Aaron’s Tennis Journey Continues to Impress

We last reported on our talented tennis junior Aaron Kolek in 2024, so we thought it was time for an update.  Aaron first picked up a racquet at age 4. He is now 13 and has already packed in a lot of tennis success, life experience (and mileage!). The big highlight in 2024 was Aaron’s victory in the Dutch Bowl International and you can recap the full story here.

In May this year Aaron competed in the ISA (Independent Schools Association) National Tennis Championships, representing his school in the under 13 category. The early stages were in a box league, followed by several rounds of knockout matches and eventually Aaron was crowned the winner.

He then travelled to the TenPro International – hosted in Montpellier, France at  Le Cap d’Agde Tennis Academy. Aaron competed in two age groups across seven days of intense competition. He played two established academy players in his own age group, beating one in a very competitive match and running the other very close in a fiercely contested semi-final, winning a bronze medal.  Fantastic achievements Aaron – Congratulations!

In recent months Aaron has joined the Adult Singles box league at Club Towers, gaining promotion to division 4 at the first attempt.  His next ‘Ten-Pro’ international event is in Dubai in January, while he regularly enters LTA events around the UK as much as possible. He continues his weekly coaching sessions with coach Tom Cullens and he also does strength training weekly with a personal trainer. He predominantly plays singles but plays in some doubles events too.

Dad Adi summed up Aaron’s progress with the following advice …

… ‘Of course there are highs and lows along the way but my advice to any other parents is to concentrate on the building blocks to improve your child’s game. Although ranking points are a benchmark, don’t make them a set goal during childhood. Focus on the building blocks as this leads to improved results and achievement in the long run. Above all, Aaron has a passion for playing tennis and wants to reach his maximum potential. This is his driving force and he loves being on the journey’.

Coach Tom also gave us this update on Aaron’s progress …. “I have been honoured to coach Aaron since April 2024. His commitment, drive and work rate in both coaching sessions and by regularly competing is paying dividends. He has grown as an individual and his all-round tennis play continues to improve too. In the weekly coaching sessions we have focused on aggressive play and tempo in rallying. We make minor technical adjustments from time-to-time. Together we work on tactical play and a wider variety of shot selections such as drop shots, slice and topspin serves. Even though I will soon move to Australia I will always follow Aaron’s growth as a player and individual in the years ahead. He is an absolute pleasure to work with”.