Rising tennis star Libby Darley is serving up aces against the top players in the country - and she’s still only nine!
After taking up the sport aged just five the talented Billingham youngster has rocketed up the rankings, winning county then regional tournaments all over the country.
Now she’s been on the National tour as one of the top 16 Great Britain players aged nine and under.
Her mum Vicki said: “Libby has done fantastic on the tour, getting placed 11th, 10th then 7th then coming 6th in the last National tour tournament which was at Wirral on Sunday.
“We are just so proud of her.”
Libby trains with coach Libby Fletcher at Tennis World in Middlesbrough six days a week and goes in three mornings before school.
Her school, Teesside High, “has been great”, said her mum, letting Libby come out of school to attend regional training camps at Manchester once a month where she trains with the best players from the North of England.
Libby decided to give tennis a try while her mum and dad Scott, 40, were at David Lloyd gym at Stockton.
“Then she just got sucked into the whole tennis thing,” said Vicki, 38, who works for her husband’s property business.
Libby got invited to join a UK Sport Talent ID programme, which saw her move to Tennis World and the tutelage of Libby Fletcher.
“She is absolutely loving it,” said her mum.
“She always watches the tennis on TV and likes Andy Murray, but Nadal is her favourite.”
And tennis is a talent that runs in the family, with Libby’s older sister Cheri , 11, also racking up the trophies.
“I’ve never played tennis myself, but it’s taken over my whole life,” said Vicki. “It’s just become this rollercoaster ride for us all.”
Future Wimbledon ladies’ doubles champions anyone? Start placing your bets now...
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