Gonzalo Corrales, Jr. is a young player on the rise from Spain. His ranking in Spain for his age group is number 5 and he is in the top 70 in the European Rankings of players born in 2010, under 14 years of age. Gonzalo is currently playing Tennis Europe events, which are U14 and U16. At 16 he will play ITF tournaments, which will give him a world ranking in Juniors. He won eight tournaments in Spain last year, plus two international tournaments in Greece and Cyprus. He recently shared his background, goals, and thoughts on competing in the sport with Tennis View.

When did you begin playing tennis and how did you become interested in the sport?

I started playing tennis at 4 because my dad was a tennis player, and he gave me a passion for the sport. I have loved it since the very beginning, playing tournaments locally, later nationally, and now internationally. I love playing tennis more than anything.

What is your average training day like?

Since I live in a very small town in northern Spain, I don´t have people to practice with. I normally practice an hour to two hours in the morning with my dad, plus 30 to 45 minutes of conditioning. Some days, I also practice in the afternoon at the Tennis Club I belong to with a couple of older kids who still play tennis.

What are some of your favorite memories of playing so far?

What I love the most is traveling and making friends at tournaments, in Spain and internationally. I especially enjoyed a team event in Barcelona, a big international tournament that was also held in Barcelona, with most of my best friends, or Les Petits As in France, which was the most important tournament I have played.

What motivates you to improve your game?

I want to be better, the best tennis player I can be. I was not very good in Spain a couple of years ago, so it makes me feel really good now that I am in the top five in Spain and I am competitive internationally since I see how much I have improved. I have the goal of continuing to improve as much as I can and becoming the best tennis player I can be so that I can go to a good university in the United States when I finish High School.

How would you describe your style of play?

I´m an aggressive player. I like having fun on the court. I love to go to the net and do things when I play. Since I am small in size, I am very fast, and I have a very good defensive game. I love running and fighting for every ball during the match. I am a fighter.

Is there a player you pattern yourself after?

I love Monfils or Bublik because of the many things they do on the court, such as tricks and magic shots. I also love Alcaraz because he is so complete, an aggressive player, and able to do so many things on the tennis court.

Tell us about your experience on the Rafa Nadal Tour.

It is the best tennis circuit in Spain, with lots of things outside of the tennis court and activities for the players. I have great memories of the semifinals I got in a tournament when I was 12, beating some of the best players from Spain. My goal this year is to get to the final at one of these tournaments.

You recently competed in the World Championships Under 14 in France. How was that experience and what takeaways did you get that could help you in the future?

I had worked so hard to classify for the tournament and I had prepared it so well, for so many weeks. I played the first round of the main draw and after just 20 minutes I fell and got injured, so I could not finish the match and could not continue playing in the tournament. It was my dream to be there, but the experience was really tough because of the injury.

What are your goals for 2024?

I would love to classify for the masters of the Rafa Nadal Tour, which would mean I remain one of the top Spanish players. In July, I will have the Spanish National Championships, where I hope to do very well since it is the most important tournament of the year. Internationally, I would like to win different Tennis Europe events since I already won one in 2023 in Cyprus, which has been the most important tournament I have won so far.

What are some of your other interests outside of tennis?

I love soccer, and I would love to be a soccer player if I was not a tennis player. I also love video games, even if I don´t have much time for them. Playing video games is so much fun because it allows me to play with my tennis friends from all over Spain. I travel most of the time to tournaments, and I practice every day, so I really don´t have much time to play. I also have to do schoolwork, which I do online, at an international online high school, Pearson Online Academy, so I study at hotels or travel by car or plane.