Tijl started playing tennis at the age of four and competed for his local club, LTC Soestdijk, until he was 14. Since the age of 10, Tijl has been training at the BK Tennis Academy in Doorn, where he still trains today. Additionally, he spent two years at the KNLTB National Tennis Center (NTC), which played a key role in his development as a high-performance player. 

Currently, Tijl competes in the 1st class mixed league for T.C. Bosheim. In 2023, he ranked 3rd in singles, and he remains in that position. From a young age, Tijl was recognized as one of the top juniors in the Netherlands, ranking 5th nationally until the age of 14. 

In 2024, Tijl showed consistent progress by: 

• Winning four HE4 tournaments
• Reaching two finals in HE3 tournaments
• Reaching one final in HEA (HE2) tournaments

Tijl’s best results last year included impressive wins over Jim Smit and Thieme Thelose. Though he faces tough competition, he showed his resilience by pushing some of the strongest players to their limits, even if he couldn’t quite close out those matches. 

Tijl was selected for the National Training Program (NTC) from the age of 12 to 15, where he further honed his skills and gained valuable experience in a high-performance environment. 

Some of his best recent results include:

3-6 6-4 6-4 win over Jim Smit (9.45 UTR)

4-6 7-6 4-2 win over Thieme Thelosen (9.52 UTR)

6-3 6-0 win over Quinn Koster (9.06 UTR)

He is currently in his first year of college in the Netherlands and is looking to transfer to an American college tennis program for the Fall of 2025.