HENRY PATTEN has made significant strides towards competing in the Australian Open final.
The 28-year-old Patten, alongside his partner Harri Heliovaara, is preparing to take on Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the Men’s Doubles Final this Saturday at the iconic Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
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Despite this, the Colchester native has worked diligently to elevate his ranking to World No. 14.
When Andy Murray won the Wimbledon title in 2016, Patten was present at SW19, responsible for gathering statistics from the outer courts in a demanding role.
Reflecting on his past experiences, Patten mentioned: “I worked here during summers while I was in college.
“I was partnered with IBM, providing statistics from court-side. During college, I never envisioned pursuing a career in professional tennis.
“You could either end up on the outer courts team, or if you were particularly capable, you’d find yourself on the show courts team. I mostly ended up on the outer courts.
“While I was playing, especially on those outer courts, I would often see someone in an IBM shirt at a computer, diligently typing in all the stats.
“It was demanding work. I can’t speak for how it is now, but back then the routine was two hours on followed by 40 minutes off. I did that for two years.
“In my first year, the excitement was genuine because being that close to the action was exhilarating.
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“However, just four days in, I hit a wall. Maybe that’s the reason I didn’t move up…”
Patten made a remarkable comeback to Wimbledon this July, where he and Heliovaara secured the Men’s Doubles title.
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The duo triumphed at the Australian Open, defeating Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in the finals at SW19.
