James Watt (tennis)
| Country (sports) |  New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 June 2000 |
| Height | 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) |
| Plays | Right-handed, two-handed backhand |
| College | Saint Mary's College of California |
| Prize money | US $146,963 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 3-2 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 569 (8 September 2025) |
| Current ranking | No. 884 (24 August 2026) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 7-7 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 7 Challenger, 3 ITF Tour |
| Highest ranking | No. 80 (24 August 2026) |
| Current ranking | No. 80 (24 August 2026) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | 1R (2026) |
| Last updated on: 25 August 2026. | |
James Watt (born 9 June 2000) is a New Zealand tennis player.[1] He has a career-high singles ranking of No. 569 achieved on 8 September 2025, and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 80 achieved on 24 August 2026.[2]
James was educated at Timaru Boys' High School.[3] He attended Saint Mary's College of California in the United States.[4]
Career
In July 2023, playing alongside compatriot Isaac Becroft, he won the men's doubles title at the Caloundra International (M15) event on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.[5]
In September 2024, he lost in the final of the singles at the Darwin Tennis International in Darwin, Australia going three sets against Omar Jasika, a player ranked over 1100 places higher than him in the rankings.[6] In October 2024, he won the doubles $25,000 ITF tournament in Cairns, Australia alongside Matt Hulme.[7][8]
In January 2025, he was awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the men's doubles at the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland, alongside Marcus Daniell where they were drawn against Roberto Carballes Baena and Luciano Darderi in the first round.[9] In June, playing alongside Finn Reynolds, he won his first doubles Challenger title in Tyler, Texas, defeating Alex Martinez and Adrià Soriano Barrera in the final in straight sets.[10] Alongside Reynolds, Watt made his Grand Slam debut in the men's doubles at the 2026 French Open.[11]
ATP Tour finals
Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Aug 2026 | Los Cabos Open, Mexico |
ATP 250 | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Ryan Seggerman Patrik Trhac |
6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–5), [8–10] |
ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals
Doubles: 17 (10 titles, 7 runners-up)
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|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Sep 2024 | M25 Cairns, Australia | World Tennis Tour | Hard | .svg.png){kind=small} Matt Hulme |
Joshua Charlton Blake Ellis |
6–3, 6–7(5–7), [10–7] |
| Loss | 1–1 | Feb 2025 | Brisbane, Australia | Challenger | Hard | Matt Hulme |
Joshua Charlton Patrick Harper |
6–4, 6–7(5–7), [10–12] |
| Win | 2–1 | Feb 2025 | M25 Burnie, Australia | World Tennis Tour | Hard | Matt Hulme |
 Hsu Yu-hsiou Huang Tsung-hao |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 3–1 | Mar 2025 | M25 Mildura, Australia | World Tennis Tour | Hard | Matt Hulme |
Joshua Charlton Ajeet Rai |
6–7(7–9), 7–6(7–1), [13–11] |
| Loss | 3–2 | Mar 2025 | Cuernavaca, Mexico | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Jody Maginley Alfredo Perez |
5–7, 7–6(7–5), [8–10] |
| Loss | 3–3 | Apr 2025 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Jan Jermář Stefan Latinović |
5–7, 3–6 |
| Win | 4–3 | Jun 2025 | Tyler, United States | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Àlex Martínez Adrià Soriano Barrera |
6–3, 6–1 |
| Win | 5–3 | Jun 2025 | Cary, United States | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
Patrick Harper Trey Hilderbrand |
6–3, 6–7(2–7), [10–5] |
| Win | 6–3 | Jun 2025 | Granby, Canada | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
Kody Pearson Yuta Shimizu |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 6–4 | Sep 2025 | Las Vegas, United States | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
Benjamin Kittay Joshua Sheehy |
5–7, 6–7(2–7) |
| Win | 7–4 | Sep 2025 | Tiburon, United States | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
Benjamin Kittay Joshua Sheehy |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 8–4 | Oct 2025 | Jinan, China | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli Arjun Kadhe |
7–5, 7–6(7–1) |
| Loss | 8–5 | Oct 2025 | Shenzhen, China | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
Nathaniel Lammons Jean-Julien Rojer |
7–6(7–5), 5–7, [4–10] |
| Loss | 8–6 | Nov 2025 | Matsuyama, Japan | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
.svg.png){kind=small} Marc-Andrea Hüsler Garrett Johns |
3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 8–7 | Jun 2026 | Cary, United States | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Nam Ji-sung Patrik Niklas-Salminen |
7–5, 5–7, [8–10] |
| Win | 9–7 | Jul 2026 | Newport, United States | Challenger | Grass | Finn Reynolds |
 Fernando Romboli John-Patrick Smith |
6–1, 6–7(2–7), [10–6] |
| Win | 10–7 | Jul 2026 | Granby, Canada | Challenger | Hard | Finn Reynolds |
 Guillaume Dalmasso Matt Kuhar |
6–3, 6–4 |
References
- ↑ "First pro tennis win for former Timaru player". Stuff. 11 August 2023.
- ↑ "James Watt". ATP. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "First pro tennis win for former Timaru player". Timaru Herald. 11 August 2023.
- ↑ "James Watt Repeats as UCSB Champion". smcgaels. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "Becroft and Watt win their first pro title". Tennis.Kiwi. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "James Watt pushes player ranked 1100 places higher in final". Tennis.Kiwi. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "Cashmere, Elmwood to reignite tennis rivalry for interclub opener". Otago Daily Times. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "THE STAGE IS SET FOR THRILLING CAIRNS PRO TOUR FINALS". Tennis.com.au. 5 October 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "A tennis career ends, but a new chapter begins". Tennis.Kiwi. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "Reynolds, Watt claim Challenger title in Texas, reach career-high rankings". Tennis.Kiwi. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ↑ "Reynolds, Watt join Routliffe, Venus at French Open". nzsportswire.com. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
External links
- James Watt at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- James Watt at World Tennis
- James Watt at the Davis Cup
Association of Tennis Professionals Top New Zealand male singles tennis players | |
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As of Aug 24, 2026 | |
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