All the answers 💯 @Liambroady | #ATPChallenger
Liam Broady expressed his joy at reaching the top 100 after 10 years of his career.
The British tennis player emerged as one of the great hopes of British tennis after a strong performance in the juniors. Broady was a finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open, and in doubles, he even won the titles at SW19 and later the Australian Open.
However, the left-hander never managed to replicate the same level of success in his professional career as he did in junior tennis.
Nevertheless, this time, he achieved the greatest milestone of his career by advancing to the final of the Saint-Tropez challenger. Despite falling to Constant Lestienne, Broady secured his first entry into the top 100."
“The thing that’s been the goal that’s kept me going for 10 years has been ‘I will be top 100 one day’.
“It’s funny, with this stuff you never feel as good as you think, once you do it you’re like, ‘Oh is that it’? Now I’m already thinking about how can we finish the year strong, how can I go to Australia and maximise at the start of next year. But it is a big weight off my shoulders.
“I don’t know why but you always see a player who’s been in the top 100 differently. Even if someone’s made 99 and someone’s been 101, there’s a different sort of aura about that and I’ve been conscious of that for years,” he said.
“There have been plenty of British players that have been fantastic but never managed to cross that final hurdle. I didn’t want the same thing for myself, I wanted to be within that holy grail.”
The new world No. 93 also remembered his compatriot Johanna Konta, who fought for many years to break into the top 100 and then the top 50, eventually establishing herself as a top-10 tennis player for several years:
“I remember Jo Konta at the time had had her funding cut and then the next year she made top 100 and as we all know, had a fantastic career.”
“That was something that stuck with me for many years and that was one of the first things I thought of and I hope that people that have gone through stuff that I’ve gone through and have lost belief and had people tell them, ‘It’s too late, you’re not going to make it’ – if you’re willing to put in the work and the sacrifice, there’s no telling when you’re going to make it.
“Even if you make it for a week or for a year, it’s worth it in the end, I can attest to that.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m interested to see. Ask me in a year’s time. Once you’re in the top 100, I think it all comes down to runs you can go on.
“If you play well at the right tournaments then you can go as high as anyone. I’ve got no experience of knowing what that feels like so I’m just excited,” Broady concluded.
All the answers 💯 @Liambroady | #ATPChallenger