All Britons out of Wimbledon singles - what did we learn?

BBC News

09-07-2025

In her latest Wimbledon column BBC Sport analyst Naomi Broady - a former top-60 player on the WTA Tour - analyses the performances of the leading British singles players and what they can learn.
It is no secret that British players often feel a lot of pressure at Wimbledon. As I well know from my appearances here, you can feel a desperation to perform well because it is the part of the year when a lot of the non-tennis-watching British public watch our wonderful sport.The big tennis fans watch the whole year round, but those who don't form strong opinions from what they see at Wimbledon.You want to show how good you can be.Now all of the 23 Britons are out of the Wimbledon singles, let's examine how five of the leading names fared.
Jack Draper - early exit but has game for grass
How far he went: Suffered a second-round exit, losing to 2017 finalist Marin Cilic.What we learned: Draper still needs a little more time to develop on the grass.Coming into Wimbledon, all the talk was about whether the British men's number one was a contender - he was.That is not an unfair statement to make. It would have been disrespectful if he was not put in that bracket seeing as he is ranked fourth in the world with a big left-handed serve and a big game, plus he was junior runner-up in 2018.He could not have had a worse draw, though. It was tricky from the start and to play someone with the serve of Cilic on this surface is incredibly bad luck.What he can take going forward: The season overall has not gone how Draper would have expected - but in a good way.Winning Indian Wells on a hard court, then reaching the Madrid Open final on clay, showed the level we have long known he had.His game can naturally fit on grass, but it is tough to expect what we have seen on other surfaces to happen immediately on grass.Given how short the season is, many people feel quite unsettled at Wimbledon.Draper wanted to bring that return position back closer to the baseline. He was aggressive at Queens; we saw him coming forward more. That will benefit his game in the future.
Emma Raducanu - showed she can return to top 10
How far she went: Pushed world number one Aryna Sabalenka before losing their third-round match.What we learned: For Raducanu, it was an incredible tournament. Coming into the tournament, she had regained the British women's number one ranking and produced some of her best tennis, beating 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova and playing even better when she went toe-to-toe with Sabalenka in a narrow defeat.Although Vondrousova is one of the few players to win a grass-court tournament this season, Raducanu pushing Sabalenka was the most impressive.I almost felt the winner of Raducanu-Sabalenka could be the winner of the title because the quality of the tennis was some of the best we have seen in the women's tournament.What she can take going forward: The knowledge she has the game to trouble the best.Sabalenka said in her Centre Court interview that she thought Raducanu would be back in the top 10 soon - I don't think that was simply a platitude to get the crowd on her side.Everyone in the locker room knows how good Raducanu's game is. They can feel the strength of her shots.I agree with Sabalenka - she will be back in the top 10 soon.
Katie Boulter - slipped on banana skin
How far she went: Knocked out in the second round with a shock loss to Argentine qualifier Solana Sierra.What we learned: Boulter came through a tough first-round draw against ninth seed Paula Badosa, but faced a banana skin next in Sierra.Playing against somebody who has nothing to lose and has won so many matches through qualifying - they are floating through the air, feeling light and hitting the ball well - is really tough.If you had a ranking by surface, Boulter would be one of the best players in the world on grass.She thrives on this surface and nobody is more gutted than her at losing.What she can take going forward: Boulter can still reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time.Her movement has vastly improved and so has her mentality - she is digging in and I don't think she has imposter syndrome as her ranking has moved up.Her best results will come on the quick, hard courts, so maybe it is a US Open - where the balls sit up and she can get on top of it, and her serve will still be effective - or on the grass.So much of it comes to luck of the draw - if you are seeded and can avoid the big names and someone feeling good.
Sonay Kartal - became a crowd favourite
How far she went: Reached the fourth round for the first time before losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.What we learned: While Kartal says clay is her favourite surface, I am not surprised to see her do well on grass.In the women's game you often see the players who like the clay do well on the grass because both surfaces react well to spin, albeit opposite types of spin.The players who enjoy heavy top-spin on their forehands - like Kartal - often also enjoy hitting their slice backhands.You can look at Jasmine Paolini and Ons Jabeur, who have both reached Wimbledon finals in recent years, as good examples of players who like variety and lean into their spin more on the grass.What she can take going forward: There is still room for improvement. When you look at the recent women who have reached the top 10, you think 'why couldn't Kartal do that?'She is such a sponge. That is why she is moving quickly through the rankings. She is able to be sharp to the pace of the ball and the change of intensity as she starts to play women ranked at the top.This year she has a great opportunity to capitalise on people not knowing the ins and outs of her game yet.If she can stay one step ahead when the girls start to find out those weaknesses, and how to counteract that, then she can go much higher.
Cameron Norrie - regaining confidence can have trampoline effect
How far he went: Made the quarter-finals but came unstuck against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.What we learned: Norrie has struggled with his form but I love how he stayed with his team when he was going through a rough patch.So many people would point fingers, looking for an easy fix, instead of taking accountability.Keeping that consistent team shows his mindset and has been a big part of his recovery.His level has skyrocketed back to where it was and, although Alcaraz was a cut above, Norrie will be proud of proving he can still go deep at the Slams.What he can take going forward: Even more belief from his runs at the French Open and Wimbledon.He will always have confidence in his physicality - it is his bread and butter. Now the confidence is coming back into his shots, he can jump back up really quickly.His game suits hard court more than grass - we saw that when he won Indian Wells in 2021 - and this run could have a trampoline effect for him.