Leroy 'detours' from his famous father's game

New Straits Times

6 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: His father was a top shuttler and many people thought Leroy Yong would follow in the path of Yong Hock Kin.
But it isn't exactly the case. While the athletic Leroy is a chip off the old block, it's different strokes as he pursues a tennis career.
The promising Hock Kin is determined to make it in professional tennis.
In fact, Hock Kin was the one who encouraged Leroy to take up tennis and supported his development in the sport.
Hock Kin didn't impose on his son to play badminton though he was a former world No. 2 who had won multiple Commonwealth and Asian Games medals. One of the most talented left-handed shuttlers on the World Tour, he was also the first Malaysian to win the coveted men's singles title at the Indonesia Open (1998).
"I started playing tennis when I was about six or seven," said the 21-year-old Leroy recently.
"I actually started playing badminton when I was about three. My dad always brought me to the badminton courts when he was coaching.
"I got a bit sick of badminton because I was playing everyday and almost everyone plays badminton in Malaysia.
"So one day, my dad asked me if I wanted to try and play tennis. It was new to me and interesting, so I started to play.
"He saw I had talent in tennis so he said, 'why don't we give tennis a shot' and started coaching me in tennis."
Hock Kin coached Leroy for a decade before he went on to train under other coaches, including former national champion Ashaari Zainal.
Leroy spent much of his teen years in China, after Hock Kin moved his family there to pursue a coaching career in badminton.
Being in China allowed Leroy to compete in tournaments there and abroad which helped him further his progress as a tennis player.
Leroy won two ITF junior doubles titles in 2019 in Hong Kong and Singapore, and also went deep into a number of singles tournaments.
"We moved back to Malaysia when Covid-19 struck, but I still go back and forth to China to compete there when possible," said Leroy.
"There are more tournaments available in China which makes travelling between events easier. When I am in Malaysia, I usually train at home in Melaka or in Kuala Lumpur.
"I was born in KL but my dad chose to move us to Melaka, which is my mum's hometown, as he does not like the hectic life in KL."
Hock Kin currently operates a badminton academy in Melaka.
Leroy's journey in tennis has not been all smooth sailing as he suffered injuries which sidelined him for six months en route to winning the men's doubles gold, partnering Darrshan Kumar, for Federal Territories at last year's Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma).
"I was chasing a ball and slid. I slammed into the net post and injured my rib and my back," said Leroy.
"I was on painkillers after Sukma but after seeing a doctor and doing some tests, I was advised to rest, so I stopped playing tennis for six months.
"But I view it as a good experience for me. I learnt how to recover and strengthen my body. I feel so much better now, I can handle high-intensity training and am playing well again."
Leroy is looking forward to the ITF Futures Tour this year and he hopes to secure sponsorship for his campaign. "Now that I have recovered from injuries, I am hoping to play in more Futures tournaments, both here in Malaysia and abroad," he said.
"I am still young and believe I can do it. I have been inspired by players such as Mitsuki Leong who have been making good progress on tour.
"I have also spoken to Mitsuki's father (and coach) Jeff Leong who encouraged me and gave me good advice on how to improve.
"At the moment, I am hoping to secure sponsors who can support me so I can focus more on tennis without having to worry too much about the costs involved.
"There are a lot of expenses involved to play on tour. This includes flights, hotels, meals, physiotherapy, stringing and so on. Having sponsors onboard would reduce the pressure on me."
Leroy added that he has also been doing coaching to help cover some of his training and competition expenses.
Mitsuki is the current national No. 1, and in 2023 he became the first Malaysian to win an ITF singles title in over two decades.
Leroy has been shortlisted for the Malaysia team for the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group IV competition at National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 14-19.