Late news but really welcome.  Astrea, Estella Hurlock’s mother, reports on the Road to Wimbledon Finals experience.

“So much to say about Wimbledon! Where to start? Arriving on the 1st day (practice day) was surreal!  The purple flowers were still in bloom and everything was as pristine as it is during the Championships.  We walked in and straight away an official looking person stopped me (the parent) from entering the "players only" dressing room - only at Wimbledon! Incidentally I did get a sneak peek of the dressing room which was palatial with lots of goodies, an ice bath, 2 concierges and a Physio on hand - whom of course Estella took full advantage of visiting after she did the splits on court!

The players were totally spoilt from start to finish. They were given "competitors passes" which they wore with honour and used to get free food and general worship! They were all given a goody bag with clothes, towels, headphones and spending money for the shop. There were free passes to the museum and tours on offer too!  Every effort was made to make it really special!  And of course not forgetting the player’s party which was thrown for them on the Terrace at Centre Court on one evening.

It was a real privilege to play on the grass and be where so many fabulous players had played before!  The kids thoroughly enjoyed wandering about the grounds as if they owned the place! Estella did her warm up on the steps of Court 1 Rocky Balbao style (a movie apparently starring Victor Stallone)! And of course when it rained the grounds staff ran on to take down the nets and put the covers on! Proper Wimbledon! It was a very special week!

And of course there was the tennis:  Estella made it through the boxes to the main draw but sadly got knocked out at that stage. However to get that far in a nationals U14 was a major achievement and a huge confidence boost! Estella also played in the doubles which was a huge joy and a lot of fun! They got knocked out in the 2nd round!

There was a lot to be learned about how a large tournament works and there are lots of things that are handy to know before. Tensions did run high with many of the players and nerves were an issue but now Estella is a bit more clued up on all of these she hopes to take advantage of the same opportunity next year.