October 11, 2025 • 21 mins
Fresh off his first Grand Slam appearance at Wimbledon, the second player guest is featuring British player, Hamish Stewart. Learn what the lower level of professional tennis is actually like and how players how are barely scraping by financially. What is the next step for Hamish? Can he make a push for top 100ATP? I believe so!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Ladies and gentlemen, second player who come on the UTR
podcast here is a Scottish legend.
He is currently sitting with a 13.84 UTR and he is ranked 380
in the world. Hamish Stewart, how are we
doing? Thanks for coming on.
(00:23):
I'm good. Thanks for thanks for having me
on. Absolutely.
Tell us a little bit, where are you right now?
It doesn't look like you're in sunny Scotland.
Where? Where are we?
We're in, we're in Greece just now, we're in her sauna sauce or
her actually on a good old resort there.
So yeah, yeah, we're playing a challenge with this week here.
(00:46):
Good, good. Well, for those that don't know,
I actually recruited Hamish to Tulane.
He played four years at Tulane, I think, and then for his fifth
year went to the University of Georgia.
Hamish. Tell us a little bit about your
experience in college, Tulane, moving on to Georgia, what you
learned, and maybe some advice for other players out there.
(01:08):
Yeah, so obviously you got you got the ball rolling with
Tulane. You got me there.
You and Mark, Coach Morris, likeI had an unbelievable experience
in college. I loved both schools.
I loved all my teammates at bothschools.
College was a bit of a no brainer for me.
I wanted to combine athletics with with school as well.
(01:34):
And yeah, Tulane was an unbelievable experience.
New Orleans, what place, what place to go to college as well.
Had a great four years with coach Boris and of course, Chris
Simpson, your your upgrade for when you left.
But but yeah, had a great four years there.
(01:57):
And to be honest, COVID was a bit of a bit of a blessing for
me. I think I was able to, to try
something new and try, yeah, just try something else at the
University of Georgia with MannyJimmy and and Will Reynolds as
well. And yeah, I just had a
(02:18):
unbelievable experience at both schools.
And you know, they set me up, I think for the future, not only
in tennis, but then after, aftertennis as well with, with my
education as well. How long have you been playing
professional tennis? So I graduated Georgia.
Well, I think it's been almost three years now.
(02:39):
I think I've been going. It was a bit of a delayed start.
I I couldn't play my first six months due to injury, but then I
got just cracking after that. So you are right now at career
high of 380 in the world. What?
Yeah. What's it like out there?
You've played a mixture of events.
You, you know, you're just starting to get going now into
(03:01):
Challengers. Tell us a little bit about the
truth about professional tennis.Yeah, I think the way I've tried
to do it as well, I've tried to do it myself.
So I financially do it myself and it it's been, it's been a
definite struggle, that's for sure.
You know, I think this summer has changed quite a lot after,
(03:23):
after making Wimbledon qualities.
But before then I always had to balance prize money events with
futures events. And you know, I think as a
player as well there, there is that financial pressure,
financial weights with professional tennis, especially
at the start. So when I was starting out, they
(03:45):
had these things called UK pro leagues that I would do they and
they would subsidized my tennis to go travel and play.
PTTS weren't, weren't a thing when I when I started out.
And it's also like, you know, you are trying to save money on
the roads, so you're staying in worse places.
(04:07):
You're probably not eating as well as you could.
They're all little sacrifices that, you know, I think now I've
sort of been able to loosen up awee bit and I'm sort of seeing,
wow, that extra financial investment.
I think it goes a long, long way.
So yeah, it was definitely at the start a struggle, you know,
(04:28):
going to charm, going to monastery, these absolute dumps
of, of places just yeah, it's a it's a, it was definitely a
battle. And then now sort of breaking
into more challenges Now I'm sort of seeing, OK, it gets a
bit better from here. But even still, it's, it's a,
it's a battle. If you don't know, Hamish
(04:50):
Stewart actually made the last round of qualifying at Wimbledon
this year. He advanced in the first round
through actually a retirement toValentin Vashiro, who is having
an unbelievable week in Shanghai.
Then he won six in the third against Luca Vanash, 11/9 in the
(05:13):
tie break and then lost 6/4 in the 4th.
