'I was inspired by the Seb Jackson video, now I love Masters Tennis'
Great Britain’s Colin Sarratt recently contested his first ITF World Tennis Masters Tour event and the motivation to do so came from watching the ITF’s Day in Life video with fellow Masters player Seb Jackson.
Sarratt has played tennis all his life – the 56-year-old is a member of Pinner Lawn Tennis Club in northwest London and plays in the Middlesex Leagues – but decided to compete at last week’s MT700 Wrexham after seeing the video of Seb in action in Manavgat, Turkiye.
“The springboard was watching Seb’s video,” said Sarratt, who has a World Tennis Number of 27.7. “One day I was flicking around on YouTube and his video popped up. I watched it – in fact I watched it two or three times – and it spoke to me quite direct.
“Seb talked about ITF Masters Tennis being competitive but with a community angle, tournaments being professionally run and the whole thing being fun. It wasn’t all about winning and the carnage of learning to lose every week.
“While Seb is an elite Masters player, it made me think that I could find my level, and I felt I could enjoy it as much as he clearly does. The video opened a door.
“It really did resonate with me and inspire me. I wanted to know how good I could be against people of my own age, not necessarily youngsters who can run all day. I also want to play to a high standard but with a smile on my face.
“By the way, the community and camaraderie angle which Seb talks about is spot on. I met loads of people in Wrexham and have come away with seven or eight phone numbers. ITF Masters Tennis is as good as the video suggests.”
The video which Sarratt refers to was published in May 2025. In Seb Jackson, it features a player who is a regular on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour having competed and won titles at ITF Masters World Championships – the pinnacle of ITF Masters Tennis.
Viewers follow Seb as he takes to the court and showcases founding principles of the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour such as healthy competition, camaraderie, travel opportunities and a sense of achievement.
The video also highlights Seb’s passion for the benefits of tennis from a wellbeing perspective having twice been diagnosed with cancer. He talks openly about how tennis has aided his recovery, both from a physical and mental perspective.
This feeds into the wider narrative of tennis providing numerous health benefits, including increased life expectancy, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, improved mental health and enhanced physical fitness.
Once in Wrexham, Sarratt did not get to face the man who inspired him to play, but he did reach the quarter-finals of the men's draw for players aged 55 and above. He also reacquainted himself with Hafeez Hameed, someone with whom he worked 25 years earlier. Hameed was competing in the age category below.
Great Britain's Colin Sarratt
“My whole experience in Wrexham was really positive,” added Sarratt. “I didn’t have any expectations, but I over-achieved on court given I was starting my ITF Masters Tennis journey at an MT700.
“It was my very first event and I really loved it. I have never done anything like that before and I was so excited to test myself against some wonderful players.
“I played a guy called Charles Durham in the quarter-finals and he was superb. My body hurt for three days after our match, but in a good way. I have never lost a match that I've enjoyed so much. Charles is such a decorated player, but I felt I played really well.
“There was a real sense of achievement afterwards and the whole thing is just infectious. Some people enjoy playing club matches and that’s where their focus is. But, for me, ITF Masters Tennis is so much wider than that.”
So successful was Sarratt’s introduction to the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour that he already has in his diary six events which he intends to contest this year, starting with MT400 Roehampton in late March.
“Absolutely I will be back for more,” said Sarratt. “After watching the Seb video, I realised I needed to get fit before competing. And competing last week has inspired me more to do all the health and fitness things I should be doing.
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“I loved playing in Wrexham, it was so enjoyable and it exceeded all my expectations. But now I need a calendar, and I have six more events in the calendar this year. Four of these are in the UK but maybe two abroad.
“I still work full-time so there is a balance to be struck, but that balance is definitely do-able. In life, you also have to strike a balance between your professional life and your passions because if it’s all work, that’s no good.
“With the tournaments abroad, I want to experience what I saw in Seb’s video. When I'm waiting around for my match, I want to be waiting around on a sunbed.”
The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour provides competitive playing opportunities for amateur players from the year in which they turn 30 years of age right through to 90 and above, with tournaments taking place in more than 70 nations around the world.
The majority of players on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour are not former pros, so if you love the game, enjoy competitions but have other commitments in your life, maybe the Tour is for you. There is likely to be a tournament taking place close by.
Register to play on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour here, through IPIN, with no upfront cost.