Ethan Walsh: England No1 U18 Table Tennis Player

Inspire a Star Interview

Ethan, aged 17,  is the current Junior National Champion, National Cup Champion and Nationals School’s Champion. He has been representing England since the age of 9 and has been National Champion 6 times.

He is raising funds to travel to play in competitions in Europe next year. This is the link to his Inspire a Star page https://inspireastar.org/star/ethan-walsh-4/

Ethan Walsh – Table Tennis England National Champion

Which tournaments are you hoping to play in Europe next year ?

I am playing in the Portuguese Youth Open next week and then next year I hope to play in the Spanish Youth Open and the Swedish Youth Open. This week I am travelling to the Isle of Man for the home 6 nations.


What is your best result in Europe to date?

My best win was in the Italian Youth Open a few years ago where I beat Adrien Rassenfosse from Belgium. Adrian is ranked 20 in the world U18.

My best tournament result was getting to the final of the Croatian Open.


How do you prepare for a big match ?

For me, I try to prepare in the same way for every match I play. This is to stop me putting too much pressure on myself or making myself too nervous which would impact my play.


What is your typical weekly training schedule?

During the week I train for 2 hours a day. I train one-on-one with my coach and then also do a multi-ball training exercise with a box of ball to get my feet moving and to perfect my technique.

It is important to have a lot of match play as training and competitions are completely different. I usually play in tournaments and matches at the weekend.


What is your ultimate table tennis dream?

To represent GB in the Olympics. For me I should be at my peak by 2024.


How much does it cost approximately to travel and play for a year and get coaching / enter competitions?

Around £15,000 per year.


Who is your coach ? Do you focus on technique or psychology or tactics / all of the above?

Adam Nutland has been my coach for a few years. We tend to work on technique in the summer. You would not want to be changing technique when the season starts.

Adam, based in Harlow, is listed as one of the best table tennis coaches in the UK.


Who is your favourite player / inspires you the most ?

Liam Pitchford

Liam Pitchford. He  reached a world men’s ranking of 12 in August this year. He moved a way to get to be the best he can be and has worked extremely hard. He has shown what you can do if you work hard.


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