Who ready from Switzerland? Tell us a little bit about that
experience. It must have been dream come
true. You play in front of your
family, your friends, coming down from Scotland, just playing
in your first Grand Slam, what was that like?
That was that was a pretty mental week.
(05:34):
So I, I had come through pre qualities as well, which was
also heart and mouth because realistically as well, like, you
know, that was a, the pre qualities is a financial game
changer just itself. So like if you get through pre
qualities, you know, it's first round slam prize money or
(05:58):
nothing. So it really was like, you know,
those matches are very tense. And my, my final match with
Brody to qualify, I was 53-UP inthe thirds and got broken back
and went back to five all. And I was thinking, Oh my gosh,
I've lost it. I've lost the money.
Like I'm I'm done. Does that then interrupt you
(06:20):
when you're playing for? Does that enter your mind that
you do you know how much money you're playing for?
Yeah, I think, I think my coach before told me, you know, part
of pre qualifying is managing what you're playing for as well
and like not putting your entireyear ongoing.
If I qualify, I'm I'm set for like a while.
(06:42):
So and like when I got broken at54, I just went and I had match
point at 5 three. That's why I was saying it.
I was just like, Oh my God, whathave I done?
But then you know him through that 75 and then Vashiro, to be
honest, the match with Vashiro, he was all over me.
(07:02):
He was playing pretty well. I wasn't playing great.
And then he had a very unfortunate fall that he seems
to have recovered quite well from.
And then the match with Van Ashe, I saved match points
again, which was again, I had matched the point at 5-3 in the
third set and I was serving for A5 four and lost.
(07:23):
I was sort of like, wow, feel like I've been in this scenario
before. Fortunately, yeah, I think it
was 84 down in the tie break as well.
So coming through that once again was just a bit.
That was like a mental and then yeah, that was that was a tough
one to hear. Like after that match, it was
(07:43):
sort of like a three hour battlein the grass just going all
right, well, you got a best of five tomorrow.
It's just like, yeah, it's pretty intense.
But yeah, that week was Oh my gosh, it was so much fun just
being able to unlike the event they do for when Wimbledon
qualities as well. It's amazing.
Like it felt like a proper ATP event.
(08:04):
And yeah, it was. It was classed.
Just so everyone knows, the person that runs Wimbledon
qualities I believe is Johnny Barr, who is an absolute legend
if you don't know. Johnny Legend.
Yes. He is from the wrong part of
Scotland though. Yeah, right, part of Scotland.
He's a Wimbledon member and actually I think he's a very
(08:27):
good golfer now, but he runs Wimbledon qualies and he's done
an exceptional job. But it goes to say kind of what
you're talking about there, Hamish, one week can really
change a professional tennis players year.
It's it's very challenging to actually make money.
And on that topic, Hamish, how do you make money?
(08:47):
You're 380 in the world. Do you have a, are you investing
in a coach? Are you investing in a trainer?
A physio? How how do you have the luxury
to to to invest like that? Or is that not the case right
now? I think now it's changed a
little bit since since Wimbledon.
So for example, this is the first week I've had a, I've had
(09:09):
a travel coach with me. Fortunately being Scottish, I do
get some help with coaching and S&C and things like that.
To be honest, without that, I don't know how I, I before would
have afforded it. Like there it wouldn't have been
feasible with the budget that I was on.
(09:30):
So that, that, that was a huge help.
I mean, obviously it's not like your own individual coach, but
you know, we had like four or five players who were sharing a
coach, which is massive. Just, you know, them being able
to help with that. And then S&C, unfortunately,
through the Institute of Sports Scotland's, they've been able to
help me out with that alongside physio.
(09:52):
But I sort of know the cost of these things.
And you know, if, if the, if theInstitute wasn't helping out
with that, you know, I to be a professional tennis player, you
have to invest in those things and I wouldn't have been able to
invest in those things. Sorry.
Are you hearing this music as well?
No, no, you're fine. OK, magic.
(10:13):
OK, good, the DJ started. So yeah, if if I didn't have
those things to the Institute and Tennis Scotland, like I
wouldn't have been able to to afford those things.
What do you think is the rankingwhere you, as a professional
tennis player actually legitimately start making money?
