Talking Tennis with… Thaddea Lock, ex tennis pro and the UK’s No.1 pickleball player
We talk to Thaddea Lock, ex tennis professional and now one of Europe’s top female pickleball players, about the two sports in which she has dedicated her life.
“Tennis has given me the confidence that I can go anywhere and do anything…”
I’ll start off by saying that this interview has been really fun for me - Thaddea is one of my oldest and most treasured friends and it’s been such an honour to include her in my blog. There are certain people you just know you’ll have in your life forever and for me, she is definitely one of them - it’s no exaggeration when I say we talk every day!
And what is extra special is that it was tennis that brought us together.
Here’s my Q&A where I ask my brilliantly talented friend what it is that she loves so much about her two sports, what she finds the most challenging and what lessons they have taught her along the way...
When did you first fall in love with tennis?
I remember loving it immediately. I just loved as a kid running around chasing the foam balls. And growing up as a junior playing I was the one known for running around endlessly getting the ball back in court - I loved the competitiveness of trying to not let any ball get past me.
I made great friends with the other players who I saw every weekend at tournaments too and I loved that part as well - some of them are still my best friends to this day which is really special.
Tell us a little about your tennis background…
I first started playing tennis at 7 years old in the village hall next to my primary school. Before I knew it I was having private lessons and attending tennis groups around my school schedule.
As a junior I played so many tournaments, first locally and then all around the country - I was ranked amongst the top in my age group and went on to gain a WTA ranking so it was pretty full on.
I played tennis at an American uni too, before coming back to the UK to coach. When I moved to London to work for the LTA I was also the hitter for Alfie Hewett (former world number 1 wheelchair player) for a number of years which was a great experience.
At the LTA what’s your role in tennis now?
Now I’m the Event Co-ordinator for the Eastbourne International WTA 500 and ATP 250 professional grass court tennis event so I get to be a part of the professional game again, but this time from behind the scenes.
Over the past few years with the LTA I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked on many other large scale tennis events too including Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup ties, $25,000 pro series events, Wimbledon, ATP Tour Finals and The Homecoming Event to celebrate Emma Raducanu, Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid and Joe Salisburys victories at the 2021 US Open.
What do you enjoy about your work now?
I love being able to work within a sport that I have such a big passion for, I’m really lucky. Plus organising large scale events knowing there are millions of spectators around the world watching is very challenging, but very fulfilling.
What’s also interesting is because I’m so hands on with my role, I’m able to get a real insight into the behind-the-scenes life of the very top professional tennis players, it’s fascinating.
As a junior competing as hard as ever.
Who were your tennis heroes as a child?
Monica Seles definitely - her grit and determination on court really inspired me. Martina Hingis too for her talent and unbelievable hand skills.
I also had a coach when I was around 10 years old called Steve Pantling, we would train outside in all weathers – wind, snow, rain and he really inspired me to work hard and always give my all which is something I still do today in all aspects of my life.
What unique experiences has tennis given you?
I have always loved every part of tennis; the training, the hours on court, the travel, the competition but at the age of 15 I was struggling to win matches and remember going to the UK Nationals and losing in the first round and then in the first round of the consolation and that was the first time I seriously wondered if I should stay in the game or if I should quit.
I decided to keep playing and it was the best decision I’ve made. I then started travelling and playing junior international tournaments which allowed me to travel the world and see many different countries, an experience I wouldn’t have got without tennis.
After my playing career, I then got a scholarship to play tennis at a university in America where I competed for four years alongside getting a degree. This again was an amazing experience I wouldn’t have got to have without tennis.
What are you most grateful for in your tennis life?
Without a doubt, tennis has given me some great friends and helped me build relationships where tennis has been a common ground.
But the sport has also given me some invaluable life skills too, as well as the confidence that I can go anywhere and do anything, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.
It’s taught me how to have an active and healthy lifestyle and the benefits that come with this. It’s taught me to be independent, work hard and allowed me to travel the world.
It’s also taught me how to win and lose and deal with the reality that life isn’t always fair. As one of the top young players in the country, I had a lot of great success, but I also had to learn how to deal with failure. Ultimately every tournament there is only one winner. Everyone else in the draw will have to deal with losing so it’s a tough, but worthwhile learning curve.
So nowadays you’re also a keen pickleball player, tell us about the sport…What is it?
Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. It can be played in singles or a doubles format, but doubles is the main focus. The court is the same size as a badminton court (often an improvised badminton or tennis court is used) but with a low net and a plastic perforated ball, and the players use paddles instead of rackets.
The sport is huge in America with hundreds of tournaments to play in, and its popularity is growing throughout Europe and the rest of the world too which is really exciting.
Hitting a winning backhand on the pickleball court… that’s what I’m presuming anyway.
How did you get into pickleball?
I first started playing in October 2018. I went to stay with friends in Kansas, USA and they took me along to their local pickleball group. I played three times and the coach (who also turned out to be the best female player in the world!) told me to continue playing when I returned to the UK. I wasn’t aware the sport existed in the UK but when I got home I googled local clubs and started playing a few times a week.
…And you’ve already had some amazing success in competitive pickleball…
In May 2019 I played my first tournament – the Scottish Open. I won the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. I followed this up by winning the same three events at the English Open the following month. I then played tournaments in France, Spain, Germany and the USA before COVID hit.
I’m currently the number 1 female player in the UK and among the very top players in Europe.
No biggie, only a few gold medals to see here…
Why do you think you were immediately so good at pickleball?
Pickleball is a sport that requires quick hands and fast reactions, this is why myself and other tennis players generally pick it up quite quickly.
But with that, the thing that is most challenging for us however, is not wanting to hit every ball as hard as we can, especially when driving from the back/mid area of the court. It’s important in pickleball to be able to hit consistent soft, drop shot style shots called ‘dinks’ to build the point and set yourself up with an opportunity to finish the point with a volley.
How accessible is pickleball here in the UK?
The sport is growing all the time with more and more clubs adapting their tennis or badminton courts to deliver sessions, and it’s something that I’m really trying to get behind to get more people involved. Hopefully in time there will be many more actual pickleball courts because of the demand rather than so often improvising on courts that are primarily used for other sports.
It’s such a social sport, the community is very friendly and welcoming and when playing tournaments, players play within their age and skill bracket which makes competition really accessible for everyone - I’ve even got my dad playing and he loves it!
And finally, you have already done so much within your sports, but what would you like to achieve next?
One of my ambitions is to help grow pickleball in the UK in terms of the number of people playing, as well as raising the level so we can really start to compete with the players in America.
I currently coach pickleball in my spare time and enjoy seeing people have as much fun playing as I do, as well as raising the awareness of the sport.
Learn more about pickleball and find your nearest club at pickleballEngland.
See also:
Video: Talking Tennis tries pickleball
A gift for life - why every child should learn to play tennis
We’d love to share more stories from people who love tennis! If you - or someone you know - would like to be featured in a Talking Tennis Q&A, please drop us a line at lizzie@talkingtennis.co.uk