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Can Brit Heather Watson be World Number 1?

ByGeoff Nichols|

Can Brit Heather Watson be World Number 1?

There was a time in tennis when expressing your desire to become the best player in the world was normal, almost expected from any up and coming player being heralded as a future star of the game. The sport has become a lot more personal in recent years and players are now much more careful when stating their aims to avoid the weight of expectation from both fans and the media that comes with it.

British number one Heather Watson has strayed from this cautious approach and stated her desire is to be the World Number 1. Currently sitting at 49 in the world after recovering from glandular fever which had hindered her progress somewhat, Watson has lofty ambitions for her future. The 22 year old said:

"“I definitely want to go all the way. I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t think I could,” Watson told BBC Radio Guernsey.“I’m not thinking about number one right now. I set my mini goals, but I believe in myself, my team believes in me and we’re doing everything we can to get there.”"

I think it is an incredibly admirable statement from a clearly ambitious young player who is intent on making waves in the women’s game. Whilst her showing in Grand Slams in 2014 was relatively disappointing, she has shown that she has the game to compete at the top level. The presence of Laura Robson, who is set to return from an extended injury lay-off in 2015, will serve as added incentive and inspiration for both ladies to succeed.

What are Heather Watson’s Strengths?

Watson’s game very much utilises her physical prowess and in particular her speed around the court lends itself to fantastic retrieval skills. Off the ground she also has a dangerous forehand and overall she is an impressive baseline player. Going too defensive against the bigger names has been the downfall of many a player who is more reactive than proactive and Watson will have to be wary of this in the big matches.

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Similar to the start of Andy Murray’s career, when you have been able to rely on your defensive talent to get you into the top 50, it is hard to break out of that pattern. Hopefully Watson will benefit from partnering Murray in the Hopman Cup exhibition event in January, picking his brain for how she can take that next step on court and also learning from him as he made a similar transition.

Making it to Number 1

Reaching number 1 is, in my opinion, a fantastic ambition to have, although you can be sure that Watson has a series of smaller goals to accomplish before she really starts thinking about that top spot. Both her and Laura Robson have the potential to be Top 10 players in the coming years and in a way they are both in control of the direction of their careers, which will be fascinating to follow.

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