Brisbane, Australia, 7 October 2022 | Leigh Rogers

Jeremy Jin is one of Australia’s leading junior players.

The 18-year-old, who grew up in Sydney and is now based in Brisbane, achieved a career-high world junior ranking of No.42 in March and contested all four junior Grand Slam tournaments this season.

Jin is now preparing to transition to the professional tour and has been competing in Australian Pro Tour events in the past month.

In a new series profiling Tennis Australia’s National Tennis Academy athletes, Jin reveals a desire to improve is his biggest motivation and shares his career goals …

How did you start playing tennis?

My mum and dad both play tennis. They’re very passionate about the sport. They’ve been doing it ever since they were young as well. They introduced me to it when I was five years old. I don’t think I actually liked it from the start, but after I trained a little bit more, I got invited to some talent development camps and I really loved it from there. I just loved competing.

What do you enjoy most about tennis?

Basically, you’re just in it for yourself. It’s very individual. It’s very rewarding as well. If you don’t put in, you’re probably not going to get good results. But the same is also true that if you do put in, you will see results. There’s no-one else to blame. It’s very good to compete against a lot of good players as well.

When did you decide that you wanted to be a professional tennis player?

Probably following the Super 10s event that used to be played at the Australian Open. Getting to go to Melbourne and compete with a lot of kids your age, as well as seeing some of the best players in Australia at the time, was really eye-opening. I think that was the first time I decided that I could probably play the sport.

You’re currently the top-ranked Australian junior boy. Are you proud to be in this position? Or does it add extra pressure?

Obviously it’s an alright title to have, but yeah, there’s always pressure. There’s a lot of young players getting better every day. So, I’m trying to just keep working hard and, hopefully, staying in front of the pack.

What has been the proudest on-court moment so far in your career?

My proudest moment on court is probably playing my first junior Grand Slam (at Australian Open 2022). I remember walking out onto the court and just soaking in the environment. You know, you watch from a very young age, you watch the men and I even watched a lot of the juniors play. It was really unbelievable for me to see that I’ve actually made it into a junior Grand Slam. Hopefully that can be men’s Grand Slams in the future.

Jeremy Jin in action at Australian Open 2022. Picture: Tennis Australia

What was your favourite Grand Slam event to play this season?

I would have to say probably Roland Garros, just because I had a very good court there. When I was playing my first-round match, I played a French person so there were a lot of people watching. Off the court too, Paris is such a nice city. The people at the tennis were very nice and the organisation was pretty good too. It was just a good tournament to be at. Obviously, the Australian Open was also very good. They’re all good for their own reasons.

What was it like playing against a French opponent? Was that intimidating for you?

The French crowd were interesting, but they were actually pretty fair. They respected me and let me play when I needed to play. But obviously when it was a big point or I would lose a very long point, the crowd would go pretty wild. Sometimes when I hit a double fault, the crowd would still go wild and be chanting, but it didn’t really put me off. I thought it was really interesting and just a completely new experience for me to play in such a loud and big atmosphere.

You’ve been to Paris before, representing Australia at a Longines event during Roland Garros in 2017. What do you recall from that experience?

I was 12 and it was one of my first international tours. The level was really high, even for 12-year-olds. It was a really competitive environment and fun to be around. Some of these kids are still playing in the same tournaments as me, which is the best part about it. It makes you realise that, you know, your junior development at under 12s and under 14s really does have a say in your transition into the higher levels of tennis.

Do you feel proud that five years later you were back competing in a junior Grand Slam?

I thought about that a lot. Five years, although obviously is a long time, it made me think that I’ve been tracking pretty well. I could always be doing better, it’s not like I’m winning these tournaments, so there’s always more to shoot for. But I’m pretty proud of where I’ve got to these last couple of years.

Jeremy Jin competing at Roland Garros 2022. Picture: Getty Images

What are your tennis dreams and goals?

My goal is definitely to win the Australian Open. That’s one priority for me. Another one is playing Davis Cup for Australia and hopefully the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

How would you describe your playing style in one sentence?

If I had to describe my playing style in one sentence, it would definitely be gritty and having the mindset that I want to make my opponent work for every point of the match. It doesn’t matter if I’m getting smashed or if I’m winning, I fight for every point and do my best.

What’s your biggest strength as a player?

It would probably be my return of serve or maybe my backhand. They are probably two of my preferable shots. I like to think I’m more all-rounded, instead of just having one favourite shot.

If you could steal a stroke from another player, what would it be and why?

