Watch the incredible moment tennis pro practises with youngster on motorway near Sutton during traffic standstill

This is the remarkable moment when professional tennis player Alexandra Osborne had a knock about with eight-year-old tennis fanatic Jessica Lane.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came as traffic on the M1 was halted near Tibshelf on Tuesday, June 20, for about four hours, following a lorry fire.

Jessica, who is part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s performance academy, was on her way to train in Nottingham when she and her dad Matt were caught up in the traffic.

As motorists began to get out of their vehicles, with some heading to Tibshelf services on foot, Jessica and her dad decided to have a rally where the old hard shoulder used to be.

It was then that Osborne, with a career high ranking of 255th and returning from a tournament in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, approached the pair.

Julie, Jessica’s mum, said: “Jessica and Matt were heading down to Nottingham for training when they called and asked me to let the coach know they were going to miss the session because of the lorry fire.

“Then Matt phoned me again about an hour later and said ‘you won’t believe what’s happening, Jess is hitting with a professional tennis player’

“She was able to get some good advice from her about her serve, the tennis world, and being a professional – it must have gone for about 45 minutes so a real ‘what are the chances’ moment and something that was a really nice and memorable experience for her.”

Jessica, of Chesterfield, who plays for the Derbyshire county tennis, began lessons when the world of tennis reopened after the coronavirus pandemic and is now on a LTA performance pathway, training 10 hours a week, as well as regularly entering national tournaments.

Julie said: “It’s lovely to see her doing well because she really enjoys it and we’ve been able to recognise how far she’s come on in the past few years. As parents it’s nice because it’s not just about sport - it’s boosted her confidence and it has helped shape her personality and development too.”

You can follow Jessica’s tennis journey at instagram.com/advantage__lane