Aspiring young tennis players in Bath will have the chance to learn from a former British number one after Alicia Barnett was appointed as Performance Tennis Coach at Team Bath.
Barnett, who spent the past decade training as part of the Team Bath professional programme, has ended her playing career and will now help develop the next generation of talent through the Regional Player Development Centre (RPDC) at the University of Bath.
The Gloucestershire-born player enjoyed a highly successful career on the international circuit, reaching a career-high world ranking of 59 in women’s doubles and competing in all four Grand Slam tournaments. She also reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles quarter-finals twice and helped Great Britain reach the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals in 2022.
Now she is embarking on a new chapter in the sport.
“I’m delighted to be taking on this role and starting a new stage in my tennis career,” said Barnett. “I’m really lucky that I’m going to be working with so many talented young players. It’s a good opportunity to help shape them, not just as players but as people, and hopefully help them along their journey.”
Barnett first joined the Team Bath academy as a 17-year-old through the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sport and Exercise programme. While pursuing her professional career, she also gained coaching qualifications and always envisaged coaching playing a role in her future.
The transition comes after a playing career that brought 21 tournament victories, the most recent coming in July when she won the women’s doubles title at the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
Reflecting on the decision to retire from professional tennis, Barnett said the opportunity at Team Bath arrived at the right time.
“I’d started to think about life after playing and when this opportunity came up it seemed too good to be true,” she said. “I’m very settled in the South West and I love the culture here at Team Bath, so it just seems like a natural next step.”
Having trained at Team Bath throughout much of her career, Barnett said the high-performance environment had played a major role in her development.
“The whole culture and philosophy is of elite performance,” she said. “You go into the gym and you’ve got Olympians next to you on the rowing machine. Wherever you look, you’ve got people working hard and trying to get the best out of themselves.”
Barnett will work alongside Chris Starkey on the RPDC programme, which supports talented players aged 14 and under as they progress through the Lawn Tennis Association’s performance pathway.
Looking back on her years as a professional player, Barnett said the experience had exceeded all expectations.
“I achieved a lot more than I ever expected,” she said. “I managed to travel the world, create a lot of amazing memories and make some really good friends on the tour. It’s been quite a ride.”
Now, she hopes to use those experiences to inspire the next generation of young players hoping to follow a similar path.
Alicia Barnett has joined Team Bath Tennis as a Performance Tennis Coach after bringing her professional playing career to a close. Photo: Team Bath.
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