(10:35):
It's a interesting question because I definitely think the
fact me being British has helpedmassively because we have a
Grand Slam and we have a federation that puts on a Grand
Slam and gets their funding, a large amount of that funding
through their Grand Slam. So honestly I think you have to
(10:56):
be making slam qualities minimumto be able.
And even then, like I'm not 100%sure of guys who are always
making slam qualities if they have a coach there every week or
if they have the full access to their coach all the time.
Yeah, I think you so slam qualities, I think the cuts 240.
(11:19):
So I think that's the that's thecut that it needs to it needs to
be if if on top of that, depending on their federation,
Yeah. But if there's no federation
backing, I think 240 is probablythe the number.
Yeah, So this is This is why professional tennis is so
difficult. I didn't play pro tennis, but I
(11:41):
coached a lot of players who whoare currently embarking on pro
tennis. And that's exactly right.
That's what I've heard many times.
You excuse me, you have to be making grand slams in order to
make money. There are also other ways that
professional tennis players makemoney.
They can do things outside of the match court.
They can do exhibitions, they can do sponsorship deals, they
(12:03):
can do really whatever they wantin order to promote themselves
as a brand. So tell us a little bit about
hey, miss your schedule coming up here, rest of the rest of the
fall and then going into early 2026.
Yeah. So I think it's heavily trying
(12:25):
to put more challenges in the schedule now.
So I think up until the last week of November, I think I'm
going to try and do what am I trying to do.
I'm going back to Britain first for 220 fives and then I think
I'm going to try and do three more challenges this year, sort
of see where my ranking is at the end of November.
(12:46):
And then if there's a few eventsin December, I'll try and get
out there and do a few futures as well.
I know in Britain we've got a few prize money events later on
in December I might try and dabble into.
But yeah, that's that's sort of just trying to keep the
challenges going and then evaluating where the rankings
(13:08):
are and if it's best to go do some more futures, I'll do that.
But yeah, that's sort of just keep pushing on.
I've really have nothing to defend for the rest of this year
because I was injured at the endof last year, so just just
trying to keep the momentum momentum going really.
Who helps you with the scheduling?
Did you on your own or do you work with the LTA?
(13:31):
I sort of work with, do you knowToby Smith?
Of course, Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I work with Toby.
He's he's my main coach and he helps me with my schedule.
And, you know, unfortunately hisbrother being the Davis Cup
captain, we can we can sort of ask what the LTA sort of best or
(13:53):
what Leon sort of has in pointed, you know, looking at
previous players development, you know, what the best
trajectory is, what the best balance of challenges to futures
will be. So he he definitely helps there.
It's pretty easy as well becauseI also haven't played a
professional tournament on clay yet.
So that that narrows it down. Yeah, Yeah.
(14:15):
So yeah, he helps me with that. Hamish, do you, do you think you
can get top 100? Do you think you can get to the
top of the game? If, if so, I believe you can,
right? But are you, do you think there
are certain things in your game or maybe is it a health thing or
(14:38):
is it scheduling? What is it?
What's the difference to to being 380 in the world and
getting to the top 100? Yeah, hold on.
I'm just going to move inside real quick.
My battery is about to die. Sorry.
Yeah. I mean, that's a definite goal
of mine, like to reach. I mean, it's it's it's a dream
(15:01):
of mine. So like for next year, for
example, my goal is to play maindraw at Wimbledon.
So that for that, you know, there's wild cards opportunity
being British, but you know, I'mstarting to look, OK, now I'm at
360, let's try and get to 250 soI can play all the slams.
And then from there, you know, Ithink, I think a big bit of it
is belief. I think for me, one of the
(15:23):
things that has changed a lot for me is I've started working
with a mental coach and that side of things is definitely,
that side has definitely opened up a new, a new Ave. that I
haven't really explored before. And I think you know me, I can
sometimes I'm a fiery competitorand sometimes that can, that can
(15:45):
get the better of me sometimes. So having working with him has
been a massive help. And now I know also the fact
that the financial side has freed me up quite a bit as well.
I can invest more, you know, I do think there's still a lot of
room to, to develop and you know, top 100 is definitely
(16:06):
something that I'm meaning for when that will happen or if it
will happen, I'm not sure, but it's something I, I definitely
think and want to achieve. How do you keep yourself busy on
playing professional tennis? You know you're not going to win
every event you play, right? You know, you play double s and
like, what do you, what do you do?
