The likelihood was that Charlotte Russell was always going to play tennis.

Not only are her parents big into the sport – her dad is one of the leading coaches in the country – but the home where she has lived all her life is just a Roger Federer serve from the Montpellier tennis courts which are nestled in the picturesque gardens in Cheltenham.

The 15-year-old has played the game from the age of eight and started getting serious about it three years later.

Now she is starting to make an impact in national and international events and has even picked up her first 18&U International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior world ranking points.

It comes on the back of two exceptional weeks in Edinburgh where she initially competed in the 18&U GB National Championships and came up against players two and sometimes three years older than her.

She was undaunted by the age gap, however, as she won her first national title by clinching the 18&U doubles title with Hertfordshire’s Rachel Cranley and also reached the final of the singles competition.

Proud mum Melissa said it was “a fantastic achievement for a player having only just turned 15”.

Charlotte, a pupil at High School for Girls in Gloucester, was not finished there though.

She followed up her success by getting through the qualifying event of an 18&U International Tennis Federation (ITF) event to secure a place in the main draw where she went on to win her first main draw singles match. That brought with it her first 18&U world ranking points.

“It’s very important to get an ITF ranking,” said Melissa, who herself was a very good tennis player back in the day – good enough, in fact, to get a sports scholarship to the University of Mississippi.

“It gets you on the first rung of the ladder. It helps you get into events or if you are looking to play professionally or go the American university route.”

Charlotte took her excellent singles form into the ITF doubles event in Edinburgh where she made it all the way to the final with Lily Hutchings from Lancashire.

Not surprisingly, her efforts have been noticed by the LTA who have awarded her a wild card into an under-18 ITF clay court event at Bournemouth this week – she was playing her first match today.

It's a busy time for Charlotte because next week she will be playing for Gloucestershire in the women’s county week at East Gloucestershire Club in Cheltenham.

Charlotte, who trains at David Lloyd Gloucester in Brockworth, has been delighted with her run of form.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks but I am so pleased to have won a national title, finish runner-up in an ITF event and achieve a new 18&U world ranking,” she said.

“It certainly makes all of the hard work even more worthwhile. The ITFs are a big jump, especially considering the age difference, but they are the events that I need to compete in now in order to further my tennis as either a platform for playing full-time or achieving a scholarship at a top-ranked American university.”

Charlotte certainly would appear to have every chance of realising her goals because she is coached by her dad Peter Russell, who is a former junior world ranked player.

He also has a proven track record in producing and working with players who have competed in the Davis Cup, Federation Cup and Grand Slam events.

Naturally enough he is delighted with the progress being made by Charlotte although like all dads he still wants his daughter to do well at school.

“Charlotte works very hard and should be very proud of her achievements,” he said.

“She doesn’t play as much as most of her peers as I am very keen that her schooling at High School for Girls is a priority.

“Our aim is to continue to set the foundations now so that when she has finished her GCSEs next year she is in a position to train, travel and compete more internationally alongside her A-levels.

“Charlotte has clear goals and she is truly enjoying the challenges and opportunities that playing this level of tennis is providing.

“Of course, yes, as her father, I’m extremely proud of Charlotte as a person and for her tennis successes.”

It hasn’t been aces all the way for Charlotte, however, who picked up a couple of nasty injuries while playing Tennis Europe events last year.

“She broke her wrist when she was playing in Holland,” said Melissa, who won the GB National Championships under-12 doubles title in Edinburgh many years ago.

“And she tore her ankle ligaments in Norway when she’d reached the final of both the singles and the doubles.”

While injury setbacks can be part and parcel of any sporting journey, Melissa is extremely grateful for the support that Charlotte has received from her school.

“The school have been fantastic,” said Melissa, who is also mum to nine-year-old Oliver who is a pupil at St James’ Primary School in Leckhampton.

“They could not have been more helpful. The headmistress Mrs Sawicka and the PE department have allowed Charlotte the freedom to compete with the understanding that she remains up to date with her schoolwork. We are so appreciative.

“It is quite touching to think that both Charlottes’ and my first national titles were at the same location, albeit that mine was 12 and under and Charlotte’s was 18 and under.

“I’m extremely proud of her and also of her brother, Oliver. They both love sport and as Peter and I have both played, we are very conscious that they have to play for themselves and find something that they enjoy.

“I have immense pleasure from seeing how much Charlotte loves the environment – it is obviously very competitive and there can be difficult and unpleasant situations, but they are ‘character building’.”

Young Oliver is something of a sporting all-rounder.

“He plays tennis for David Lloyd Gloucester, football for Leckhampton and cricket for Cheltenham,” said his mum, who is originally from Leicestershire.

“We live in Montpellier and have done so for over 20 years. We love the location, and feel that it is a great place to bring children up as it evolves and adapts with them as they are growing up.

“While David Lloyd Gloucester is our main club and is where Peter works as a coach, we have also just joined ‘Tennis in the Park’ .

“It will be fun to stroll across the Montpellier Park with family and friends to play. Peter was born in Devon but lived in Cheltenham for a short while when he was young and came back to Cheltenham when he started working as a national coach.

“While we have both travelled extensively with tennis, we can’t think of a better place to live.”

Charlotte’s achievements over the last 24 months

Reaching 106 in the 14&U Tennis Europe rankings.
Winning her first Tennis Europe title in Sweden.
Reaching the finals of five out of the seven Tennis Europe events played.
Reaching the finals of singles and doubles in a 16&U Tennis Europe event in Norway being forced to withdraw after tearing ligaments in her ankle.

Winning through to the HSBC Road to Wimbledon International Finals held at the AELTC, Wimbledon.

Gloucestershire LTA Junior female player of the year.
Winner of the National Quorn Family Tennis Cup.