Nicolas Rosenzweig is just two places below Andy Murray in the Scottish rankings. In world terms, he falls some 835 places below but he aims to close that gap considerably in the months ahead.

The French-born Scottish number three is not short on ambition but has found his progress hit by a lack of finance and is actively seeking sponsorship to help him achieve his ambitions in the game.

What is more, he is attempting to do so without a backhand: “The special thing about me that no other player in the world does is that I play with two forehands (right and left handed forehands), and two serves (right and left handed)!” 

He first picked up a racket at the age of two, coached by his Czech-born father and when the family moved to Dundee 21 years ago, he continued to develop his game.

A youngster of some promise, he reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish Under-10 Championships and the semi-finals of the Under-16 Scottish Open.

School exams and chasing a football led to him cutting back on his tennis after that but he did represent Edinburgh University where he only lost one singles match in four years.

After university, and like Scottish number one and world number five Murray, he attended the Academia Sanchez-Casal in Barcelona to further his tennis education.

“The year after university, I went to the Sanchez-Casal in Barcelona to train my tennis and give it one more go,” he explains.

“From the summer of 2009, I came back to Scotland but started playing Futures tournaments. It was hard at first to even get into qualification as I had no national ranking.

“However, I got my first point in Brazil and things kicked on from there. Within a year, by the end of 2010, I was ranked 860 and have already got another point this year, in Glasgow, moving me up to 840.

“With money being extremely tight, it’s hard for me to travel to the necessary tournaments at the moment. My dad still helps me out a lot as does Mark Walker [Performance Programme Manager at the David Lloyd Club in Dundee] who is working with many of Scotland's best youngsters.

“The financial issue is extremely difficult. The prize money in these Futures tournaments is relatively poor and the cost of travelling and staying in hotels is always rising.

“This is one of the reasons why I try and help coaching as well as playing money tournaments both here and in France and why this year I will play team matches in France which pays decent money which will hopefully allow me to travel in the summer.

“With the economic crisis, it has been very hard to find any sponsors that are interested in investing in me but hopefully as my ranking keeps rising someone somewhere will take notice and offer to help me out a little.

“Last year, I went to eastern Europe and will probably do the same again this year as life there is a little cheaper and tournaments a little weaker compared to the likes of France or Spain.”

Rosenzweig reached the semi-finals of a Futures tournament in Slovenia last May and stepped up to play in a Challenger event in Rennes, France, last October where he just lost out in the final round of qualification.

He admits that Murray has proved something of an inspiration for him. “I love his game and he shows what hard work can give you,” he continues.

“I have not met him but his mum Judy is heavily involved in helping with Mark Walker and the Scottish youngsters and, as I help out as well, they both give me some great and insightful coaching advice too that has helped me a lot.

“My short-term goals are to remain healthy, keep improving my game and get my level to a higher standard for when I start playing more Futures tournaments from March onwards.

“Long term, the goal is firstly to make it into the 700s and from there who knows? Go as high as I can.”

RM

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