Freshman tennis player Ludolph Wiggett started playing tennis around the age of 5.

The Melbourne, Australia, native attended Trinity Grammar School before committing to Eastern.

Wiggett competed on the international level, competing in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

In 2023, Wiggett reached the round of 16 of the U18 Australia Cup. In his first year as a Panther, Wiggett recorded four wins, two in singles play and two in doubles play.

In this Q&A, Wiggett talks about his time play the Australian sport footy, why he stopped playing footy to focus on tennis and Australia’s restrictions when COVID-19 hit the world.

Q: When did you first start playing tennis?
A: “Probably when I was about 5. Four or 5.”

Q: What made you stick with tennis?
A: “Well, I played three sports when I was younger. I played tennis, footy, it’s an Australian game, and basketball up until I was 14. When I turned 14, I had to choose one to just focus on, and I chose tennis because I enjoyed it the most.”

Q: What is footy?
A: “It’s more like rugby and you kick a ball to people. It’s a good sport. It’s kind of like football. The ball is the same as the American football, and you have to kick it to each other and you have to kick it through the two big sticks. It’s a very physical sport.”

Q: How did you like playing footy?
A: “I don’t know. All Australians play it, and also one of the main reasons I stopped is because it’s a lot of injuries, and it’s really bad for when you’re playing tennis because you’re constantly getting injured. I broke my collarbone and had a bunch of other surgeries and injuries from footy, so that’s also another reason I had to stop it. My left collarbone snapped in half, and I had to get surgery to put it back and put plates in. It’s all good now though, so there’s no issue.”

Q: If you had a walkout song, what would it be?
A: “’Lets Go’ by Key Glock. It’s a good walk out song.”

Q: Why did you choose to come to Eastern?
A: “Mainly for tennis. I got recruited here, and I really liked the coach and the culture. It looked like it had a good tennis program, so that’s why I decided to come. I didn’t really know much about Charleston when I chose it.”

Q: What is your favorite season?
A: “Definitely summer, for sure. I love the warm weather. Not too warm though.”

Q: Is there any tennis player you look up to?
A: “Nick Kyrgios. He’s my idol. I love him. Everything about him: his game, just everything about him. I’ve always looked up to him.”

Q: If you could pick one tennis player, retired or active, to be your doubles partner in a match, who would it be?
A: “It’d have to be Nick Kyrgios. He’d be the funnest to play with. Second would be Novak [Djokovic].”

Q: Who’s the funniest person on the team?
A: “We have a lot of funny people on the team, but probably Alex [Aldaz]. We have a lot of other funny people on the team, but I think Alex is mainly funny because he’s a bit clueless, but I love him.”

Q: Pancakes or waffles?
A: “Pancakes.”

Q: Do you put anything on your pancakes?
A: “Just syrup, and if there’s ice cream, I’ll put that on there. And Nutella.”

Q: How does it feel to be as far away as you are?
A: “It’s tough. It’s tough to communicate with people I’m close to back at home. I think it’s a 17-hour difference, so it’s a bit challenging. The jet lag of the first few days are pretty rough, but then it’s fine. It’s mainly just annoying to not be able to talk to my friends and family often at home.”

Q: Who are you giving the aux to?
A: “Zach White pretty much controls aux, so I’ll give it to him.”

Q: Do you think the Earth is round or flat?
A: “It’s obviously round. I don’t know why [people] think it’s flat, but everyone is entitled to their opinions.”

Q: Before coming to Charleston, have you been to the U.S.?
A: “When I was about 13, I went to California for a month with my family. We went to San Francisco, Los Angeles and we went up the West Coast in California.”

Q: What’s the biggest difference between Australia and the U.S.?
A: “I don’t feel like I’ve experienced the real U.S. I know Charleston is good, but I can only compare it to a big city because I’m from a big city. I actually think there’s quite a lot of similarities.”

Q: How big is Melbourne?
A: “Melbourne is probably smaller than Chicago, but it’s pretty big.”

Q: Who are your biggest supporters?
A: “Probably my parents because they’re sending me here, and they’ve always supported me.”

Q: What grade were you in when COVID-19 hit?
A: “I was in year nine. In Melbourne, it was really bad. I was in my house for two years, and we were stuck within a five kilometer radius. You couldn’t leave five kilometers outside your area for about 10 months, and then we were able to go for a month or two, and then it was back to another year of complete lockdown. It was very bad. Most of us didn’t really listen to the rules. We’d go on bike rides everyday and still hang out. I think it was a good time because I still got to play tennis. I got to play tennis everyday, still see my friends and I didn’t have to go to school. I actually enjoyed it, but a lot of people didn’t.”

Q: Was it just Melbourne or the entirety of Australia that was locked down like that?
A: “Victoria was really bad. They had it the worst for sure. The rest of Australia was somewhat similar, but they were nowhere near as bad as Victoria. Victoria had the harshest restrictions and for the longest time, but the other states were much more relaxed.”

Q: How are you adjusting to Charleston?
A: “At first, it was tough. I think as I’ve gotten used to the schedule and the rhythm, it can be a bit boring at times, but it’s very funny. Especially with the people I’m with. My team and I do a lot of stuff together and everyone gets along. Our team culture and team vibe is amazing which gets me through the boring moments. But that’s just having good friends and good team culture that helped me adjust to life here.”

Q: Where is the best place you ever played tennis?
A: “I’ve played in Fiji, and it was pretty cool there, but in terms of coolest place I’ve played at, I train at Melbourne Park, where they play the Australian Open, so I’ve played on those courts. In terms of coolest courts, it would be those ones, but in terms of coolest area, it’d be Fiji.”

Q: Knowing everything you know now, what would you tell 10-year-old you?
A: “Enjoy everything you do, and have fun with everything you do. Don’t regret anything and live life. Also, try your hardest in tennis and school and everything.”

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.