{{BLP sources|date=December 2025}}{{Short description|British tennis player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox tennis biography | name = Neil Pauffley | image = | country = {{flagu|Great Britain}} | residence = Maidenhead, England | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|16|2006|May|7}} | birth_place = Slough, England | height = {{height|meters=1.88}} | turnedpro = 2007 | plays = Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | careerprizemoney = US$78,663 | singlesrecord = 0–0 | singlestitles = 0 | highestsinglesranking = No. 406 (12 August 2013) | currentsinglesranking = | AustralianOpenresult = | FrenchOpenresult = | Wimbledonresult = Q1 (2017) | USOpenresult = | doublesrecord = 0–0 | doublestitles = 0 | highestdoublesranking = No. 594 (4 January 2010) | currentdoublesranking = }}
'''Neil Pauffley''' is a former British professional tennis player and coach. He plays right handed. Pauffley has won 5 ITF Pro Futures Titles (4 x $10K & 1 x $15K) including the AEGON ITF $15K Futures tournament in Tipton, West Midlands.<ref>{{cite web|title = Pauffley secures biggest win of career at AEGON ITF Futures event|url = http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/Sport/Other-Sports/Other-Sports/Pauffley-secures-biggest-win-of-career-at-AEGON-ITF-Futures-event-12112015.htm|work= Maidenhead Advertiser|accessdate = 12 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|title = Ace Neil Pauffley powers to Tipton victory |url = https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2015/11/09/ace-neil-pauffley-powers-to-tipton-victory/|work= Express & Star|accessdate = 12 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Tennis: Derby's Neil Pauffley lands biggest career win |url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Tennis-Derby-s-Neil-Pauffley-lands-biggest-career/story-28137584-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118101108/http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Tennis-Derby-s-Neil-Pauffley-lands-biggest-career/story-28137584-detail/story.html |archive-date=November 18, 2015 |accessdate=12 December 2015 |work=Derby Telegraph}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|title = Pauffley is living the dream but with strings attached|url = http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/Sport/Other-Sports/Other-Sports/Professional-tennis-player-Pauffley-living-the-dream-in-the-real-world-17122014.htm|work= Maidenhead Advertiser|accessdate = 12 December 2015}}</ref>
==Career== Pauffley was born in 1989 or 1990<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Honigsbaum |first=Mark |date=2006-05-07 |title=Give them a break |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/may/07/tennis.features1 |access-date=2025-12-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> in Berkshire, England.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neil Pauffley |url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/player/_/id/888/neil-pauffley |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=BBC |title='I can win Wimbledon if I keep going' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/articles/2007/07/27/marcus_willis_070727_feature.shtml |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> As a junior, he was coached at Bisham Abbey<ref name=":2" /> by Viktor Roubanov and former Russian professional tennis player Olga Morozova.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Slot |first=Owen |date=2007-07-04 |title=From Russia with love for the work ethic |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/from-russia-with-love-for-the-work-ethic-6ktrbz02v6k |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> In 2007, he began his professional tennis career by competing in the boys' singles at Wimbledon.<ref name=":4" /> Pauffley later competed in the 2008 Australian Open.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Preston |first=Eleanor |date=2008-01-21 |title=British junior sent home for indiscipline as LTA gets tough |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jan/21/tennis.australianopen2008 |access-date=2025-12-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2015, he trained at the David Lloyd Tennis Centre in Newbury.<ref name=":1" />
As a junior, he beat future World Number 3 Milos Raonic<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=100076639| title = Neil Pauffley Tennis Player Profile {{!}} ITF}}</ref> of Canada, and played other future top 50 players David Goffin (lost), Donald Young (lost) and Dušan Lajović (won).
After turning pro in 2007, he reached his first final in a Futures tournament in Ilkley, West Yorkshire in July 2009, losing to Martin Fischer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/4531340.print/|title=Fischer triumphs at Ilkley|work=The Telegraph and Argus|accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> of Austria, after beating future Top 120 ranked player Riccardo Ghedin of Italy.
In June 2010, he suffered a serious knee injury that resulted in him being unable to play for over 12 months, and on his return a stress fracture of the shin and twisted ankle that further prevented him from competing in 2011.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
His return to the court in March 2012, saw him reach the semi-finals of the Futures tournament at Tipton, and in September of that year he secured his first title winning the Germany F17 Futures Final with a 6–4, 6–4 win over German Stefan Seifert <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisalternative.com/neil-pauffley-wins-hambach-futures-2012-report-photos-rn1713.html|title=Neil Pauffley wins Hambach futures 2012 report + photos - TA : Tennis Challenger News, Reports, Interviews|publisher=|accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> in Hambach on an indoor carpet court.
