Inspired by Alfie Hewett, Lucy Foyster is ranked sixth in the girls' wheelchair world rankings.
A wheelchair tennis player has spoken of the "whole new experience" of making her junior Grand Slam debut – at the age of 12.
Lucy Foyster, from Hethersett, near Norwich, was inspired by champion Aflie Hewett to take up the game just three years ago and is now ranked sixth in the girls' wheelchair tennis world rankings.
She won a wild card to become the youngest player in the Australian Open Juniors in Melbourne, where fellow competitor Hewett described her as having a "bright future".
"This is what I wanted and I achieved it, so it's given me a lot of self-belief," said Lucy after her debut against the junior world number one.
Although Lucy lost to 17-year-old Belgian Luna Gryp, she took a set off the top seed for the first time and put in an impressive performance, according to BBC sports presenter Gemma Stevenson.
She continued to play in the tournament as the junior competition is a round robin – an "all-play-all" – and she played the top three girls in the world.
"Because I am the youngest in the round robin, my coaches [and I] are trying to see it as more of an opportunity to grow and learn in the sport," Lucy told Gemma.
"Because I am so young, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.
"Luna is a great player, she's very experienced. It's my first time taking her to three sets, so I've got to take that positive out of that match, and go back to training and fix those errors."
Lucy had been recognised for her talent for standing tennis before she was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of seven.
After her treatment, her mum Helga was keen for her to give wheelchair tennis a try, and contacted Alfie Hewett, who invited her to the Wimbledon Championships in 2022.
Soon after that, she got her first taste of wheelchair tennis at a Lawn Tennis Association training camp, and then entered its programme for under-14s, which could eventually lead to elite senior level and the Paralympics.
Last year, Lucy became the youngest winner of a women's wheelchair competition held annually at SW19, and the youngest winner yet of the sport's singles draw at the Wheelchair Tennis National Finals, held in Gloucester.
Back in Melbourne, Lucy said that despite being years younger than some of her fellow competitors – who could enter up to the age of 18 years and three weeks – she did not feel the age gap.
"It's so much fun to be around the girls, even though I am so young," she said.
"We all get along so we don't really notice it.
"There are a lot of different reasons why I wanted to come here, and I know at lot of people are thinking 'You're so young, why don't you go in the future, when you could win it?'
"But there were a few things that really motivated me to come here – just to take in this experience, and it was just amazing."
Hewett – who is defending his Australian Open wheelchair men's singles title – still keeps in touch with Lucy and her mum.
He said it was "really special" to see the girl he encouraged to come to Wimbledon competing in her debut slam.
"To have that sort of influence on someone is something that does really, really mean a lot to me," he said.
"She's done amazing things out here already; I'm sure there's a lot of butterflies and a lot of nerves, but she's dealing with it really well.
"I think she's definitely got a bright future ahead if she keeps on the right path and keeps pushing."
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