My build-up to Wimbledon: Oskari Paldanius
Finland’s Oskari Paldanius arrived in England towards the end of June hoping to make his mark on grass, having won the boys’ doubles title at Roland Garros alongside Alan Wazny of Poland.
The 18-year-old was to play two tournaments, J300 Roehampton – the traditional warm up to Wimbledon for junior players – and then the Junior Championships at SW19.
Grass is an unfamiliar surface for most junior players, especially those from outside of Great Britain, so it would be a big test and an important month in his development.
As an extension of our Day in the Life content series, we spent time with Oskari at J300 Roehampton as he continued preparations to play at one of the world’s premier Grand Slam venues.
The video gives a real flavour of what it is like to compete at an important junior tournament during the heart of the British summer.
Oskari is also a member of the ITF-operated Grand Slam Player Development Programme Touring Team, with the video showcasing the significance of this development programme.
Each year, groups of talented players from developing tennis nations are invited by the ITF to join Touring Teams, which are operated by the ITF on behalf of the Grand Slam tournaments. The Grand Slam Player Development Programme itself has contributed over $65m to tennis development since its inception in 1986.
After being selected for a Touring Team, players then travel as part of a team, have access to high-performance coaches and potential exposure to events outside of their region.
For 12 weeks this year, Oskari – who will be competing at the upcoming US Open Junior Championships – has travelled with the Touring Teams. The Touring Team programme has helped scores of talented individuals to succeed where finances may have otherwise proved a barrier to their success.
In short, it is a key development initiative – both on and off court – and paves the way for players to ascend to the professional game. Current Top 100 players Grigor Dimitrov, Sebastian Baez, Qinwen Zheng, Jelena Ostapenko and Alexandra Eala are all past members of the Touring Team.
Eligible nations (Tier 1-3) can apply for their players to be on international Grand Slam Player Development Programme Touring Teams. They are funded by the GSPDP, and the selection and organisation of teams is undertaken by the ITF.
Further info on the Grand Slam Player Development Programme is available here