Wimbledon and What Makes a Champion | A Q&A with Andrew Castle

Andrew Castle is a former British tennis champion, also known for presenting on GMTV as well as many other TV and radio shows. We caught up with him to find out what he thinks makes a world champion.Andrew Castle is a former British tennis champion, now best known for presenting on GMTV. His background in tennis means Andrew knows exactly what it takes, the level of grit and determination needed to become a champion. As we near the final stage of this summer’s Wimbledon Championships, we caught up with Andrew to find out about some of the adversities he overcame in his journey to the top.

You can boast of being a tennis champion, what qualities do you feel make a world-class champion?

Strength of character and a thick skin. To be the best at what you do takes individuality, but also the ability to choose who to work with and who to trust. If you can't take criticism or if your performance is affected negatively by what outsiders think of you, then you are not likely to top the rankings.

Iconic Courts of Wimbledon

That is really interesting, we can imagine a lot of world-class athletes must have struggled with this on their journey to becoming a champion. But, for you personally, what hurdles and adversity did you overcome in your rise to the top?

Well I gave blood out of my arm to pay my rent in Kansas... does that count?! I'm also from a working-class background, we didn't have much money so filling the car with petrol or paying for coaching or indoor courts always meant something had to be sacrificed. I'm lucky enough to have had parents, brothers and a sister who were willing to give things up for me, so that I could have a shot at the professional game.

Thank you Andrew, with great interest we will be watching the games.

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