This natural talent became evident during a family holiday to Center Parcs with plenty of sessions of soft ball with a then three-year-old Lleyton, who lives with mum Sally, dad Graeme and two-year-old sister Kirsten in Sherburn.

The Brompton-by-Sawdon schoolboy then played tennis with his dad, who reached a high standard as a junior tennis player, in the close where they live.

They still do indulge in these sessions and Graeme, a sales executive, and Lleyton are members of Helmsley Tennis Club as is Graeme’s sister Rebecca.

“His dad let Lleyton use his junior racquet but it was too big for him – but he would be out there hitting both a two-handed forehand and backhand,” said mum Sally.

Since the age of five Lleyton has been having two-and-a-half hour sessions a week of tennis lessons, including individual tuition, with coach and player Ben Atkinson at the indoor tennis centre at George Pindar Community Sports College in Eastfield.

“Lleyton looks forward to the sessions. He is tennis mad. He has been watching the Australian Open and asks us to record the highlights so he can watch it when he gets in from school,” said Sally.

Ben, who lives in Hutton Cranswick and plays for Yorkshire and various leagues in the county, has seen many a talent in his time as tennis development officer based at Pindar and he says Lleyton has that something special.

Such is his confidence, that Ben recommended Lleyton attend a two-and-a-half hour assessment at a County Identification Day at the John Charles Centre of Sport in Leeds last weekend.

Hundreds of children attended the session, he said, and the scouts were looking for a finished article but a raw talent that can be developed.

Lleyton proved a smash hit at the talent day and has now been recommended for the regional stage of the same process.

“He has natural ability to read the ball, excellent hand-eye co-ordination and good balance,” said Ben.

Lleyton is not named after Aussie ace Lleyton Hewitt, that is a co-incidence though the aptness is not lost on his parents.

When asked what he thinks of Ben, Lleyton replied: “He’s awesome.”

Said Sally: “Ben is fantastic with Lleyton. His coaching style makes lessons fun and at the same time it is developing Lleyton’s natural ability.

“We are so fortunate to have use of such fantastic facilities at the indoor tennis centre at Pindar. We have to say a big thank you to Ben for his high standard of coaching and believing in Lleyton at such a young age.

“He is one of the youngest to be assessed,” said Sally, “And after this weekend we will know what direction to go in with Lleyton.

“He has excellent hand-eye co- ordination for his age and needs to be playing someone better than him.”

As well as tennis Lleyton is a mean cricketer and plays golf.