(16:27):
Do you read books? Do you listen to podcasts?
Do you go do fitness? Do you explore and go
sightseeing? How do you keep yourself busy?
I do try and sort of like for example, this week, if I haven't
done very well, I sort of like to think, OK, you need to, you
need to get busy, you need to get pricing, you need to get the
gym, you know, let's let's do whatever you can to make sure
(16:50):
you know you're ready for next week.
But I'm an avid golfer, so this week I know there's a course
kicking around somewhere. I know your former player, Giles
Hussey is eyeing that up as well.
So yeah, golf is golf's a big one for me.
I love it so. And then otherwise, how else do
(17:14):
I keep busy? I do like a podcast, you know,
there's obviously a new one that's just come out the James
Mackay podcast. So I've added that to the list.
But yeah, I do love ATV show as well.
And I I follow a kind of sports as well.
So sport highlights. I'm a big time manager of an FPL
(17:36):
team as well. I know you know, that's what I
think we're in the same league. However, you're you're behind
me. So yeah.
But question for you, Hamish. So you've played in some big
matches, professional in college.
Are there any specific memories that stand out to you, or
(18:00):
experiences that stand out? Wimbledon qualities was
definitely as a professional. That's my biggest one.
I think when I was in college, Ithink when I clinched the three
all match, Georgia versus Texas at Georgia was a special one.
(18:21):
I'm trying to think of other special college managers.
When I was at 2 lane, when we beat Texas 40 in Texas, that was
that was a highlight for sure. Yeah, those would be my
highlights. I think as well, just looking at
Hamish's background as a junior,he didn't travel the world and
(18:41):
play every single ITF. He wasn't the highest ranked
junior. He decided to go to the US,
sorry, he decided to go to the US, went to college and, and had
his own journey. And I think a lot of people get
wrapped up in rankings and UT Rsand, and too much of that stuff
(19:02):
when really just focus on what you're doing and, and, and, and
good things will happen if you put your head down and work
hard. So Hamish, what sort of advice,
just wrapping up here, what sortof advice would you give to
junior players or college players that are that are
potentially going to embark on ajourney of professional tennis?
(19:22):
Yeah, I think, I think for juniors, I mean, I'm a, I'm a
massive supporter of college tennis.
I think it's, I think it's brilliant.
The number of matches you get, the the quality of training you
get, the coaching, the facilities.
Like I've seen professional tennis, you do not get anywhere.
Close to. That on the like, at any like
(19:47):
most bases in the world, I don'tthink you're getting the level
of facility you're getting at college tennis.
And then I think, you know, whenyou're in college embarking on
professional tennis, I think a mistake I made.
Dip your dip your toes in futures.
Get real with what you're about to get into is a big one.
Because going from Tulane and Georgia to professional tennis,
(20:10):
it took me a while to adapt. I didn't play any futures when I
was in, I was in college. So like going to them, my first
trip was to Cancun, Mexico. And it wasn't Cancun, it was the
jungle. And it was horrific.
And I was like, this is what I'min for, like what is going on?
And then. But my advice would be, yeah,
just enjoy college. Like get a good mix of
(20:36):
education, social, athletics, push yourself hard, like enjoy
it and then, you know, get a tonof matches under your belt,
figure out what you're about andthen try and take that onto the
professional level. But yeah, get real with what the
journey will actually be like when you're in college because
it's, it's not, it's not as goodand it's, it's a reality check
(20:57):
for sure, unless you reach top 50 within the first, the first
year or two. So yeah, that that would be my
advice. Yeah, it's not easy.
Make sure I think as well, one thing that you probably agree
with Hamish is get the right people around you.
I know it's not. It's not cheap to to go for it,
(21:18):
but get the right people around you who support you through wins
and losses and you'll be fine. You'll be fine, Hamish.
I appreciate your time. Best of luck this week in
Greece. Prediction for next year for
Hamish is you will see him playing at least 2 grand slams.
(21:40):
So he's on the trajectory to to get to the top of of the game.
