Rob’s journey into international tennis began at just six years old, playing on the public courts at Wellholme Park in Brighouse. From there, his love of the game grew steadily, competing in local Calderdale leagues and going on to represent West Yorkshire at the Millennium Youth Games in Southampton in 2000. At Crossley Heath, tennis was part of summer PE lessons, although there was no formal school team at the time. Like many young players, Rob simply enjoyed playing the sport, and a career in officiating was not something he had ever considered. “Officiating had never been a consideration for me at all. I enjoyed playing tennis and that was it.”