Oliver Golding

Oliver Golding (born 29 September 1993) is a former British professional tennis player and former child actor. Showing promise in reaching a world junior ranking of number two and being the 2011 U.S. Open Boys' Champion., Golding failed to transition onto the men's professional circuit, neither entering the top 300 nor winning a match on the ATP tour.

Golding is a Youth Olympic Games gold medallist, having won gold in the boys' doubles event in tennis at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics with Czech partner Jiří Veselý, with whom he also reached the final in the boys' doubles at the 2010 U.S. Open.

Early career

In 2004, Golding began playing tennis for the Esporta Riverside Club, Chiswick, and later that year went to Wimbledon, under the Lawn Tennis Association's "Ariel Champions of the Future" scheme, to meet former professionals Martina Navratilova and Todd Woodbridge.

On 27 November 2005, in the first ever Aberdeen Cup tennis match, Golding was selected to represent England in one of the junior matches, beating Scotland's Scott Lister 11 games to 4 in their "tie-break" style rubber, to square the match however, Jamie Murray and Elena Baltacha won their subsequent doubles game, to secure a Scottish victory. It was claimed on the Guardian Unlimited website that Golding had "impressed Andy Murray when he played for England against Scotland".

In late 2006, as fourth seed, Golding lost 4–6, 2–6, in the semi-final of the Ariel Winter Grand Prix event (promoted by the LTA), to the eventual winner, number two seed Andrew Bettles. He also made news in the Daily Mail when Richmond upon Thames Council banned him (and other potential stars) from playing in the tennis courts which were part of his mother's back garden, and from which she coached local youngsters in tennis. This was due to complaints from local neighbours about the disturbance. The Council deemed that the extra activity constituted "unauthorised change in the court's use". His mother commented: "This ridiculous decision is going to threaten his training and cripple his prospects. We always hear how this country needs young tennis players but if this is how they are treated then what chance do they have? Oliver is representing Britain in the European Championships next year. From the end of this month he can't do the two hours per day practice he needs to maintain this standard in his own back garden."

Golding's first two tournament wins were in the Bournemouth Open (Boys 14) at the West Hants Club on 5 August 2007, when he defeated David Wright 6–3, 6–0 in the Final, and in the Frutina Westway Winter Tournament (16 & Under) on 31 December 2007, when he beat Alexander Wilton 6–0, 6–0 in that Final match. Golding was also the recipient of a £2,000 grant from "Tennis First", a charity set up to help young players fulfil their potential, and tennis kit from the manufacturers Fred Perry. Subsequently, on 5 April 2008, Golding beat Zack Evenden 6–3, 6–1 to win the Rickmansworth Junior Tournament (18 & Under Boys Singles).

Golding won his first ITF tournament in July 2008 at the Grade 5 Scottish International ITF doubles competition, partnering Nick Jones. He became the British junior No. 1 in late 2009. In 2010 he reached the semifinals in the junior boys singles at Wimbledon, beating the world Number No. 1 Jason Kubler en route.

At the Youth Olympics Golding beat world No. 1 and Junior Wimbledon champion Márton Fucsovics in round 1 of the singles, and won gold in the boys' doubles with Czech partner Jiří Veselý. This moved him into the top 20 of the ITF boys' world rankings. At the 2010 US Open Golding once again teamed up with Jiří Veselý in the boys' doubles. They reached the final where they lost 6–1, 7–5.

In September 2011, Golding won the US Open boys' singles, reaching as high as No. 2 in the junior combined rankings as a result.

Junior Singles

Junior Doubles

2011

Golding was given a wildcard to play at the Aegon Championships in London but lost in the first round to 2007 finalist Nicolas Mahut in his first non-junior event.

At the French Open Golding was a Boys' Singles quarterfinalist. He was defeated by Bjorn Fratangelo 1–6, 1–6. Golding also reached the quarterfinals of the Boys' doubles at the French Open, partnered with Jiří Veselý, they lost to Mitchell Krueger and Shane Vinsant of the US in 4–6, 6–4, 8–10.

