I was born in Hobart, Australia, and took up Real Tennis at the age of 18. It quickly became clear to me that this was the sport I wanted to pursue. After just three years, in 1990, I made the final of the British Open as an unseeded player — something the game had never seen before.

I won my first major title in 1993 when I captured the US Open in Philadelphia. That victory was the first of what has become 50 Open titles, including 8 US Opens, 15 Australian Opens, 13 British Opens and 14 French Opens. Among those achievements were back-to-back calendar Grand Slams in 2000 and 2001, followed by another Grand Slam in 2008.

It is my World Championship record that I am most proud of. I first won the demanding best-of-13 set format in 1994 and went on to defend the title 12 more times. . My run of 12 consecutive World Championship titles remains unprecedented and stands four clear of any other player in the competition’s long history, which dates back to 1730. After losing the title in 2016 I pulled off the most unlikely of victories to defeat the current World Champion 7 sets to 5 in 2018 and regain the title on the eve of my 50th birthday.

In more recent years I have been deeply committed to growing the game, particularly at junior level. Over the past decade, I have worked closely with talented young players, helping them make the transition to elite competition. I am currently President of The Dedanists Foundation, a charity dedicated to giving children of all abilities access to Real Tennis. In just a decade, the charity has introduced more than a 1000 new children to the sport.

Despite living in the UK I am still a massive Aussie Rules footy fan and a devoted supporter of the hapless Mighty Blues. I have little energy for other sports but I am a keen golfer and very happy to watch most sport when given the opportunity. Family life takes up the rest of my time and I treasure every minute.