The ultra-talented James McCabe: A star in tennis, swimming, music & more

Win swimming nationals until the age of 14? Impressive. Sing, play the flute, piano and guitar, participating in orchestras, symphonic wind bands and choirs? Even cooler.

Do all of the above and become one of the best tennis players in the world and you can be just like Australian James McCabe. The Aussie wild card, whose father is Irish and mother is Filipino, is into the second round at a major for the first time at the Australian Open and will fittingly next play Alex Michelsen, to whom he lost in four sets at Melbourne Park last year.

“What's your dream always when you're a kid? To play a Grand Slam and to play the main draw,” McCabe told ATPTour.com after defeating Martin Landaluce in the first round. “I'm very grateful to Tennis Australia for giving me the opportunity, and just happy that this year, I got through a round and hopefully can keep going.”

^{Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
The No. 258 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has spent his entire life building character. Now 21, McCabe woke up at 4 a.m. five days per week throughout his childhood for a day that can best be described as organised chaos.

“Swim training would be from five to seven. Then it would be either orchestra, choir, symphonic wind band until 8:30, then school would start from 8:30 'til 10:30. There would be two periods or two classes, and then it would be a music lesson from 10:30 to 11, which is recess, and then two more classes,” McCabe said. “Lunch would be either a music lesson or an ensemble practice. That would be for an hour. And then another two periods, and school would finish at 3:40.

“After that would be either orchestra, choir, symphonic wind band or marching band until around 5:30, and then swim training would start 6:30, 7, and… around 9:30 I'd get home, and then I finished my homework, woke up at four and just did it five days a week.”

Australia is known for its swimmers, so being a national champion in the sport until the age of 14 speaks volumes. McCabe raced the butterfly, with his best distance being the 200 metres.

“Swimming, I didn't like it all,” McCabe said. “I [did it because I] got a full scholarship to a private school.

“[I didn’t like] waking up at really early times, going to sleep really late, and there's no money at all in swimming.”

Yet it was swimming and music that dominated McCabe’s life from 10 through 15. He rarely played tennis during that time and when the Aussie did, it was never serious.

McCabe’s first instrument was piano and when he got to grade six he began playing more music in school.

“I was playing for the orchestras,” McCabe said. “For my exams in school, I wanted to try and find what the hardest piece was for the flute and I ended up playing that.

“I did music, just because there was a reason to do music. But I did fall in love with music, and I love music. But tennis has always stood out and always [was] amazing for me.” After working through a hectic childhood, McCabe chose the activity that he spent the least time on.

“I've always loved tennis the most, and when I finished school, I had the option of what I wanted to do, and tennis has always been my dream,” McCabe said. “I'm just glad, excited and grateful that I have the opportunity. I'm grateful for Tennis Australia for giving me everything I have.”

McCabe has long been mentored by Wally Masur. Just more than a month ago he moved his training base to the National Tennis Academy in Brisbane, where he began working with coach Gavin Van Peperzeel.

“He's a talented dude. There's a lot that makes him tick,” Van Peperzeel said. “He's very coachable, I would say, a pretty quick learner, too, through the preseason and just through the past couple of weeks in competition. I've noticed that you give him a little bit of direction or a bit of advice, he really grabs it with both hands, which is good.

“You want a player that's coachable, right? And the way you find out if they're coachable is if they're able to grab it and then go and do it and try it. He's doing a good job with that.”

Van Peperzeel, from New Zealand, explained that his charge has always served “pretty well”.

“And he's strong. I guess he's maybe not been that clear on the type of game, the style he needs to play or wants to play,” Van Peperzeel said. “I've always felt like there was a big brand of tennis that is in there. It's obviously my job, and our job with the team around him to try to bring that to fruition.”

As World No. 258, the road towards the top is still a long one. But starting with his second-round match against Michelsen, McCabe is ready for the challenges ahead.

“I'm excited for this year,” McCabe said. “It's a great way to start the year and just hopefully I can keep going and just grateful for all the opportunities I get.”