Alice Brook: Meet the teen tennis star using Ilkley Trophy experience as springboard to scholarship in America

In the morning, the 18-year-old finished school at Ilkley Grammar, leaving only her exams left to sit, starting next week.

In the afternoon she made the journey down to Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, a pilgrimage she has made hundreds of times in pursuit of her burgeoning athletic career, to have her first session of the year on one of the club’s immaculately manicured grass courts.

“It was wonderful to be able to play outside on grass for the first time this year,” said Brook, who was born in Ilkley and first started playing tennis with her grandmother at the nearby Grove Hill club in Otley.

“It’s honestly amazing to have a club like this on my doorstep; the indoor courts, outdoor and now we’ve got padel courts as well.

“Having the grass here is so amazing, you don’t get the opportunity to practise on grass for grass-court tournaments that often in Britain.”

It’s one thing having everything you need from a sporting perspective on your doorstep, it’s another actually seizing it and giving yourself a chance of making a career out of that sport. But Brook has managed to.

From those early beginnings at Grove Hill to a move to Ilkley when she was 10 to broaden her competitive horizons and start working with coach Kyle Brassington, to representing Yorkshire at Under-12s and then graduating to play on the British junior tour, Brook has made pursuing her dream of becoming a professional tennis player her mission.

Later this summer - one where she will spend countless more hours at Ilkley LTSC practising and working - she heads off to America on a four-year tennis scholarship at Louisiana Tech University.

“It’s such a good opportunity,” says Brook of the decision to choose America over trying to turn professional.

“If I’d have stayed in the UK and missed this opportunity I’d have regretted it for the rest of my life.

“I know a lot of people who have gone over there and loved it, there are so many great opportunities.”

“Going professional is the absolute dream but I think going through the America route is the best way to do it because you can get onto the tour after college with a bit more support and at least I come out with a degree as well in case it doesn’t work out.

“Is that leaving it too late to turn pro? No. I think it’s a more stable option that gives you a back-up plan and it’s a more sensible option for me. I spoke to about 15 colleges but this one really stood out for me because the coach was British. They’re a Division I team in a very competitive division.”

Before then she will continue her tennis education at the Lexus Ilkley Trophy from June 15-22.

Over the course of the club’s hosting of the tournament since 2015, Brook has gone from spectator to ball girl to this year helping out with the organisation of the ball kids.

On each occasion she has milked everything out of the unique experience of seeing professional tennis players - some on their way to Wimbledon later in the summer - up close and personal.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity to see all these great players up close, I used to be a ball kid when I was a bit younger, this year I’m going to help out organising the ball kids so I can be even closer to the action,” says Brook.

“It is such an amazing learning opportunity to watch them in action.”

Tickets for the Ilkley Trophy are on sale via the LTA website and start from £16 per person.