Philip Evans is the man with one of the best seats on centre court.

That¿s because he's among the country's most experienced umpires and has worked at Wimbledon for 15 years.

Here he talks to the Academy about what it's like rubbing shoulders with the sport's elite.

And he reveals how best to deal with those on-court temper tantrums.

I was a keen tennis player at club and county level but I knew I was never going to be good enough to make it as a pro.

I still wanted to be involved in the game somehow though, so when I was 16 I decided to find out about becoming an umpire instead.

I applied to the Association of British Tennis officials and it all went from there.

By now I'm in my 17th year as an umpire, and I'm one of the most experienced officials on the circuit.

Wimbledon is my favourite of all the Grand Slam events. It sums up everything that's good about the game.

I remember the first time I walked out onto centre court at Wimbledon. The adrenalin was flowing and I was really anxious to do my best.

The next-best thing to playing

If you want to get involved in the game at the highest level, umpiring has got to be the next-best thing to playing.

For most people though, officiating is a hobby. Only a select few will go on to make a career out of it.

I was lucky because I started young and was able to devote plenty of time to it.

If you're a student or still at school, the summer holidays is a good time to get involved.

Obviously you've got to be good at your job but the more you're seen and the more experienced you are, the better assignments you're given.

I've umpired at all the top tennis events and on my travels I've made friends in all four corners of the world.

It's been a wonderful experience.

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