2 September, 2025

Rising tennis star wins national indoor tournament

Fresh challenges… Neve Upston has a busy summer season ahead

Ngataringa tennis player Neve Upston continued his national-title-winning run with victory in the 14-and-under Kiwi Indoor Championships this month.
The win follows titles last season at the national under-13 tennis champs and a junior invitational event at the ASB Classic.
Following his latest win, Neve won a wild card into the 16-and-under championship, where he was knocked out in the first round after a tight three set, three-and-a-half-hour battle.
He won his following three matches in straight sets to take out the consolation plate prize.
Neve, 14, has a big season planned in 2025-2026 and is training four and a half hours a day, Monday to Friday: three hours a day on court along with strength and conditioning and stretching. He catches the ferry before and after school to the Next Gen training facility next to Stanley St in Parnell.
“It’s pretty much 7am to 7pm,” he says. “It’s very long days, but it’s good.”
He “only” trains for an hour-and-half on Saturdays and has Sunday off.
Over the next couple of months Neve is playing a series of ITF under-18 junior tournaments at Albany, Auckland city and Christchurch.
How does he think he will go against the older players? “I always aim to win. There’s not much point going onto the court if you don’t have that goal.”
Pre-Christmas he will play for Karaka in the Caro Bowl, Auckland’s top men’s interclub competition.
Later in the season he hopes to travel to junior tournaments in Asia and Australia.
After Christmas he will play for his home club, Ngataringa, in North Harbour’s Chelsea Cup competition.