Gold Coast talent Tori Russell set to compete in Wimbledon’s 14-and-under championship

A 14yo Gold Coast tennis prodigy in the Ash Barty-mould is about to tackle a rare opportunity on the other side of the world. Discover her story.

Gold Coast tennis talent Tori Russell is travelling overseas to compete in Wimbledon’s 14-and-under championship. Picture: Mitch Bourke.

A young Gold Coast tennis prodigy has her eyes on emulating the success of Ash Barty, and she’s about to take a very big step towards that goal.

14-year-old Tori Russell is set to compete in Wimbledon’s invitational 14-and-under championship, just days after she and her Queensland team took home the Australian under-15 girl’s teams championship.

The opportunity comes after Russell won her wildcard place at Wimbledon at Australia’s grass court nationals.

“It’ll be a massive experience,” said Russell’s coach Shayne Tabb, who has worked with budding tennis talent since she was just six.

“She’s tracking extraordinarily well. She was always a talented athlete, but it’s all about desire and fun and wanting to stay in the game and nurturing her talent and she’s got that.”

The A.B. Paterson College year 9 student broke onto Australia’s youth tennis scene last year when she won the clay court nationals for her age as an underdog.

“She’s an all-rounder, she’s an athlete, she can do many skills, she’s quite versatile,” said Tabb of what sets her apart, as he also lauded her commitment.

“She has the ability to want to develop,” Tabb said.

“It’s not a win-loss, high-low emotion. It’s ‘hey, I’m in for the long journey, how can I fix my game?’

“She’s highly intelligent, if I give her homework it’s done in a week’s time, whereas other 13 or 14-year-olds aren’t so keen to do that.”

Tori Russell (QLD) during the 2024 12U and 14U Australian Claycourt Championships at Tennis World in Lyneham, Canberra. Picture: Tennis Australia/Anastasia Kachalkova.

While noting that she has a unique game, Tabb said he sees aspects of Ash Barty’s skill set in Russell.

“I would say Barty in the way she runs around her back and uses her forehand,” he said.

“She’s problem solving, she’s planning points out, probably that way (she’s similar to Barty).

“But she’s pretty original and she can do a lot of stuff.”

Despite the mammoth opportunity that awaits, there’s no pressure mounting on Russell to dazzle when she sets foot on the All England’s coveted turf.

“We’re not applying pressure, we’re just saying go out, enjoy yourself, and play as best as you can with your game-style and take as much as you can out of it,” he said.

“It’s not going to be important in four years time if she wins it, the journey is up and down.”

Despite the rounded long-term focus, Russell herself isn’t afraid to reach for the stars.

“I want to win the grand slam (of all four major tournaments in one year),” Russell said.

“I think it’s a journey that you have to get to and it’s still very far away but as you grow up I want to get closer and closer.”

At 14 years of age, she has already acquired an under-18 world ranking and sits in position 2,106 in the world at the time of writing.

Russell was afforded the opportunity to tour Germany last year and the Wimbledon cameo will form part of a three-week tour where she will also be afforded the opportunity to participate in ITF clay court tournaments.