Jonathan Roth was six-years-old when he asked his parents to buy him a tennis racquet at the mall for Christmas.
Now at 15, Jonathan the Christmas toy has transitioned into a passion that he hopes would propel him into the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
“I never get tired of playing tennis. I am ready to play whenever someone ask me to,” said Jonathan, who is in Phnom Penh for the 30th edition of the Tep Khunnah Memorial Cup, an ITF J30 event taking place at the Morodok Techo Tennis Complex.
He lost 2-6, 1-6 to Korean Shin Jaejun in the opening round of the tournament. The third seeded Jaejun will be playing against Chen Xiaozheng for the title tomorrow.
“I was unlucky to have drawn the third seed in the first round,” said Jonathan, who will also be playing in the second J30 tournament in Phnom Penh next week.
Soon after he was gifted his first tennis racquet, Jonathan was enrolled in a local club in Germany. That was the start of his tennis journey around the globe.
When he was seven, he had joined a tennis academy in Austria and just after the covid pandemic, he moved to Dubai.
“My ultimate goal is to turn pro. Get into the top 100 first and eventually the top ten,” said Jonathan, who plans to upgrade from the junior tournaments to Futures next year.
Futures usually have sizable qualifying draws, which allow unranked players to enter tournaments and earn ATP ranking points.
The right handed player, sees his forehand as his biggest weapon in his tennis arsenal.
“My serve also,” he quickly added.
This is his first trip to play in Cambodia, although he has played in junior tournaments in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Prior to coming to Phnom Penh, he played in the higher ranked J60 tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand. He had beaten three players in the qualifiers to earn a place in the main draw. He was eventually beaten 3-6, 6-0, 4-6 by Thailand’s Pavornpruch Nganbunsri in the second round.
Last year, he made the quarter-finals of the boys doubles in two J30 events in Malaysia. He partnered China’s Zhong Jianfei at the tournament in Penang and with Thailand’s Tanathorn Tavachphongsri in Kelana Jaya.
Like many young tennis players in the circuit, Jonathan travels with his father George Roth to various tournaments.
“He gives me valuable advice. When he meets someone, he always talks about me and tennis before anything else,” said Jonathan.
“He tells everyone how much he believes in me,” he added.
His father’s confidence has also rubbed on to Jonathan, who strongly believes he has what it takes to succeed in the competitive sports.
Perhaps, sometime in the future, the tennis world would see him emulate fellow Austrian, Dominic Thiem, winner of the 2020 US Open.
