Practice with Ben Weekes: “Be open to working together with your group and taking criticism” | 17 Might, 2024 | All Information | Information and Options | Information and Occasions

Ben Weekes, one in all Australia’s main wheelchair tennis gamers, particulars his apply routines in our “Practice with the Professionals” collection.

Sydney, Australia , 17 Might 2024 | Jackson Mansell

Ben Weekes is one in all Australia’s most completed wheelchair tennis athletes.

The enduring 39-year-old is a five-time Paralympian, who has achieved career-high rankings of world No.10 in singles and world No.11 in doubles.

The Sydneysider additionally took half within the AO Glam Slam earlier this yr, proudly representing the LGBTI neighborhood on the Australian Open.

> READ MORE: Weekes – “Everybody simply accepts you for who you’re”

Weekes shares his coaching routines and provides useful recommendation in our Practice with the Professionals collection.

Do you could have a favorite time of day to apply?

Each day I practice early within the morning as a result of I work as properly, in order that’s the time that works greatest for me. Ideally, it will be good to sleep in some days.

What do you do for work?

I work for the ABC in admin for kids’s tv manufacturing.

What number of hours per week, on common, do you spend on the apply courtroom?

We attempt to get 20 hours of hitting in, then gymnasium on prime of that. It’s just about a full-time coaching schedule. Then I even have work, so I’ve rather a lot to stability.

What do you get pleasure from most about coaching?

In the mean time, I’m coaching rather a lot with one other wheelchair participant, Anderson Parker. That’s one thing I haven’t acquired to do for some time, so having that squad atmosphere has been very nice for me.

What’s the least favorite a part of your recreation to work on?

I don’t actually love the gymnasium. It’s one thing that I achieve this that I don’t get injured. I put within the onerous work, however it’s not essentially the most fulfilling. I’d slightly be outdoors engaged on the tennis facet of issues.

Do you could have favorite gamers on tour to apply with?

There are a few Japanese guys who I get together with and play doubles with fairly a bit, so we usually tee up some apply periods after I’m on the highway. More often than not I’m the one Aussie at tournaments, so I’ll apply with whoever I can get. Fortunately, all of us get alongside very well, so it’s simple to seek out hitting companions. I discover coaching on the highway extra useful, as a variety of time in Sydney it may be simply my coach and I, so it’s good to coach with different wheelchair tennis gamers.

Are you able to recall any explicit coaching periods you had been most nervous for?

I by no means get nervous for coaching. For me, I deal with it like work. So, I simply really feel like I’m displaying up for work.

Are there any gamers on tour you most wish to apply with?

I’ve been taking part in for greater than 20 years, so I believe I’ve hit with everybody in some unspecified time in the future. Ideally you wish to practice with the most effective gamers, so Alfie Hewett (the present world No.1 in males’s wheelchair tennis) is the man I’d most wish to practice with in the meanwhile. There are a variety of younger gamers coming by way of who’re tremendous hungry, so it’s at all times good to hit with them too. The sport has modified rather a lot, in order that they have a extra fashionable type and getting publicity to that’s useful.

What recommendation would you share with an aspiring participant to get essentially the most out of a apply session?

I see a variety of gamers who lack consideration once they’re coaching. It’s additionally necessary to be open to working together with your group and taking criticism. Have belief in who you’re coaching with and that you simply’re doing the suitable factor. As soon as you will discover that, you’ll hold getting higher.

Lastly, should you had 5 minutes remaining in a apply session and will do something you want, what would you select?

I’d need it to be one thing that will get me wrecked, so I really feel like I end robust. That will be one thing with excessive depth, a variety of pushing and chasing down balls.

> READ MORE: From our “Practice with the professionals” collection

Discover your option to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!