At the Wimbledon Championships Golding reached the Final of the boys' doubles, partnered with Jiří Veselý, where they lost to George Morgan & Mate Pavić in 3 sets 6–3, 4–6, 5–7. Golding reached the second round of the boys' singles.

Golding partnered Liam Broady at the boys' doubles at the 2011 U.S. Open, being beaten by R. Kern and J. Lenz, 6–7 (4–7), 4–6 of Germany in the quarterfinals. In the boys' Singles at the 2011 U.S. Open Golding won the final by defeating Jiří Veselý 5–7, 6–3, 6–4.

Golding finished the 2011 season with an ITF Junior Boys' Rankings world ranking of 3, his highest season ranking was 2.

2012

Through 2012, Golding mainly played on the Futures tour, winning two tournaments and losing one further final as of September 2012. Golding made his ATP Tour debut at the 2012 Aegon Championships and his grand slam debut at Wimbledon, losing both matches.

2014

In August 2014, Golding announced that he was "taking a break" from tour tennis, as he felt he had just been "going through the motions", partly due to his feelings about the reduction in the Lawn Tennis Association's bonus scheme and the closure of the high-performance programme at the National Tennis Centre in Richmond, very near his home. He stated that he felt he would have to relocate to France to continue in top-class tennis, because of a shortage of high quality training locations in the UK. However, he found that he was unwilling to do this, due to his dislike of travelling. As of 2015, Golding was a former tennis player helping out at his mother's tennis coaching school.

2017

Golding is toying with the idea of a comeback and in August came through qualifying to win an ITF Futures tournament in Italy defeating Davide Galoppini in the final 7–6 6–3. In the first round he knocked out the number one seed Yaroslavl Shyla (298) 6–2 7–6. He followed this by reaching the final of his next futures event in Nottingham.

Golding admitted to being approached by Alexandros Jakupovic to throw a match.

Singles: 12 (6 titles, 6 runner-ups)

Doubles: 15 (9 titles, 6 runner-ups)

Singles

Junior Grand Slams: 1 (1–0)

Doubles

Youth Olympics 1 (1–0)

Junior Doubles: 0 (0–2)

Singles

Doubles

Current through 2012 Wimbledon Championships.

Golding was educated at Newland House School, an independent school in Twickenham in south west London.

Golding's earliest appearance was on television in a commercial for Vauxhall Motors, as a two-year-old baby in 1996. After a small part in a stage version of Wind in the Willows in 1997, his next television role was in 1998 as Nat in the first two episodes of the wartime romantic drama Coming Home, which starred Keira Knightley.

Golding's first film project was as one of four small boys in Mike Leigh's award-winning 2002 comedy drama All or Nothing. His biggest film role to date then came in The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, a tale of the story of Greyfriars Bobby, a child who takes on the responsibility of a policeman's dog after his death, and who has to win the battle with authority to save the dog's life. Though casting began in 2002, the film was much delayed due to problems with the funding. Shooting largely took place during 2004–05, and the film was released in France on 11 May 2005, Italy in July 2005, the USA on 29 October 2005 and at the Children's Film Festival in the UK on 16 November 2005.

In 2003 Golding portrayed Jeremy Potts in another stage show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in London's West End. In the same year, he appeared as one of the children in Ibsen's play, Brand, which starred Ralph Fiennes and was directed by Adrian Noble.

In March 2004, Golding made an appearance as a young customer in "Elephants and Hens", episode 2 of the third season of Black Books, the television comedy series about a dysfunctional bookshop owner, played by Dylan Moran. Then, in April of the same year, he took the part of Tom Dawson in the fifth episode of the Carlton Television production, Murder in Suburbia, in which Gwyneth Strong played his mother Pat. Finally in 2004, he provided the voice of Xath in the English version of the animated puppet fantasy Strings, co-produced by Birdpic Limited in association with Scandinavian partnerships.

In June 2008, Golding appeared in the BBC Three TV documentary "Child Stars", featuring three promising youngsters with outstanding talent and ambition. However, he has forgone further advancement as an actor to concentrate on a possible tennis career.