Escaping 'rat Race' To Warm Up Wimbledon's Stars

Over nan Wimbledon fortnight, Adam Jones turns into a tennis impersonator.

Each time nan 27-year-old Briton is asked by nan world's starring players to mimic nan style of their adjacent force connected nan All England Club believe courts.

Jones is classed 1,513th successful nan world successful nan singles, a spot higher successful nan doubles astatine 619th, but has 1 of nan astir important jobs astatine nan Championships.

As a Wimbledon hitting partner, he has been nan go-to feline for semi-finalists Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic this year, arsenic good arsenic British number 1 Emma Raducanu.

"It's a awesome gig and a nosy measurement to gain immoderate money," Jones told BBC Sport astatine nan Aorangi Park believe courts.

"Whoever they're playing you effort to transcript their style.

"With Carlos, earlier he played Jan-Lennard Struff, who has a monolithic serve, I was opinionated a metre wrong nan baseline nuking serves."

Standing crossed nan nett from nan stars is rather nan alteration from what Jones is utilized to.

The Birkenhead-born player, who trained successful Wrexham and Bath earlier moving to nan United States, travels nan world to play connected nan ITF Futures Tour - nan lowest rung of nan master ladder.

It is difficult to make ends meet connected what he calls nan "grind" of trying to climb up nan ranks.

Jones describes having to slumber successful a tight shelter sounded connected a play course, and a sweaty 15-man dormitory, because he cannot spend a hotel.

Sitting for six hours successful a train toilet betwixt London to Glasgow was different measurement to prevention cash.

"The Futures circuit is simply a rat title - nan finances are perfectly brutal," Jones said.

"If you suffer successful qualifying you get nary money. A mates of weeks agone I won $37 aft losing successful singles quallies and past mislaid first information doubles - nan minimum for a edifice was $150 a night.

"You're losing money each azygous week. When group spot you're a tennis subordinate and spot you're astatine Wimbledon, they deliberation you person loads of money and unrecorded a luxurious life.

"You don't - it's nan complete opposite."

With nan changeless necessity to make ends meet, Jones returned to Wimbledon this twelvemonth arsenic 1 of their in-house hitting partners.

Several are employed during nan championships, pinch players believed to beryllium paid a regular complaint of astir £120 - whether they are asked to deed for 1 hr aliases respective hours.

They are besides provided pinch a nutrient allowance astatine nan club, while besides capable to usage nan racquet stringers and physios.

Jones first took up nan domiciled successful 2022 and enjoyed nan acquisition truthful overmuch that he returned nan pursuing year.

Last year, he was employed by Croatia's Donna Vekic - who reached nan SW19 semi-finals - arsenic her full-time hitter.

He travelled connected circuit pinch nan world number 25 and her squad for six months earlier leaving to proceed his ain playing career.

"It's funny because erstwhile I was travelling nan world pinch a apical star, staying successful nan nicest hotels and utilizing nan champion facilities, I really missed nan Futures.

"I wanted to spell backmost to nan jungle and nan hellholes. You've sewage to retrieve wherever you came from. Remember nan grind."

The hustle will restart aft Wimbledon.

Jones, who lives successful California pinch his girlfriend, is going backmost to nan US for a three-week stint astatine Futures events successful Illinois.

Improving his doubles ranking successful bid to summation introduction to nan ATP Challenger Tour, and yet nan ATP Tour, is his ambition successful nan coming months.

"Next twelvemonth I want to beryllium backmost astatine Wimbledon - playing doubles. That's nan goal."