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Rusedski confident new attitude will bring success

Greg Rusedski is focused on harnessing British talent © Getty Images

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Greg Rusedski is optimistic a "cultural shift" at the National Tennis Centre will ensure a number of talented British players reach the top of the sport.

Rusedski is currently working for the Lawn Tennis Association as a talent and performance ambassador, putting particular focus on developing the top prospects in the 15-18 age group.

At the NTC in Roehampton, south-west London, Rusedski works alongside the coaches and offers advice to the players hoping to be stars of the future. As well as acting as a mentor, the former US Open finalist has helped bring about a huge change in philosophy, with an emphasis on professionalism and hard work.

And the new approach seems to be paying dividends, even at such an early stage. Rusedski recently helped the junior team to their first ever victory in the Davis Cup, and the likes of Kyle Edmund, Evan Hoyt and Luke Bambridge clearly enjoyed the benefits of working with the former British No. 1.

"I really like the work we're doing at the moment," he told the Times. "Attitudes are changing and that is the key, putting in the effort and realising that though Luke and Kyle are tired from the physical block, mentally they can still switch on to play. When you are fresh, anybody can do it. It is exciting to see the mentality change, the professionalism, and people sticking to a long-term plan.

"The opportunity they have is quite phenomenal and you hope they all take advantage of it and realise how fortunate they are."

LTA sports science specialist Karl Cooke says it is not just the attitude of the players that is changing. He said: "We take care of what they should eat for breakfast, how much sleep they need, what they did the night before.

"It requires a paradigm shift because if you haven't worked with information before and someone supplies you with details about your nutrition, some might say, 'Is all of this necessary?' but my argument is that we need to be working with attention to detail, developing the players takes time.

"It is all a journey. We are not going to be as sophisticated as a Formula One team or a cycling team until we have gone through the process of learning and making it as specific to our needs as possible. We look at the game now at the top and think how far it has come in 20 years, and we have to consider what is it going to be like in five years from here. How do we develop someone who has the athleticism to cope?"

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