Meet one of the junior super stars at Athelstone Tennis Club

Diana Badalyan

Diana is currently overseas for 6 weeks with Tennis Australia’s European Tour.

From 28 June – 8 August 2022, Diana will be in France and Germany for ITF lead up tournaments on clay before heading to the Czech Republic to represent Australia in the World Junior Teams Finals.  

Her Australian Junior team comprising of Tahlia Kokkinis, Emerson Jones and herself qualified in India earlier in the year and she is looking forward to taking on other countries to get an understanding of where her standard is compared to other girls at an international level.

We chatted with Diana to get an idea of where it all began for her.

When did you start playing tennis? I started playing tennis at around 5-6 years of age. My brother used to play it and he inspired me to start it because it looked really fun.

Where did you start playing tennis? For my whole life I have been training at Athelstone tennis club with Peter.

Who is your current coach? Peter Clark 

What do you love about tennis? I love how the sport is really competitive and tough on court. I love independent sports because it’s on you if you win or lose – no blaming others.

Have you played any sport other than tennis? I used to do dance and gymnastics, but eventually tennis took over and then I stopped doing those sports.

How many training sessions do you do a week? About 20 hours a week including private lessons, squads, and season matches.

When did you make your first state team? I made my first ever state team in the year 2018. I represented South Australia in Bruce cup. It was my first ever experience playing for SA, and I loved the supporting environment and playing against other players from different states. We ended up coming 2nd out of all the states, which was pretty good.

When did you make your first Australian team? I made my first ever Australian team in April of 2022. I must say, it was an experience to remember, going to India and playing not for my state, but also my country. The moment felt unreal, wearing green and gold and playing alongside my friends and qualifying for World Junior team finals.

Where is the best place you have travelled so far with your tennis? The best place so far was either France or Gold coast. Everything about those places were fun and had amazing memories.

What has been your best moment on the tennis court? My best moments on a tennis court is definitely having lessons with Peter – because they are so fun, and probably hitting with Charlotte Kempeners-Pocz in early April this year. 

Who is your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is probably Coco Gauff, because she is so young, and she got onto the tour at 16 years of age. She made me realise that if I put a lot of hard work I could do it.

Which professional player would you like to have a 1-hour practice session with? I would say probably Roger Federer, he is my all-time favourite, and it would be an amazing experience hitting with him.

Where do you see your tennis career in 5 years’ time? I hope I am still training hard, and having a growth mindset, hopefully going to a college in America. 

With the experience you have now, what would you tell your 10-year-old self if you had a chance? I would tell myself to stay away from all the negative people that bring me down and affect me mentally. Keep working hard, because there are so many other players around you that are working just as hard as you. Give back. Stay positive and have an open mindset about everything.