Local tennis is about to see another of its Davis Cup players turn pro.
Reigning four-time national champ Seanon Williams will be following in the footsteps of long-time friend and compatriot Darian King after revealing his intention to hit the Futures circuit for three tournaments next month.
The 21-year-old local No.1 made the announcement on Monday during a Press conference at the National Tennis Centre, disclosing his aim of contesting a trio of entry-level events in Manizillo, Mexico.
“It’s important to get your feet wet there as early as possible, [and] we can use Darian as an example of someone who has been doing that, to go and play some of these tournaments,” said fellow local player and coach Duncan Evanson.
“At the end of the day it is about getting the experience at that level and gaining the ranking points so he could eventually move on to Challengers, then hopefully the main draws of ATP events and one-day Grand Slams.
“This will be his first tour, with the plan to do another later in the year before . . . doing four or five tours like that next year,” Evanson added.
Already a veteran of five Davis Cup ties, Williams first showcased his talents as a promising junior before translating those abilities into steady success by winning the last four national titles.
His abilities are such that several United States-based colleges have come knocking, but like King two years ago, Williams decided against taking his talents Stateside due to a belief that his career would be better served by focusing solely on tennis.
“I opted not to go to college because . . . people tend to drift and I didn’t want to lose focus from my training,” explained Williams, who is currently finishing his studies at the University of the West Indies.
Williams is currently training with Evanson and local coach Richelle LeSaldo without cost – an opportunity that he believes he wouldn’t have beeen afforded if he wasn’t currently based at home.
Evanson reasoned that players of Williams’ stature had to realistically look at spending $80 000 to $100 000 yearly to travel and contest tournaments with a trainer and massage therapist, along with other necessities.
Williams’ connections said a lot of companies had orally committed to supporting the Davis Cup player but they had not yet received any cash or cheques.
