Olympic Esports Series finalist William Foster looks to continue Tennis Clash win streak

William Foster was a little tired of playing FIFA competitively on a regular basis, so he decided to try something new. He used to play games like Virtua Tennis when he was a kid, and he wanted to find something like that.

"I went to the App Store and typed in tennis, and Tennis Clash was the first one," said Foster, who has played tennis since he was seven. "I was literally just casually playing the game after work on some days. After about a year I was getting quite good at the game, and now here we are."

Foster is a Tennis Clash finalist at the Olympic Esports Series in Singapore. He's got quite the competitive Tennis Clash resume heading into the inaugural Olympic event as well. Foster has won both the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Roland-Garros eSeries.

"It was a huge deal for the game, for tennis, and for me," Foster said. "I went there for the first one and won, and I went back as the defending champion this year and won again. So I'm the two-time world champion."

Despite the impressive results, Tennis Clash is just a hobby for Foster. He plays in his spare time once he's off from work as a radiographer. Video games have always played a part in his life, even as he moved to the United States after growing up in England. He's always looked for a challenge, especially after joining the American military where he was the butt of dozens of "tea and crumpets" jokes. Tennis Clash is just his latest, and most successful, endeavour.

He hopes to continue his winning streak at the Suntec Convention Centre on June 24. Victory is nothing new for Foster, but he still can't believe he's about to take the stage at an Olympic event.

"It's an absolute dream to compete in such an incredible event. It's an honour just to be here at the first ever one" Foster said. "To be competing under the Olympic banner is very special."

Catch Foster, who goes by Fozzy in the Tennis Clash scene, and five other finalists compete for the winner's trophy on June 24. All the action will be livestreamed on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and on various Olympics social platforms.

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a global virtual and simulated sports competition, created by the IOC, and in collaboration with game publishers and International Federations (IFs) such as Wildlife Studios and the International Tennis Federation.