National tennis champion juggles HSC studies with world tour commitments

NBCS Year 12 student and internationally ranked junior tennis player Lachlan McFadzean has earned his first ATP points, a major milestone that marks his official entry into the world of professional tennis.  

In July, Lachlan competed in three men’s ATP Futures tournaments in China, with the highlight being an impressive top 16 finish, after five consecutive match wins.    

As well as competing internationally, Lachlan has remained fully enrolled at Northern Beaches Christian School. He has returned to school for the NSW HSC trials this month and will complete his HSC this year.  

Lachlan’s training schedule is gruelling. “I train three times a day every day,” he said. “It takes up about 25 hours a week.” 

Travelling for tournaments means Lachlan is absent from school about two-thirds of the year, but online resources and support from Principal Tim Watson and his teachers allows him to continue learning from anywhere in the world.  

“A lot of people in my position would simply do online school, but it’s isolating,” said Lachlan. “For me, school is good because it provides some balance, and I get to see my mates. Mr Watson has been very supportive, and trusted me to put in the time, especially when other schools might have said, ‘no, you have to stay in school.”  

Describing himself as “uber-competitive”, Lachlan says his tennis journey began at age 6, but he began to make sacrifices for his dream of becoming a professional tennis player around Year 7.  

Those sacrifices paid off when in 2024, he won the Under 18 Australian Singles and Doubles Championships. In 2025 he played in the Australian Open in the junior division and was selected for the Australian junior team at Davis Cup.  

Doing tennis and the HSC at the same time is a challenge but Lachlan is handling the dual focus. “I maximize the time that I’m in school,” he said. “When I’m playing tennis, I’m super focused on that, and when I’m at school I focus hard on that.” 

Good luck for all your future endeavours, Lachlan! We’re incredibly proud of the way you are pursuing your academic and sporting dreams with dedication and excellence. 

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