Heather Watson's tennis success achieved without pushy parents

Heather Watson has reached the top of British women’s tennis without the pushy parents often associated with the game’s young prodigies

Her parents, Ian and Michelle Watson, made huge sacrifices so she could get the best coaching in the world, paying for her to go to the prestigious Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida when she was just 12 and later moving to the US themselves to support her. However, they never put pressure on her to win and have even stayed away from some of her tournaments, including this year’s Wimbledon, to avoid unsettling her.

Watson, 20, was born on the Channel Island of Guernsey in May 1992 and first became interested in tennis when she was watching her parents play at their club in Guernsey, and took up the sport when she was seven.  Aged nine, she asked her mother and father for £10.  Without telling them, she used the money to enter a softball tennis contest. Her parents were astonished when she came back home a few days later with a trophy, having won the competition.

Mr Watson has described how he “cried his eyes out” at Guernsey airport when his wife flew out to Florida to live with their daughter in 2008 after she began travelling the world on the international tennis circuit. However, the family remained very close. They talked every day over the internet and Mr Watson visited America as often as he could before moving there full-time after he retired in 2010.

Watson combines her brilliance on the tennis court with brains. She graduated top of her class from Pendleton High School in Florida in 2009, and says she would have studied business at university if she had not made a success of her sport.  Away from tennis, she is passionate about fashion, and describes Serena Williams and Beyonce as her style icons.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a)                  Both parents always travel with Heather when she plays in tournaments.

b)                  Both of Heather’s parents used to play tennis.

c)                  Mr Watson still works.

d)                  Heather is in her first year at university.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.

a)  Why has Heather Watson’s life been so special?

b)  How did the family keep in touch when Heather and Michelle were travelling round the world?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as

a)                   enormous par. 1

b)                   worry par. 1

c)                   keep on being par. 3

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a)      Heather is a very good tennis player and she is also clever.

In addition to …..............................…..

b)      Heather’s parents had to make big sacrifices but they never put pressure on her.

 Despite …..................................................….

c)      Heather entered the softball tennis contest and won a trophy.

If Heather ………........................................, she ….......................

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

“in order to be successful in life, you have to go to university”.  Do you agree?

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Youtube interview with Heather Watson

Click on this link to watch a Twitter interview with Heather Watson.

Match the expressions below to the question Heather is answering

Questions                                   

1     1  I have been playing for four months and am now in a tennis academy.  Can you give me any advice?

2     2   How confident do you feel about taking one of the slams next year?

3     3  Where do you see yourself finishing next season?

4     4  You’ve won a singles title at quite a young age.  What are your future goals?

 5  If you didn’t play tennis, what sport would you play instead?

6      6  What was your first thought after winning Osaka?

7      7  How much does the battle with Laura Robson motivate you?

8      8  Which artist or song is your biggest guilty pleasure?

Expressions

a)    have fun

b)    pleased with what I’d accomplished

c)    I would probably be a boxer

d)    win more WTU titles

e)    it’s brilliant

f)    that’s the name of the song

g)    my goals for next season

h)    try my best