It has been a busy year for rising young tennis star Darcy. The 12-year-old is currently juggling her tennis in Year 7 at Haileybury Pangea online school, a decision her parents made because they place a very high value on the importance of education. However, they also knew that with Darcy’s busy tennis training and travel schedule, attending her regular day school in person as she navigates her tennis ambitions would be challenging.
“With that in mind, we wanted a school for Darcy that would support her tennis journey, provide her with strong academics and, at the same time, would also hold her accountable to deadlines and time management,” says Mum, Naomi.
Haileybury Pangea provides all of this and more for emerging athletes, as well as for students seeking greater flexibility for a range of passions and pursuits, and regional students wanting access to a great world school, while they complete their schooling.
Darcy’s passion for tennis started at the very young age of three, inspired by watching her brother play while she picked up balls at his tennis lessons. Once she had the opportunity to start playing tennis herself, she loved it straight away.
By the age of eight, Darcy knew that tennis was the sport she wanted to pursue. After moving to work with a professional tennis coach who had previously coached other professional players, Darcy and her family decided she should seriously continue her tennis journey. Darcy continues to train with that coach today.
Darcy’s travels this year have taken her to Germany, Spain, Croatia and Monte Carlo in the first quarter alone. She returned home midyear to represent Victoria in the U/13 Girls’ team at the 2026 Australian Teams Championships in Queensland, where her team secured the title.
Then it was back on the road to Europe, to compete on the clay courts in Germany with Tennis Australia at international tournaments.
It was at the Peter Hagendorn International tournament where Darcy, who started unseeded, quickly defeated top players to win the major junior international tournament, which featured 64 players aged 14 and under. This was one of her proudest tennis moments.
“I was really proud of winning my first international tournament in Germany, where I went in unseeded and beat five seeded players, including the number one seed in the final,” she says.
Another proud achievement was becoming the National Champion of the 12/u Girl’s Singles at the De Minaur Tour Finals late last year. Winning this tournament secured a highly coveted De Minaur Junior Tour Scholarship for 2026. The Alex de Minaur Foundation is an initiative which nurtures the next generation of Australian tennis talent, in partnership with Tennis Australia.
“My proudest event is winning Nationals. I went in as the number one seed, which made me really nervous, and I had to beat players I had never beaten before. My dad was my coach for that tournament, which made it even more special,” Darcy says.
Balancing school, training and travel
So, what does a typical week look like for Darcy as she juggles school, training, tournaments and travel?
“It’s pretty full on. I have eight live lessons a week, plus self-paced work, then three to four hours a day of on-court hitting. I also do about three to four hours a week of gym and on-court movement activities.
“Alongside the on-court hitting, I also have a couple of practice match play sessions. On Saturday I play women’s Pennant, which is a doubles and singles match, and Sunday is my day off.”
It is a demanding schedule, but Darcy says the flexibility of Haileybury Pangea online school allows her to keep up with her learning while pursuing her tennis.
“I really enjoy that I can still have proper conversations with my peers, whether it’s in breakout rooms or through the chat. I also love how flexible the School is with everything I’ve got going on with tennis.”
Keeping in touch with her online school friends is easy, too.
“I stay connected with them mostly by emailing and messaging them, since I have such a busy schedule and unfortunately can’t really see them in person that often. But emailing and messaging still keeps me pretty connected with them.”
Darcy says her dad has had the biggest influence on her tennis journey so far.
“Dad gives me a lot of advice and helps me push through the tough moments. From him, I’ve learnt to always have a strong mindset.”
Supporting both sport and education
For Darcy’s parents, finding a school that could support her sporting ambitions without compromising her education was important.
“All the teachers have been very supportive of Darcy and her hectic schedule. They understand that she is doing her very best to balance her schooling, training and travel,” says Naomi.
“Having self-paced learning as part of the curriculum keeps Darcy accountable and ensures she does not fall behind. While Darcy is travelling, the fact that she can access her portal, communicate with her teachers and continue working is a massive positive.”
Something unique about Haileybury Pangea that her parents have noted is that Darcy has particularly enjoyed participating in science experiments. It is an opportunity that students who are regularly on the road participating in rigorous sporting programs and schedules may not otherwise have the chance to experience.
Dad, Joel, says the family has also been impressed by the balance Haileybury Pangea provides.
“Overall, we have felt that Haileybury Pangea has been very supportive of Darcy and the balance between her tennis and her schooling. We are also very impressed with the level of education, which combines live lessons with self-paced work per subject each week.”
The rest of this year includes plenty more tournaments and training camps, along with a major milestone when Darcy turns 13, which means she will finally be able to start playing ITF tournaments.
After graduating from school, Darcy would like to become a professional tennis player and achieve a ranking as a teenager. Her future goal is to compete in all the Grand Slams, but especially to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
For now, Darcy is continuing to work towards those goals, balancing her time between the classroom, the tennis court and the many places her sport takes her.