If I could steal a stroke, it would definitely be Carlos Alcaraz’s forehand. He’s able to do anything with it. He can go for super-flat winners or he can generate crazy amounts of spin. He can play on any surface with that shot. He can even drop shot any time he basically has opportunity to and it’s just a very good looking shot as well.

Who are your favourite players to watch?

My favourite player the last couple of years has been Daniil Medvedev. I like his game style. It’s really orthodox. He doesn’t have many flashy attributes about him, but still finds a way to win, which I like. And recently, people might find this weird, but I’ve been liking Novak Djokovic a little bit more. He’s dealt with some pretty tough situations, and he hasn’t always had the biggest support, but he still finds a way to win some of these biggest tournaments. So, I really respect that.

Who are the Australian players you most look up to?

The two biggest are probably James Duckworth and Alex de Minaur. I’ve liked De Minaur since he kind of popped off three or four years ago. I’ve recently took a liking to Duckworth, just because I’ve been training around him, and sometimes even with him, and like how he handles business. He is very friendly to all of the younger players, no matter who you are. I really like that about him.

Do you have any pre-match superstitions that you like to follow?

This is a weird one, but I try to keep away from a certain number. All my friends and coaches know I don’t like the number six. So anytime I see the number six, I just try to avoid it. It’s a religious belief that has become a habit now. If I ever get scheduled to play on court six, I’m like ‘damn’.

If you weren’t pursuing a tennis career, what would your dream job be?

I’d probably be a professional alpine skier. I love skiing. I think I went skiing every year of my life, until this year. It’s my favourite hobby. I’ve always had the dream that when I retire, hopefully I can just go skiing around the world.

Where would you most like to go skiing?

I would really love to ski in Japan. I just like country in general. I like the culture, the food, the people as well.

What is your favourite social media platform to use?

It has to be Instagram. TikTok’s pretty funny as well. You know, when you’re just at home and you’ve got nothing else to do, it’s great just to scroll through TikTok for a few minutes.

What is your favourite food?

Probably sushi. It tastes good and it’s you can eat anytime, because it’s reasonably healthy as long as you’re eating the right kinds of sushi.

Who is your favourite musician?

My favourite musician is Australian rapper The Kid LAROI. He’s been making some pretty good music recently. We listen to him a lot in the gym.

What is your favourite TV series?

Probably Prisonbreak.

What is your favourite movie?

My favourite movie is probably the Creed series or the Rocky series. They are the movies I go back to when I’m feeling a bit down or need a little bit of inspiration.

Who is your dream doubles partner?

I would want to play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu. She’s won a Grand Slam, so she would know what she is doing, and she seems really nice and friendly.

How would your friends and family describe you?

My friends would probably say annoying or just tedious in the way I talk. My family would probably say I’m very curious.

How difficult has it been to manage schooling and competing?

Juggling school and competing has definitely been one of the hardest things you’ve got to do as a junior tennis player, especially for me in this last year. I’m in my final year, year 12. It meant when I got back from Wimbledon, I had to cram four weeks’ worth of maths into one week. As much as you tell yourself you are going to do your schoolwork when at tournaments, it is a lot harder to manage your time. If you want to do well, rather than just pass it’s definitely very hard. But if you manage your time good, it’s doable.

Jeremy Jin training at the National Tennis Academy. Picture: Tennis Australia

What do you enjoy most about being a member of Tennis Australia’s National Tennis Academy?

The National Tennis Academy has obviously been a great stepping stone for all of us players. It’s been great, because we are able to train with not just the best players from our states, but the whole country and you got the best coaches as well in the nation. They all seem to know what they’re doing and we have good friendships with all of them. So it’s been very good.

How do you think your game has improved since being part of the National Tennis Academy?

One big thing I’ve noticed is my coach, Andrew Roberts, pays a lot of attention to smaller details, which I haven’t been able to recognise in the past. I would just hop on the court, go through the routines and improve slowly. But, you know, when you pay attention to some smaller details, you’re always thinking about something when you’re training. I think that’s helped me improve a lot. He’s helped me understand tennis from a more technical point of view, and also a mental point of view in staying calmer within myself. He’s made me train with more purpose. Plus, we have psychologists, masseuses and nutritionists that also help us at the academy. Everyone plays a big role in helping us improve.

The next step for you is transitioning from juniors to the professional tour. What are you expecting?

I think it’s going to be a good experience going from the juniors to the pros, it might be a good reality check for me.

Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!