Christopher "Chris" O'Connell (born 3 June 1994) is an Australian professional tennis player. He grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. O'Connell reached a career high ATP singles ranking of 114 on 3 February 2020. He made his ATP Tour debut in January 2017 in his hometown at the Sydney International. Chris sat down in early 2020 for this exclusive interview with Tennis Acumen at the Columbus Challenger, where he reached the final and hit a career high ranking.
TENNIS ACUMEN: We are happy to be with Chris O'Connell, here in Columbus Ohio. Chris, you've been on the tour for a while. How did you first get started in tennis?
CHRIS O’CONNELL: I started playing tennis when I was about four or five, at a pretty young age. My mom used to play social tennis. She just brought me along and put me into a couple of lessons and that's how I got started.
TENNIS ACUMEN: At what point did you realize you were good at the game?
CHRIS O’CONNELL: Pretty early on, really. In Australia, I was in the top of my age group from. 12:00 and under all the way through 18 and under. At a young age, I knew I was quite decent. And. You know.
TENNIS ACUMEN: What's it been like, getting on the road and being a full-time player? What was the transition like for you? The switch flips and you realize: “I'm a pro tennis player.” When did that happen for you?
CHRIS O’CONNELL: I guess once I started making a little bit of money. Playing the tournaments. And once you start making a bit of money and profiting each week, then you realize: “Oh, you can actually do this for a living.” So, that's when I figured it out.
TENNIS ACUMEN: You still get support from your family?
CHRIS O’CONNELL: Yes, I do. I speak to them all the time and they support me a lot. But financially, it's all up to me.
TENNIS ACUMEN: I understand that. What is it about the game that makes you want to do this more than anything else?
CHRIS O’CONNELL: I mean I've been playing for a long time, so it's been my life. I've been doing it for my whole life, so I can't really put a finger on it, what I love about it so much. But, as a young kid, I loved running around and hitting a tennis ball. It’s as simple as that.
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