So Hamish, good luck, Appreciateyou joining me and and good luck
this week. Cheers James.
Appreciate the time. And yeah, loving the podcast,
mate, loving it. Here's.
Me. Cheers.
Ladies and gentlemen, second player who come on the UTR
podcast here is a Scottish legend.
He is currently sitting with a 13.84 UTR and he is ranked 380
in the world. Hamish Stewart, how are we
doing? Thanks for coming on.
(00:23):
I'm good. Thanks for thanks for having me
on. Absolutely.
Tell us a little bit, where are you right now?
It doesn't look like you're in sunny Scotland.
Where? Where are we?
We're in, we're in Greece just now, we're in her sauna sauce or
her actually on a good old resort there.
So yeah, yeah, we're playing a challenge with this week here.
(00:46):
Good, good. Well, for those that don't know,
I actually recruited Hamish to Tulane.
He played four years at Tulane, I think, and then for his fifth
year went to the University of Georgia.
Hamish. Tell us a little bit about your
experience in college, Tulane, moving on to Georgia, what you
learned, and maybe some advice for other players out there.
(01:08):
Yeah, so obviously you got you got the ball rolling with
Tulane. You got me there.
You and Mark, Coach Morris, likeI had an unbelievable experience
in college. I loved both schools.
I loved all my teammates at bothschools.
College was a bit of a no brainer for me.
I wanted to combine athletics with with school as well.
(01:34):
And yeah, Tulane was an unbelievable experience.
New Orleans, what place, what place to go to college as well.
Had a great four years with coach Boris and of course, Chris
Simpson, your your upgrade for when you left.
But but yeah, had a great four years there.
(01:57):
And to be honest, COVID was a bit of a bit of a blessing for
me. I think I was able to, to try
something new and try, yeah, just try something else at the
University of Georgia with MannyJimmy and and Will Reynolds as
well. And yeah, I just had a
(02:18):
unbelievable experience at both schools.
And you know, they set me up, I think for the future, not only
in tennis, but then after, aftertennis as well with, with my
education as well. How long have you been playing
professional tennis? So I graduated Georgia.
Well, I think it's been almost three years now.
(02:39):
I think I've been going. It was a bit of a delayed start.
I I couldn't play my first six months due to injury, but then I
got just cracking after that. So you are right now at career
high of 380 in the world. What?
Yeah. What's it like out there?
You've played a mixture of events.
You, you know, you're just starting to get going now into
(03:01):
Challengers. Tell us a little bit about the
truth about professional tennis.Yeah, I think the way I've tried
to do it as well, I've tried to do it myself.
So I financially do it myself and it it's been, it's been a
definite struggle, that's for sure.
You know, I think this summer has changed quite a lot after,
(03:23):
after making Wimbledon qualities.
But before then I always had to balance prize money events with
futures events. And you know, I think as a
player as well there, there is that financial pressure,
financial weights with professional tennis, especially
at the start. So when I was starting out, they
(03:45):
had these things called UK pro leagues that I would do they and
they would subsidized my tennis to go travel and play.
PTTS weren't, weren't a thing when I when I started out.
And it's also like, you know, you are trying to save money on
the roads, so you're staying in worse places.
(04:07):
You're probably not eating as well as you could.
They're all little sacrifices that, you know, I think now I've
sort of been able to loosen up awee bit and I'm sort of seeing,
wow, that extra financial investment.
I think it goes a long, long way.
So yeah, it was definitely at the start a struggle, you know,
(04:28):
going to charm, going to monastery, these absolute dumps
of, of places just yeah, it's a it's a, it was definitely a
battle. And then now sort of breaking
into more challenges Now I'm sort of seeing, OK, it gets a
bit better from here. But even still, it's, it's a,
it's a battle. If you don't know, Hamish
(04:50):
Stewart actually made the last round of qualifying at Wimbledon
this year. He advanced in the first round
through actually a retirement toValentin Vashiro, who is having
an unbelievable week in Shanghai.
Then he won six in the third against Luca Vanash, 11/9 in the
(05:13):
tie break and then lost 6/4 in the 4th.
Who ready from Switzerland? Tell us a little bit about that
experience. It must have been dream come
true. You play in front of your
family, your friends, coming down from Scotland, just playing
in your first Grand Slam, what was that like?
