The future seems incredibly bright for teenaged tennis star Rafael Pagonis, with the young Greek captivating tennis fans around the world after reaching the final in the Under-14 category at Wimbledon.
The 13-year-old has been the subject of much interest among tennis insiders in Greece and the world for a few years now, with many having recognised his talent from a very young age.
The youngster achieved his most public of successes at this year’s Wimbledon, making it to the final where he lost to Moritz Freitag in a thrilling bout that finished 6-4, 1-6, 4-10 (match tiebreak).
Rafael is another talent that caught the attention of legendary coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s team, who first scouted him in Glyfada when he was eight.
He was invited just a few years later from that first visit to train at Mouratoglou’s elite tennis academy in France, with Mouratoglou himself heaping praise on his ability.
As is the case for many aspiring athletes, Rafael has begun to work his life around his tennis, having stopped attending traditional school and now studying online to accommodate his intense training schedule.
Tennis insiders suggest there is a lot of influence from Carlos Alcaraz in Rafael’s game, one of the strongest models the youngster could take inspiration from.
Rafael is still incredibly early into his tennis development but, if Wimbledon proved anything, it is that there is every reason to be excited about his future.
