From Wimbledon to Wrexham for Welsh tennis star Mimi!
Welsh tennis star Mimi Xu set to play at Lexus Wrexham Open - but first it's all about the championships at SW19.
Rising star Mimi Xu, the first Welsh player to feature in the Wimbledon Championships singles main draw for 20 years, is set to entertain tennis fans at the Wrexham Open later this year.
Swansea-born Xu, 17, has received a wildcard into next week's Wimbledon main draw as she continues to move up the world rankings.
It follows an impressive start to the grass court season for the Welsh teenager.
Xu has enjoyed notable wins in WTA-level events at Nottingham, Ilkley and Birmingham, where she beat number one seed Alycia Parks, a player ranked just outside the world's top 50.
Dave Courteen, the event promoter for the Lexus Wrexham Open, said it would be great for the crowd at the city's new ITF World Tennis Tour event to have a Welsh player to support on court.
The biggest women's tennis tournament in the UK this year, outside of the grass court season, will be played at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre between October 19-26.
Courteen said: 'It's wonderful to see Mimi Xu playing so well, climbing the rankings, and also now becoming the first Welsh player in Wimbledon's main draw since Rebecca Llewellyn in 2005, which is something to be really proud of.
"I'm told that Mimi is looking forward to playing at Wrexham in October as it will be the first chance she's had to play in a professional tournament in her home country.
'She is really excited about playing in Wrexham, fitness permitting, and it will be fantastic for local tennis fans to have such a talented Welsh player to support.'
He added: "The Lexus Wrexham Open has replaced the Lexus W100 Shrewsbury in the LTA Performance Competitions Calendar for 2025, and Mimi had a great time at last year's event in Shrewsbury.
'Not only did she team up with Amelia Rajecki to win the doubles title, Mimi also reached the quarter-finals of the singles with her run ended by Sonay Kartal, the eventual champion, who is now in the world's top 50.
'It's no surprise that lots of people are very excited about Mimi's potential after rising to a career-high 318 in the world rankings following some excellent results.
'We wish her well as she prepares to play in her first Grand Slam event at Wimbledon, and look forward to welcoming Mimi to Wrexham later in the year.'
The Lexus Wrexham Open is set to feature leading British and international stars, including players ranked in the world's top 100, with stands, able to accommodate up to 800 spectators, assembled next to the courts.
Tickets, which start from £7.50 and £3.50 for under-16s, and include a 44-page tournament programme, can be purchased online at https://wrexhamopentennis.com/tickets-and-events/#tickets
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