That was that was a pretty mental week.
(05:34):
So I, I had come through pre qualities as well, which was
also heart and mouth because realistically as well, like, you
know, that was a, the pre qualities is a financial game
changer just itself. So like if you get through pre
qualities, you know, it's first round slam prize money or
(05:58):
nothing. So it really was like, you know,
those matches are very tense. And my, my final match with
Brody to qualify, I was 53-UP inthe thirds and got broken back
and went back to five all. And I was thinking, Oh my gosh,
I've lost it. I've lost the money.
Like I'm I'm done. Does that then interrupt you
(06:20):
when you're playing for? Does that enter your mind that
you do you know how much money you're playing for?
Yeah, I think, I think my coach before told me, you know, part
of pre qualifying is managing what you're playing for as well
and like not putting your entireyear ongoing.
If I qualify, I'm I'm set for like a while.
(06:42):
So and like when I got broken at54, I just went and I had match
point at 5 three. That's why I was saying it.
I was just like, Oh my God, whathave I done?
But then you know him through that 75 and then Vashiro, to be
honest, the match with Vashiro, he was all over me.
(07:02):
He was playing pretty well. I wasn't playing great.
And then he had a very unfortunate fall that he seems
to have recovered quite well from.
And then the match with Van Ashe, I saved match points
again, which was again, I had matched the point at 5-3 in the
third set and I was serving for A5 four and lost.
(07:23):
I was sort of like, wow, feel like I've been in this scenario
before. Fortunately, yeah, I think it
was 84 down in the tie break as well.
So coming through that once again was just a bit.
That was like a mental and then yeah, that was that was a tough
one to hear. Like after that match, it was
(07:43):
sort of like a three hour battlein the grass just going all
right, well, you got a best of five tomorrow.
It's just like, yeah, it's pretty intense.
But yeah, that week was Oh my gosh, it was so much fun just
being able to unlike the event they do for when Wimbledon
qualities as well. It's amazing.
Like it felt like a proper ATP event.
(08:04):
And yeah, it was. It was classed.
Just so everyone knows, the person that runs Wimbledon
qualities I believe is Johnny Barr, who is an absolute legend
if you don't know. Johnny Legend.
Yes. He is from the wrong part of
Scotland though. Yeah, right, part of Scotland.
He's a Wimbledon member and actually I think he's a very
(08:27):
good golfer now, but he runs Wimbledon qualies and he's done
an exceptional job. But it goes to say kind of what
you're talking about there, Hamish, one week can really
change a professional tennis players year.
It's it's very challenging to actually make money.
And on that topic, Hamish, how do you make money?
(08:47):
You're 380 in the world. Do you have a, are you investing
in a coach? Are you investing in a trainer?
A physio? How how do you have the luxury
to to to invest like that? Or is that not the case right
now? I think now it's changed a
little bit since since Wimbledon.
So for example, this is the first week I've had a, I've had
(09:09):
a travel coach with me. Fortunately being Scottish, I do
get some help with coaching and S&C and things like that.
To be honest, without that, I don't know how I, I before would
have afforded it. Like there it wouldn't have been
feasible with the budget that I was on.
(09:30):
So that, that, that was a huge help.
I mean, obviously it's not like your own individual coach, but
you know, we had like four or five players who were sharing a
coach, which is massive. Just, you know, them being able
to help with that. And then S&C, unfortunately,
through the Institute of Sports Scotland's, they've been able to
help me out with that alongside physio.
(09:52):
But I sort of know the cost of these things.
And you know, if, if the, if theInstitute wasn't helping out
with that, you know, I to be a professional tennis player, you
have to invest in those things and I wouldn't have been able to
invest in those things. Sorry.
Are you hearing this music as well?
No, no, you're fine. OK, magic.
(10:13):
OK, good, the DJ started. So yeah, if if I didn't have
those things to the Institute and Tennis Scotland, like I
wouldn't have been able to to afford those things.
What do you think is the rankingwhere you, as a professional
tennis player actually legitimately start making money?
(10:35):
It's a interesting question because I definitely think the
fact me being British has helpedmassively because we have a
Grand Slam and we have a federation that puts on a Grand
Slam and gets their funding, a large amount of that funding
through their Grand Slam. So honestly I think you have to
(10:56):
be making slam qualities minimumto be able.
