'Being a Grand Slam champion at 12 is insane'

A wheelchair tennis player said it was "insane" to become a junior champion on her Grand Slam debut – at the age of 12.

Lucy Foyster, from Hethersett, near Norwich, was inspired by Norfolk star Alfie Hewett to take up the game just three years ago and is ranked sixth in the girls' wheelchair tennis world rankings.

She was awarded a wild card to become the youngest player in the Australian Open Juniors in Melbourne and, on Friday, she won match point in the doubles final with partner Seira Matsuoka of Japan.

Lucy, who has recovered from bone cancer, told the BBC she never expected to leave Australia a champion.

"I'm 12 years old – I can't expect the highest thing in the world," she said.

"You've just got to go with it."

She and Seira – who had not partnered before – "just really enjoyed ourselves", she said.

"I didn't feel any pressure whatsoever. I'm really happy about that.

"It was amazing to play on Court 7 because we had an amazing crowd there to support us and it just felt really easy to keep playing and just enjoy what I'm doing."

The achievement by Lucy and Seira, the world number 16, is even more impressive given that their opponents included the top seed, 17-year-old Luna Gryp.

The Belgian had given Lucy a baptism of fire when they played each other in her first match of the singles competition.

"Because I am so young, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself," she told the BBC, speaking earlier in the week.

"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 - the year he became champion.

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.

Last year, Lucy became the youngest winner of a women's wheelchair competition held annually at SW19, and the youngest winner yet of the singles 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.

"There are a lot of different reasons why I wanted to come here, and I know a 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."

She said she was keen to get back home and share the experience with everyone.

"Whenever I come back from tennis, I'm always so desperate to see my friends and my teachers.

"I've got to catch up [with school work] and I'm used to that."

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 go 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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