Jamie Baker is one of the athletes at the forefront of a tennis revolution in Scotland.  Having already made his senior debut at Wimbledon at just 19, the Glasgow lad, now 20, is on track to becoming one of the UK’s top professional players, currently sitting on a career high ranking of 231.  Baker has already faced off against the likes of Andre Agassi and world number 5, Fernando Gonzalez, and has represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup.
 
In The Winning Zone caught up with Jamie in Saddlebrook, Florida, where he is currently in training for this years Wimbledon tournament.

WZ: Can you recall whenever you realised that you had the potential to become a top class tennis player?

JB: I don’t think I ever had a moment like that. I just had a burning desire to be a very good tennis player from a very young age and a superb work ethic to match.

WZ: Did you find tennis, or did tennis find you?  (i.e. were you an athlete first and a tennis player second, or was tennis always your passion?)

JB: It was always tennis. I lived 50 yards from Woodend tennis club in Jordanhill where my family were all members. I used to spend hours there every day after school.

WZ: How does the senior, professional circuit compare to the junior one where you were so successful?  Is the step up obvious, and if so, where do you notice it the most? 

JB: Senior tennis is the real thing. The best players are trying to make a living. Junior tennis is just full of talented players with potential. I could be playing someone ten years older than myself. That obviously cannot happen in junior tennis.

In senior tennis, I think successful players have something which can win them matches. When you look at a match up and ask a player, why are you going to win this match? They could have an answer for you. So I think top players need at least one defining attribute in their make up.

WZ: Can you explain what is necessary to harness talent at a young age to ensure making it to the top? 

JB: That’s a million dollar question and one that I believe there is no answer to. Everyone is different. What I will say is that, in Britain, because we have so few people actually playing tennis, we need to be far more positive with the ones that are actually playing. They need to be encouraged to come back and do it again and again and again. Give them something to fuel their hunger. I believe building from very small positives, channelled effectively enough, at least has the chances of turning into something big in the future.

WZ: Where do you see yourself on your career ladder?  How far up do you feel right now, and how much higher do you feel you can go?

JB:  I believe I am somewhere between 3 and 5 years from peaking physically. This is going to be a huge factor in where my game ends up. All the work I am doing just now is to try and make that peak as high as possible. I have a very solid foundation in my game to work from. The big question for me is how big and powerful and damaging can I make it?

WZ: Would you agree that, sometimes, you need to lose a few games in order to improve?

JB: I think that given a healthy attitude, there can be a lot to learn from every loss. However, I don’t agree that you NEED to lose in order to improve.

WZ: What was it like making your Slam debut at Wimbledon last year?  Has it been your finest moment to date?

JB: Definitely one of them. It was just all over way too soon for my liking. I’m hungry for a longer experience!

WZ: Contrastingly, what has been the most difficult time for you since you started taking tennis seriously? 

JB: I had a very difficult time last month. I lost the clear vision of what my journey was. For me, I feel it’s very important to be clear on my journey as I then have something to really commit to and build on.

WZ: How did your time in Barcelona compare to what you had experienced in the UK?  It is quite well known that Andy Murray prospered in Barcelona while his brother Jamie struggled in England.  Can you perhaps understand and explain why that happened, having had experience of both?

JB: I don’t think there is a complicated answer to that. I think that every individual is different and therefore thrives in contrasting environments. I have had huge benefits from both my time training in England and in Spain. So I think it is difficult to say one is better than the other. 

WZ: What sacrifices have you had to make in order to follow your tennis ambitions?

JB: Just like in anyone’s life, there are sacrifices, because if you choose to do a certain thing you pay the price of not being able to do something else. I choose to train in Florida which means I can’t be in Spain at the same time. I choose to play certain tournaments therefore I am never home on my birthday, or any of my family’s for that matter!! I chose to be a tennis player therefore I can’t go to uni at the same time as most people. So there are things every day, but they are my own decisions, therefore sacrifices are not something I pay a huge amount of attention to. 

WZ: What gives you the drive to keep going?  What gets you out of bed each morning to train?

JB: Knowing that I am on a journey to becoming the best that I can be, and each day I have the opportunity to go further down that road. And no one can stop me. Not many people have that same freedom in their profession.

WZ: How do you ensure you remain psychologically calm and on top of your game when you are nervous or under pressure?

JB: I have strategies to keep myself focused on the present and what my job is. I try to be affected as little as possible from any external factors. I am a tennis player and I have a job to do. That job is NOT to be nervous!!

WZ: Finally, a quick quiz...which is better?

Enjoying tennis or winning in tennis? 
JB: Enjoying tennis.

Performing well in matches or winning matches?
JB: Winning matches.

Winning as an underdog, or winning when you are expected to? 
JB: Winning as an underdog.

Maria Sharapova or Anna Kournikova?
JB: Definitely Anna Kournikova!

WZ: Thanks Jamie - Good luck for the season.

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