And even then, like I'm not 100%sure of guys who are always
making slam qualities if they have a coach there every week or
if they have the full access to their coach all the time.
Yeah, I think you so slam qualities, I think the cuts 240.
(11:19):
So I think that's the that's thecut that it needs to it needs to
be if if on top of that, depending on their federation,
Yeah. But if there's no federation
backing, I think 240 is probablythe the number.
Yeah, So this is This is why professional tennis is so
difficult. I didn't play pro tennis, but I
(11:41):
coached a lot of players who whoare currently embarking on pro
tennis. And that's exactly right.
That's what I've heard many times.
You excuse me, you have to be making grand slams in order to
make money. There are also other ways that
professional tennis players makemoney.
They can do things outside of the match court.
They can do exhibitions, they can do sponsorship deals, they
(12:03):
can do really whatever they wantin order to promote themselves
as a brand. So tell us a little bit about
hey, miss your schedule coming up here, rest of the rest of the
fall and then going into early 2026.
Yeah. So I think it's heavily trying
(12:25):
to put more challenges in the schedule now.
So I think up until the last week of November, I think I'm
going to try and do what am I trying to do.
I'm going back to Britain first for 220 fives and then I think
I'm going to try and do three more challenges this year, sort
of see where my ranking is at the end of November.
(12:46):
And then if there's a few eventsin December, I'll try and get
out there and do a few futures as well.
I know in Britain we've got a few prize money events later on
in December I might try and dabble into.
But yeah, that's that's sort of just trying to keep the
challenges going and then evaluating where the rankings
(13:08):
are and if it's best to go do some more futures, I'll do that.
But yeah, that's sort of just keep pushing on.
I've really have nothing to defend for the rest of this year
because I was injured at the endof last year, so just just
trying to keep the momentum momentum going really.
Who helps you with the scheduling?
Did you on your own or do you work with the LTA?
(13:31):
I sort of work with, do you knowToby Smith?
Of course, Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I work with Toby.
He's he's my main coach and he helps me with my schedule.
And, you know, unfortunately hisbrother being the Davis Cup
captain, we can we can sort of ask what the LTA sort of best or
(13:53):
what Leon sort of has in pointed, you know, looking at
previous players development, you know, what the best
trajectory is, what the best balance of challenges to futures
will be. So he he definitely helps there.
It's pretty easy as well becauseI also haven't played a
professional tournament on clay yet.
So that that narrows it down. Yeah, Yeah.
(14:15):
So yeah, he helps me with that. Hamish, do you, do you think you
can get top 100? Do you think you can get to the
top of the game? If, if so, I believe you can,
right? But are you, do you think there
are certain things in your game or maybe is it a health thing or
(14:38):
is it scheduling? What is it?
What's the difference to to being 380 in the world and
getting to the top 100? Yeah, hold on.
I'm just going to move inside real quick.
My battery is about to die. Sorry.
Yeah. I mean, that's a definite goal
of mine, like to reach. I mean, it's it's it's a dream
(15:01):
of mine. So like for next year, for
example, my goal is to play maindraw at Wimbledon.
So that for that, you know, there's wild cards opportunity
being British, but you know, I'mstarting to look, OK, now I'm at
360, let's try and get to 250 soI can play all the slams.
And then from there, you know, Ithink, I think a big bit of it
is belief. I think for me, one of the
(15:23):
things that has changed a lot for me is I've started working
with a mental coach and that side of things is definitely,
that side has definitely opened up a new, a new Ave. that I
haven't really explored before. And I think you know me, I can
sometimes I'm a fiery competitorand sometimes that can, that can
(15:45):
get the better of me sometimes. So having working with him has
been a massive help. And now I know also the fact
that the financial side has freed me up quite a bit as well.
I can invest more, you know, I do think there's still a lot of
room to, to develop and you know, top 100 is definitely
(16:06):
something that I'm meaning for when that will happen or if it
will happen, I'm not sure, but it's something I, I definitely
think and want to achieve. How do you keep yourself busy on
playing professional tennis? You know you're not going to win
every event you play, right? You know, you play double s and
like, what do you, what do you do?