A month later he reached the semi-final of the British Futures at Glasgow, after beating Daniel Evans and in November secured his second title, when winning the Czech F8 Futures title in Opava, Czech Republic with a 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 win over Roman Jebavý<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GBtennis/status/267592446387552256|title=Steven|work=Twitter|accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> of the Czech Republic again on an indoor carpet court.
In May 2013, he reached the final of the Portuguese F7 Futures event in Coimbra, losing to Joao Domingues, and in July 2013 he reached another final, in Felixstowe, losing to Marcus Willis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/gallery_marcus_willis_wins_felixstowe_title_1_2294291|title=GALLERY: Marcus Willis wins Felixstowe title|author=Edmund Crosthwaite|work=Ipswich Star|date=23 July 2013|accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref>
On 12 August 2013, he reached the highest singles ranking of his career of 406 ATP,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tennis Coaching {{!}} Chiswick, West London |url=https://dukesmeadows.com/tennis/tennis-coaching/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=Dukes Meadows |language=en-US}}</ref> and in November 2013 he won the German Futures title at Hambach for the second year running.
In 2014, he reached the final of the British Futures in Edinburgh in April, again losing to Marcus Willis, before beating Josh Goodall to claim the British Tour Masters Trophy <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/Sport/Other-Sports/Other-Sports/Paulffley-serves-up-British-Tour-Masters-victory-09122014.htm|title=Pauffley serves up British Tour Masters victory|publisher=|accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> in Nottingham in December.
In September 2015, Pauffley appeared at the semi finals of the British Futures at Nottingham, where he secured the 15K British Futures in November at Tipton, with a 6–4, 7–6<sup>(8)</sup> win over Lloyd Glasspool.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />
Pauffley last competed professionally in September 2019<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neil Pauffley |url=https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/neil-pauffley/800270766/gbr/mt/s/activity/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=www.itftennis.com}}</ref> in the M25 Shrewsbury where he progressed to the competition's second round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=M25 Shrewsbury 2019 |url=https://www.itftennis.com/en/tournament/m25-shrewsbury/gbr/2019/m-itf-gbr-07a-2019/draws-and-results/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=www.itftennis.com}}</ref> He is a qualified tennis coach.
==Challenger and Futures finals==
===Singles: 12 (5–7)=== {| |- valign=top | {|class=wikitable style=font-size:97% |- !Legend (singles) |- style="background:moccasin;" |ATP Challenger Tour (0–0) |- style="background:#cffcff;" |ITF Futures Tour (5–7) |} | {|class=wikitable style=font-size:97% |- !Titles by surface |- |Hard (2–4) |- |Clay (0–1) |- |Grass (0–2) |- |Carpet (3–0) |} |}
{|class="sortable wikitable" |- !Result !class="unsortable"|W–L !{{ns}}Date{{ns}} !Tournament !Tier !Surface !Opponent !class="unsortable"|Score |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>0–1</small> |{{dts|Aug 2009}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F10, Ilkley |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Grass |{{flagicon|AUT}} Martin Fischer |2–6, 4–6 |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>1–1</small> |{{dts|Sep 2012}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F17, Hambach |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Carpet (i) |{{flagicon|GER}} Stefan Seifert |6–4, 6–4 |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>2–1</small> |{{dts|Nov 2012}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Czech Republic F8, Opava |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Carpet (i) |{{flagicon|CZE}} Roman Jebavý |6–4, 2–6, 6–4 |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>2–2</small> |{{dts|May 2013}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Portugal F7, Coimbra |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard |{{flagicon|POR}} João Domingues |6–7<sup>(4–7)</sup>, 3–6 |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>2–3</small> |{{dts|Jul 2013}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F14, Felixstowe |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Grass |{{flagicon|GBR}} Marcus Willis |2–6, 4–6 |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>3–3</small> |{{dts|Oct 2013}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F17, Hambach |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Carpet (i) |{{flagicon|SVK}} Adrian Sikora |5–7, 6–2, 6–0 |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>3–4</small> |{{dts|May 2014}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F10, Edinburgh |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Clay |{{flagicon|GBR}} Marcus Willis |1–6, 3–6 |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>4–4</small> |{{dts|Nov 2015}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F10, Tipton |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard (i) |{{flagicon|GBR}} Lloyd Glasspool |6–4, 7–6<sup>(10–8)</sup> |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>4–5</small> |{{dts|Sep 2016}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Israel F12, Ashkelon |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Connor Smith |1–6, 0–6 |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>5–5</small> |{{dts|Nov 2016}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F6, Barnstaple |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard (i) |{{flagicon|DEN}} Frederik Nielsen |6–4, 6–4 |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>5–6</small> |{{dts|Oct 2018}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Egypt F22, Sharm el-Sheikh |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard |{{flagicon|ESP}} David Pérez Sanz |7–6<sup>(9–7)</sup>, 4–6, 3–6 |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>5–7</small> |{{dts|Oct 2018}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Egypt F23, Sharm el-Sheikh |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard |{{flagicon|EGY}} Karim-Mohamed Maamoun |3–6, 4–6 |}
===Doubles: 11 (2–9)=== {| |- valign=top | {|class=wikitable style=font-size:97% |- !Legend (doubles) |- style="background:moccasin;" |ATP Challenger Tour (0–0) |- style="background:#cffcff;" |ITF Futures Tour (2–9) |} | {|class=wikitable style=font-size:97% |- !Titles by surface |- |Hard (1–4) |- |Clay (1–1) |- |Grass (0–1) |- |Carpet (0–3) |} |}
{|class="sortable wikitable" |- !Result !class="unsortable"|W–L !{{ns}}Date{{ns}} !Tournament !Tier !Surface !Partner !Opponents !class="unsortable"|Score |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>0–1</small> |{{dts|Feb 2009}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F4, Mettmann |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Carpet (i) |{{flagicon|BLR|1995}} Nikolai Fidirko |{{flagicon|GBR}} Josh Goodall<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} James Ward |6–4, 0–6, [4–10] |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>0–2</small> |{{dts|Jul 2009}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F9, Frinton-on-Sea |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Grass |{{flagicon|GBR}} Marcus Willis |{{flagicon|IRL}} Tristan Farron-Mahon<br>{{flagicon|IRL}} Colin O'Brien |7–6<sup>(7–5)</sup>, 6–7<sup>(3–7)</sup>, [6–10] |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>0–3</small> |{{dts|Oct 2013}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F13, Hambach |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Carpet (i) |{{flagicon|AUT}} Nikolaus Moser |{{flagicon|GER}} Andreas Mies<br>{{flagicon|GER}} Oscar Otte |5–7, 4–4 ret. |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>0–4</small> |{{dts|Jul 2015}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F9, Essen |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Clay |{{flagicon|GBR}} David Rice |{{flagicon|GER}} Marvin Netuschil<br>{{flagicon|GER}} Philipp Scholz |6–1, 6–7<sup>(4–7)</sup>, [6–10] |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>0–5</small> |{{dts|Sep 2015}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F8, Roehampton |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard |{{flagicon|GBR}} David Rice |{{flagicon|IRL}} David O'Hare<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} Joe Salisbury |2–6, 6–4, [5–10] |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>1–5</small> |{{dts|Jul 2016}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Macedonia F3, Skopje |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Clay |{{flagicon|GBR}} Richard Gabb |{{flagicon|MKD}} Tomislav Jotovski<br>{{flagicon|MKD}} Predrag Rusevski |6–4, 6–4 |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>1–6</small> |{{dts|Oct 2016}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F13, Hambach |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Carpet (i) |{{flagicon|GBR}} Keelan Oakley |{{flagicon|CZE}} Marek Jaloviec<br>{{flagicon|CZE}} Michal Konečný |7–5, 4–6, [6–10] |- |bgcolor=98FB98|Win |<small>2–6</small> |{{dts|Sep 2017}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F6, Barnstaple |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard (i) |{{flagicon|IRL}} Peter Bothwell |{{flagicon|GBR}} Robert Carter<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} Ryan Peniston |6–4, 6–7<sup>(5–7)</sup>, [10–6] |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>2–7</small> |{{dts|Oct 2017}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Germany F14, Oberhaching |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard (i) |{{flagicon|SUI}} Marc-Andrea Hüsler |{{flagicon|GER}} Johannes Harteis<br>{{flagicon|GER}} Daniel Masur |6–4, 5–7, [5–10] |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>2–8</small> |{{dts|Feb 2018}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Great Britain F1, Glasgow |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard (i) |{{flagicon|GBR}} Marcus Willis |{{flagicon|AUT}} Matthias Haim<br>{{flagicon|GER}} Jakob Sude |3–6, 7–6<sup>(7–5)</sup>, [6–10] |- |bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss |<small>2–9</small> |{{dts|Nov 2018}} |style="background:#cffcff;"|Thailand F7, Nonthaburi |style="background:#cffcff;"|Futures |Hard |{{flagicon|TPE}} Cing-Yang Meng |{{flagicon|JPN}} Hiroyasu Ehara<br>{{flagicon|THA}} Pruchya Isaro |2–6, 3–6 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{ATP|id=pc33}} * {{ITF profile}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pauffley, Neil}} Category:English male tennis players Category:British male tennis players Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Maidenhead Category:Sportspeople from Derby Category:1990 births Category:Tennis players from Berkshire Category:21st-century English sportsmen