- Title: FRANCE: TENNIS - 5 year old prodigy Jan Silva creating a buzz in the tennis world
- Date: 10th November 2007
- Summary: JAN SILVA TALKING WITH COACH PATRICK MOURATOGLOU JAN SILVA LISTENING TO ADVICE FROM COACH PATRICK MOURATOGLOU ABOUT HIS TECHNIQUE MARI SILVA, MOTHER ADJUSTING JAN SILVA'S HEADBAND
- Embargoed: 25th November 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAD1WD1JUNAD7TMP2E70MIRC1KX
- Story Text: Jan Silva, a 5 year old tennis prodigy who has been training at the Moratoglou Tennis Academy just outside of Paris since he was 4, is creating a buzz in the tennis world.
Measuring little over 3 and a half feet tall, 5 year old Jan Silva is already proving a force to be reckoned with on the tennis courts. There is much hype surrounding the little tennis prodigy, who is being hailed as the 'Tiger Woods of Tennis' and the 'Golden Child' among other monikers on his personal website.
Born to a Finnish mother who is a tennis coach and an African American father who used to play pro basketball, it comes as no surprise that Jan Silva has an athletic bone or two in his body.
According to his parents, Jan has been playing since he was barely a year old, bouncing balls with his racket for hours on end against the window.
However, they soon became aware that their son possessed a special talent for tennis, and his passion for the game was evident from a very early age.
So when they were offered the chance to have Jan train at the prestigious Mouratoglou Tennis Academy just outside of Paris, reputedly the best junior tennis academy in the world, the family wasted no time in packing up their things and making the move from Sacramento to France.
Jan began training at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in 2006 when he was four years old, where he has received high praise for his game. Coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who established the academy in 1996 has seen and trained many junior players in his time, but admitted there was something remarkably different about Jan.
"He looks much older, he looks very, very self-confident, he's got a lot of humour, he has a lot of charisma. And then there's his game and his physical abilities which are again completely different from most of the kids his age. He's very, very co-ordinated, he's got a good balance in every shot he's playing and he's got a technique of someone who's much older. Great technique," said Mouratoglou.
Asked about his favourite players, Jan rattled off a long list of successful tennis players he hopes one day to be like.
"Roger Federer, Gasquet, James Blake, Monfils, Roddick," said a giggling Jan.
Jan was first discovered by Wimbledon quarter-finalist Marcos Baghdatis, who also trains at the Mouratoglou Academy and recommended it to the Silvas.
Despite his disciplined schedule and the hours devoted to tennis each day, Jan has left none of his childhood behind, admitting that his next favourite thing to tennis was "to watch a cartoon".
His father, Scott Silva, was confident his son has what it takes to succeed and become a great tennis player, but said he would happily support him in whatever else he wanted to do.
"You can never be a 100 percent sure, but with the passion he's shown to this point and the good people that he's around, we don't see why he would want to change and do something different. But if he does, its his choice and we'd support it and we'd do whatever else he wants to do with the same passion that we've thrown into this," said Silva.
Both parents have high hopes for their son's tennis future, but mother Mari Silva said that above all she hopes he will just grow to be a good person.
"We always answer this question differently. I always say that I just want Jani to be a good person, and grow as as a full person, because there's a long life after tennis. So I want his of course to be the best tennis player he can be, but I want him to be a good person as well and have a good life," said Mari.
French regulations prevent Jan from competing against other players who compare in ability as they are much older in age. The family wants to return to the United States the following year with the hopes of enrolling Jan in competitions where he will be able to play older children. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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