"Red Rocket" Jamie Mackenzie is ready for lift off 

German teenager Jamie Mackenzie has already left his first marks on the international tennis scene. The 17-year-old is ranked World No. 23 in the ITF Junior Rankings and has already climbed into the Top 20. In early August, he celebrated his first main-draw victory on the ATP Challenger Tour at the Bonn Open, a clear two-set win over Brazilian Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida. “It was a very good match. I’m very happy with my Challenger debut win, even though I was a bit nervous at the end. But that’s part of it,” Mackenzie says about his first success on the Challenger stage.

The New Zealand-born youngster is known by the nickname “The Red Rocket,” which is also the name of his personal website. His mother gave him the moniker when, at the age of five, he won a cross-country race – a nod to his striking hair colour and speed. Today, he stands for a modern, powerful style of tennis and a clear dream: “I would like to compete at the Grand Slam tournaments on the professional tour. I want to have a long career and break into the Top 50 in the world. That would be incredible.”

From Auckland to Düsseldorf

Mackenzie was born in Auckland, New Zealand, where he learned to play tennis. From a young age, he was one of the most successful players in his age groups at home. But he quickly realised that he had to move to Europe to pursue a professional career: “New Zealand and also Australia are islands, relatively large, but you often play against the same guys. In addition, tennis is not really a national sport, and the level is correspondingly not so high.”

At the age of 12, he moved to Germany together with his father. Today, he lives in Dusseldorf and trains at the prestigious Rochusclub. “We feel very welcome here and love being here. I already have a lot of friends,” Mackenzie explains. His mother supported him in making this decision, despite the great distance. During the Covid pandemic, he was unable to see her for about three years. “But it also made me tougher and shaped me for tennis,” he says in retrospect.

Mackenzie completed an intensive language course in just nine months and now speaks flawless German. His school career took him to a sports boarding school in Hanover, where he was roommates with Max Schoenhaus for three years. Since 2024, he has been fully based again in Dusseldorf. There he helped Rochusclub achieve two consecutive promotions – first to the Regionalliga and then to the 2. Bundesliga. His father is still his coach, and he also benefits from the support of the German Tennis Federation (DTB), for whose junior squad he plays.

Tough transition

The transition from junior to professional tennis is a major challenge for Mackenzie.

“The players are, of course, older and have more experience. They’re also physically stronger and mentally better in the key moments. They fight until the end and make it hard for you. Even if they’re not playing so well, they often find a way back into the match. Many juniors, on the other hand, stick with their A-game even when it’s not really working.”

This toughness is exactly what Mackenzie wants to learn and incorporate into his own matches.

In juniors he has already played all four Grand Slam tournaments. Although he had “a bit of bad luck with the draws” there, the experiences are invaluable to him, especially being able to watch the professionals prepare for their matches up close.

Learning from the best

He is particularly impressed by Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff, whom he regularly sees and talks to. Ben Shelton is also one of his role models. “I was a hitting partner of Shelton’s in Auckland and I learned a lot from him. I hope I can put that into practice,” Mackenzie says.

He describes his own game as that of an aggressive baseliner:

I play a lot with my forehand and try to dictate the rallies that way. With the backhand I try to keep the ball in play. There’s still a lot I’m going to work on, including my net game.

Outside his intense training and tournament schedule, there’s little time for hobbies. When his schoolwork and two daily training sessions allow, he enjoys playing golf with friends. Still, his focus is firmly on tennis and on his big goal of breaking into the Top 50 in the world.

The road is long, but Jamie Mackenzie has already shown that he’s ready to dig in. The “Red Rocket” from Auckland could soon be taking off on the professional tennis circuit.