stepped off court, they were replaced by two heavyweights of the game – world No 5 Andrey Rublev and world No 8 Holger Rune.

Once again, the surreal experience of hitting balls with two of the biggest names in the sport takes some time to adjust to, but it this became more of an intriguing contest and the Russian and Danish stars were ready to test out my skills a little more.

You get a reminder of who you are up against when a rally that was going on a little too long for Rublev’s liking was ended when he unleashed one of his trademark thumping forehands that was delivered with a familiar cry of anguish as the ball left his racket. The pace and depth on the shot gave first-hand evidence of why Rublev is one of the biggest hitters in the game.

The highlight of the session for me came as Rune made an approach to the net and I managed to fire a forehand low to his right hand side that didn’t come back. The round of applause and cheer that followed my winner gave me the sensation of being a professional tennis player for a moment at least.

Patrick Mouratoglou was on court coach
Patrick Mouratoglou was on court coach

VERDICT

You don’t often get a chance to share a sporting stage with the very best, so this was a moment to cherish.

Draper, Rublev and Rune were generous with their time and their feeding and when the levels were raised in flashing moments, you were reminded how many more gears these giants of the game had in their lockers.

Watching Draper hitting with Gael Monfils soon after our session on the UTS court and the explosive power he generates from his forehand highlighted the level these big-hitters operate at, but sampling some of that power gave you a taste for more.

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