If you’re about to become responsible for bringing on the next generation of Scottish tennis stars then what better way to prepare than working closely with the best ever?
Jonny O’Mara enjoyed a successful playing career in his own right – reaching a Wimbledon mixed doubles semi-final and the Australian Open quarters in the men’s doubles – but it was the time spent working as part of Andy Murray’s entourage where he really learned what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
O’Mara leapt at the chance to join Murray’s coaching team last year and remained a key part of Team Murray until the former world number one chose to call it a day last month.
Murray’s retirement also meant a change of scene for O’Mara who has taken up a new position as Tennis Scotland’s National Player Programme Coach for players aged 16 and over.
It is something that the man from Arbroath is excited about as he looks to shape the development of the likes of Jacob Fearnley, Charlie Robertson and Maia Lumsden and he believes working so closely with Murray so recently will be a significant help.
“Having been so close to Andy for those 18 months it’s about trying to bring a bit of that back to Scottish tennis,” he says. “I’ve known Andy for a while now and to go from him being my hero and role model to being that close to him, seeing how he operates and the levels he goes to, was never something I was going to say no to.
“There were some tough moments and I had to be on it the best I could as he operates at an elite level and expects the same from everyone he’s working with. But it was incredible to gain that insight and learn from those experiences.
“To have a player who has achieved so much in the game but still wanting to go out there every day, turning over every stone, to do more was amazing to see. His body wasn’t what it once was but he still had that same desire to try everything to get back to where he was.
“That gives me a great platform now to go on and help others as I’ve gained a lot of information that he’s passed on that I can instil in the young players. The way he never missed a single session and was fully engaged for every minute that he was training were things I’d never seen before, that level of motivation and commitment.
“It’s what Scottish players have to compare themselves to so it’s good that I can go straight into Scottish tennis and try to use what I saw from him and share that with others.
“Andy's ability and talent were incredible but he wasn’t taking any shortcuts. He still worked incredibly hard and that’s a great lesson for anyone. No matter how good you are – or think you are – it will count for nothing without that work ethic.”
O’Mara warns against anyone expecting to see “the next Andy Murray” any time soon and believes success for Scottish tennis will be measured against other metrics.
“It’s always difficult that question, ‘who’s the next Andy Murray?’ as those aren’t easy shoes to fill. That’s such a tough ask as what Andy achieved was so incredible. It’s not something you can easily recreate.
“So it’s maybe more important to look at what counts as success in Scotland and that’s things like having greater participation levels, more players competing at junior grand slams and just generally getting the volume up a bit so we have more players at a good level who can spur each other on.
“We’re doing okay at the moment. We’ve got Charlie Robertson who did well at the junior US Open, we’ve got Jacob Fearnley who’s been playing over in America and looks like he will be a decent player, and a few other younger ones back at base.
“We don’t want them to become the next Andy Murray. What we want is a lot of Scottish youngsters enjoying the game and playing it to a high level. Hopefully that takes them to the places they want to get to.”
O’Mara expects Murray will take a break from tennis in the short-term but can imagine the two-time Olympic gold medalist returning to the sport in some capacity in future.
“I think he’ll take some time out of the game which is probably wise – and I think his wife will probably be happy about that too” he adds with a laugh. “He’ll probably become a scratch golfer too! But he’s got so much to give to tennis and I can definitely see him doing that in future.”
O’Mara’s appointment, alongside Toby Smith who will work with the under-16s, comes hot on the heels of Tennis Scotland announcing the biggest-ever investment in Scottish performance tennis and the launch of the Scottish national player pathway.
Based primarily at the University of Stirling, O’Mara has been in the role for almost two months now and is encouraged with what he has seen.
“It’s an important time for Scottish tennis as we try to keep the momentum going,” he adds. “We’ve had some unbelievable years with Andy, Jamie [Murray] and Gordon [Reid] and it’s now about trying to raise standards across the board.
“My role will be mostly trying to stay on top of how players are training, creating an atmosphere at the tennis centre throughout the sessions. A lot of my work is being done on court which is what I wanted to do. Coaching is obviously about getting to know the players off the court as well but I’ve been on court a lot so far and that’s where I feel I’m at my best.”
Still just 29 years old, O’Mara hasn’t officially retired from playing, instead putting it on the backburner for the time being.
“I think that’s me probably done but I’ll never say never,” he reveals. “I’m still quite young so in five years’ time or so I might fancy another swing at it.
“But I’ve always enjoyed feeling like I’m doing something for others which is why coaching really suits me. My journey as a professional tennis player wasn’t straightforward and I’ve been on this pathway that these young players are starting out on. So I can share those experiences too and hopefully others will learn from it."
