Virginia Wade remains the last British woman to claim the prestigious Rosewater Dish back in 1977. Now, the question is whether Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter can forge their own piece of Wimbledon history this year.
Raducanu arrives at Wimbledon as the top-ranked British woman, having recently ended Boulter`s two-year reign earlier this month. However, she faces an immediate challenge to maintain that position.
Raducanu advanced to the fourth round last year and consequently has more ranking points to defend compared to Boulter, who exited in the second round.
Also prominent among the British contenders is Sonay Kartal. She impressed by reaching the third round as a qualifier last year and has since climbed significantly, entering the world`s top 50.
British Women to Watch at Wimbledon
- Emma Raducanu, 22, World ranked 38: Back as British No. 1 after a promising few months, Raducanu is comfortable on grass and aims to improve on last year`s fourth-round performance.
- Katie Boulter, 28, WR 41: Boulter will be unseeded this year, but a favourable draw could present a solid opportunity to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time.
- Sonay Kartal, 23, WR 49: Kartal has made substantial progress since her third-round run at Wimbledon as a qualifier last summer, including securing her first WTA Tour title.
- Hannah Klugman, 16, WR 577: A local Wimbledon resident, Klugman receives her first wild card into the women`s singles after recently reaching the girls` singles final at the French Open.
- Mika Stojsavljevic, 16, WR 802: The tall, powerful teenager showcased her potential by winning the US Open girls` singles title last year and is considered a major prospect.
- Mimi Xu, 17, WR 318: The last of three British teenage girls granted wild cards, Welsh player Xu has already defeated two top-100 ranked players on grass this summer.
None of these three players (Raducanu, Boulter, Kartal) will be seeded, but British fans can look forward to supporting a large contingent of home singles players, including the exciting teenage trio of Mimi Xu (17), Hannah Klugman (16), and Mika Stojsavljevic (16).
Raducanu is reportedly playing some of her best tennis since her memorable US Open victory in 2021, although her journey since then has been challenging.
The 22-year-old is managing a back issue, but her informal coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey appears to be yielding positive results.
While the motivation of a home Grand Slam is always high, the healthy competition among Britain`s leading players is also driving them forward.
Earlier this month, Raducanu replaced Boulter as the British No. 1, reclaiming the spot Boulter had held for two years.
Heading into the Eastbourne tournament, Raducanu held a narrow lead over Boulter in the rankings. Meanwhile, Kartal is a rising force, having improved her ranking by nearly 250 places in just one year to reach world No. 49.
Boulter commented positively on the state of British tennis, saying, “It`s really nice to see the state of British tennis getting better and better every single year. I feel like I`m extremely happy to see great people doing really good things.”
On being overtaken by Raducanu, the 28-year-old added, “Of course, I personally want to be getting my ranking moving in the right direction. I`m very happy for her to be British No 1. But, at the same time, it`s going to be fun for me to chase her now.”
Steady progress for Raducanu
In contrast to her rapid ascent four years ago, Raducanu has been making steady progress since returning from surgeries on both wrists and an ankle at the start of last year.
Physical vulnerabilities persist, with a recurring back spasm forcing her withdrawal from the Berlin tournament last week and impacting her seeding prospects for Wimbledon.
At Eastbourne, Raducanu nearly achieved a stunning comeback against 19-year-old Maya Joint before narrowly losing in a final-set tiebreak. After that match, she stated she needed to “get her head in the game” for Wimbledon.
Raducanu has proven capable of big wins, defeating two top-10 players on grass last season. However, her fourth-round performance last year means she has the most ranking points to defend at the All England Club.
Raducanu, who recently played doubles with Boulter at Queen`s Club, commented on their competitive relationship: “I think having Katie in front, it was nice for me to have something to chase. Now I`m sure she`s going to enjoy that with me. We have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well, she wants to see me do well.”
Could Kartal be the one to watch?
Sonay Kartal is quickly gaining ground, having built momentum since her run to the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier last year. Her rise means Britain now has three women in the world`s top 50.
The 23-year-old, a former junior competitor alongside Raducanu, also had a strong debut in the Billie Jean King Cup this year. Anne Keothavong`s team will head to the finals in Shenzhen in September, aiming to improve upon last year`s semi-final finish.
Speaking about the dynamic among the top trio, Kartal said, “We`re all very close and spend a lot of time together when we`re at home training. To have us three all together, I think maybe sometimes it is in the back of our heads but I think that`s a good mentality, it makes us push harder in training since you know you`ve got two of your team-mates that are trying to do the same thing.”
Kartal sees the rivalry as beneficial: “I think it`s really good for us to have that rivalry and it`s really good for the sport as well. I think we`re in a really good place for women`s tennis.”
While there is a gap in the rankings below Kartal, Wimbledon provides a significant opportunity for another promising group of teenagers to make their mark.
Here come the teen stars…
Mimi Xu (17), Hannah Klugman (16), and Mika Stojsavljevic (16) have all received wild cards into the main women`s singles draw for the first time, following their recent successes in junior events.
Boulter believes having practice partners from an early age can accelerate their development: “I don`t feel like I necessarily had that many people around me when I was coming through so I`m a little bit jealous of them having people to push them constantly. I`m looking forward to watching them and seeing them all grow.”
