By Dillon Shelley
Josh Charlton, the number one seed in the recent Goulburn Valley Open and a native of Traralgon, recently returned to his roots after spending five years in the United States where he was studying and playing tennis. Charlton, an ATP pro, has made waves in the local tennis scene by winning the men’s singles and doubles at the Goulburn Valley Open without dropping a set in either.
Charlton, originally from Traralgon, spent five years in the United States for college and tennis before returning to Australia. The ATP pro now splits his time between his hometown and Melbourne. Despite the pace change, he is enjoying being back on home soil.
“I’m a Traralgon boy, but based in Melbourne a little bit, just practicing and stuff like that. It’s a different speed, being back home again. But it’s been good, although I’ve still been on the move a lot with my playing schedule,” Charlton said in a recent interview with the Adviser.
Charlton’s journey to the top has been anything but easy. His 2023 season ended in New Zealand on Christmas Eve, and he immediately flew home to Melbourne. After a quick family Christmas and Boxing Day at home, he drove to Warrnambool to play an open money tournament before competing at the Goulburn Valley Open.
Having played in tournaments all across the globe, when asked about his experience playing in Shepparton, Charlton had nothing but praise for the local courts. “Shepparton always does a great job maintaining their courts. It’s honestly a special place to play on the grass,” he said.
“The quality is good and the bounce is always consistent. That’s just what you want in a good grass court,”
“It’s crazy to me to think that a little over a year ago, where we’re standing now we’d be well and truly under the water. It’s an unbelievable from the club to get the courts into the condition they are today,”
Despite the hectic schedule, Charlton is keen to see how high he can climb in the tennis rankings. In only 6 months of proper tour playing he’s already found himself ranked around 700 in doubles and 1400 in singles.
“I’m just keen to really put in a full year on tour this year and just try to really accumulate some results. And just ultimately get the most out of myself,” he said.