(16:27):
Do you read books? Do you listen to podcasts?
Do you go do fitness? Do you explore and go
sightseeing? How do you keep yourself busy?
I do try and sort of like for example, this week, if I haven't
done very well, I sort of like to think, OK, you need to, you
need to get busy, you need to get pricing, you need to get the
gym, you know, let's let's do whatever you can to make sure
(16:50):
you know you're ready for next week.
But I'm an avid golfer, so this week I know there's a course
kicking around somewhere. I know your former player, Giles
Hussey is eyeing that up as well.
So yeah, golf is golf's a big one for me.
I love it so. And then otherwise, how else do
(17:14):
I keep busy? I do like a podcast, you know,
there's obviously a new one that's just come out the James
Mackay podcast. So I've added that to the list.
But yeah, I do love ATV show as well.
And I I follow a kind of sports as well.
So sport highlights. I'm a big time manager of an FPL
(17:36):
team as well. I know you know, that's what I
think we're in the same league. However, you're you're behind
me. So yeah.
But question for you, Hamish. So you've played in some big
matches, professional in college.
Are there any specific memories that stand out to you, or
(18:00):
experiences that stand out? Wimbledon qualities was
definitely as a professional. That's my biggest one.
I think when I was in college, Ithink when I clinched the three
all match, Georgia versus Texas at Georgia was a special one.
(18:21):
I'm trying to think of other special college managers.
When I was at 2 lane, when we beat Texas 40 in Texas, that was
that was a highlight for sure. Yeah, those would be my
highlights. I think as well, just looking at
Hamish's background as a junior,he didn't travel the world and
(18:41):
play every single ITF. He wasn't the highest ranked
junior. He decided to go to the US,
sorry, he decided to go to the US, went to college and, and had
his own journey. And I think a lot of people get
wrapped up in rankings and UT Rsand, and too much of that stuff
(19:02):
when really just focus on what you're doing and, and, and, and
good things will happen if you put your head down and work
hard. So Hamish, what sort of advice,
just wrapping up here, what sortof advice would you give to
junior players or college players that are that are
potentially going to embark on ajourney of professional tennis?
(19:22):
Yeah, I think, I think for juniors, I mean, I'm a, I'm a
massive supporter of college tennis.
I think it's, I think it's brilliant.
The number of matches you get, the the quality of training you
get, the coaching, the facilities.
Like I've seen professional tennis, you do not get anywhere.
Close to. That on the like, at any like
(19:47):
most bases in the world, I don'tthink you're getting the level
of facility you're getting at college tennis.
And then I think, you know, whenyou're in college embarking on
professional tennis, I think a mistake I made.
Dip your dip your toes in futures.
Get real with what you're about to get into is a big one.
Because going from Tulane and Georgia to professional tennis,
(20:10):
it took me a while to adapt. I didn't play any futures when I
was in, I was in college. So like going to them, my first
trip was to Cancun, Mexico. And it wasn't Cancun, it was the
jungle. And it was horrific.
And I was like, this is what I'min for, like what is going on?
And then. But my advice would be, yeah,
just enjoy college. Like get a good mix of
(20:36):
education, social, athletics, push yourself hard, like enjoy
it and then, you know, get a tonof matches under your belt,
figure out what you're about andthen try and take that onto the
professional level. But yeah, get real with what the
journey will actually be like when you're in college because
it's, it's not, it's not as goodand it's, it's a reality check
(20:57):
for sure, unless you reach top 50 within the first, the first
year or two. So yeah, that that would be my
advice. Yeah, it's not easy.
Make sure I think as well, one thing that you probably agree
with Hamish is get the right people around you.
I know it's not. It's not cheap to to go for it,
(21:18):
but get the right people around you who support you through wins
and losses and you'll be fine. You'll be fine, Hamish.
I appreciate your time. Best of luck this week in
Greece. Prediction for next year for
Hamish is you will see him playing at least 2 grand slams.
(21:40):
So he's on the trajectory to to get to the top of of the game.
So Hamish, good luck, Appreciateyou joining me and and good luck
this week. Cheers James.
Appreciate the time. And yeah, loving the podcast,
mate, loving it. Here's.
Me. Cheers.
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