Michelle and Ian Watson are the proud parents of 23-year-old tennis player Heather Watson –who is currently taking on tennis star and diva Serena Williams –who is ranked world No 1 and has won Wimbledon five times.
The British gal who began playing aged 7 and by 12 went to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, United States grew-up admiring players like Serena, today she is up against her for the first time.
The brunette is currently the #1 female junior in the UK and is ranked #3 in the Junior ITF World Rankings. She caught the attention of the media with her impressive, dominant performance at the 2009 US Open. She became the first British female junior in history to win in New York and just the second British player to claim the junior title.
Her father Ian Watson was the managing director of Guernsey Electricity from 1995 until his retirement in 2010. He and wife Michelle have four children three daughters–including heather –and one son.
Mr. Watson was born in Manchester, he joined Guernsey Electricity as Financial Manager in March 1992 and was promoted to General Manager in July 1995. Most of his career has been spent in the engineering industry including eight years with GEC Limited. He has travelled widely having been employed in senior positions in Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia. He is both a qualified Accountant and Chartered Secretary and also brings organizational, practical and management skills to the business.
The 23-year-old describes her father as her ‘idol.’
Mom Michelle, was born in Papua New Guinean. She met her husband when he was working in the Pacific nation’s capital, Port Moresby, in 1988. Michelle gave birth to Heather on May 19, 1992.
According to the Telegraph, her parents made huge sacrifices so she could get the best coaching in the world, paying for her to go to the prestigious Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida and later moving to the US themselves to support her flourishing career.
The family managed to stay together as mom Michelle made the move to the U.S in 2008 when Heather began travelling the world on the international tennis circuit.
According to the Daily Mail, her parents used their life savings to support her daughter in the U.S. Good thing Heather can now pay off.
Are you rooting for her? Find her on Twitter here.
