Britain's leading trio have more on the line than just pride at Wimbledon
While motivation for a home grand slam is usually a given, there is a battle at the top of the game in this country which is driving Britain's main trio forward.
And, unlike in previous generations, when competition on the court often resulted in strained relations off it, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal are proving that rivalry really can be friendly.
After two years as the British number one, Boulter was replaced at the top of the domestic tree earlier this month by Raducanu, the woman she had previously usurped.
Going into Eastbourne this week, Raducanu led Boulter by just a handful of points, while Kartal is the newcomer on the block, with her ranking having climbed almost 250 places in a year to 49.
'It's really nice to see the state of British tennis getting better and better every single year,' said Boulter. '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 number one. But, at the same time, it's going to be fun for me to chase her now.'
In contrast to her record-breaking emergence at the top of the sport four years ago, Raducanu has been making steady progress since returning at the start of last year from surgery on both wrists and one ankle.
Physical frailties remain, and an ongoing issue with a back spasm prompted her to pull out of last week's tournament in Berlin, ending her hopes of a Wimbledon seeding.
Raducanu has shown she can pull off big results, twice beating top-10 players on grass last season, but she has the most points to defend having made the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
'I think having Katie in front, it was nice for me to have something to chase,' said the 22-year-old, who played doubles with Boulter at Queen's Club.
'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.'
Arriving quickly in the rear-view mirror, meanwhile, is Kartal, who has not looked back since reaching the third round of Wimbledon as a qualifier last year, making it three British women in the top 50.
The 23-year-old, a former junior rival of Raducanu, also made an impressive debut in the Billie Jean King Cup this year, and Anne Keothavong's side will head to the finals in Shenzhen in September looking to better last year's semi-final run.
'We're all very close and spend a lot of time together when we're at home training,' said Kartal of the triumvirate.
'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.
'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 currently a gap after Kartal, Wimbledon is a chance for another exciting trio to start making names for themselves.
Mimi Xu, 17, and 16-year-olds Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic have all been given wild cards for the women's singles for the first time after success in the junior game.
Boulter believes having sparring partners at an early age can accelerate their progress, saying: '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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Joe Root backs Chris Woakes to bat through pain for England if required - despite facing months on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder
Joe Root insisted on Sunday night that Chris Woakes is ready to put his body on the line if he is needed to bat for England. Woakes suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder when fielding on day one but the all-rounder was seen with his whites on while wearing a sling on his left shoulder and batted in the indoor nets at The Oval. 'You saw him in his whites. He's all in like the rest of us. It's been that kind of series where guys have had to put bodies on the line,' said Root. 'Hopefully it doesn't get to that but he had some throwdowns and he's ready if needed,' Root added. Woakes is a right-handed batter but Root stopped short of confirming what hand the 36-year-old will bat with, if he is required. 'I'm not sure. I've not seen him practise. You'll get a better indication in the morning if he has some throwdowns,' said Root. 'Clearly he's in a huge amount of pain. As we've seen from other guys in the series like Rishabh Pant batting with a broken foot, guys have taken all sorts of blows here and there. But it means a huge amount to him (Woakes) and it shows the character and the person that he is that he's willing to put his body on the line for England like that,' added the 34-year-old. Root scored his 39th Test century on Sunday, putting on 195 with Harry Brook for the fourth wicket and dedicated his celebration to the late Graham Thorpe by putting on his trademark headband. With Root at the crease, England looked to be cruising to their second-highest run chase but he was dismissed with 37 runs still needed.. 'It's disappointing not to be still there but we're in a really good position,' said Root. 'It's been that kind of series. It's been amazing to play in and it's quite fitting that we're going to get that kind of finish. 'I'd like to think we've got what we need to get across the line. It's been one hell of a series, one hell of a journey and we feel that we've got the players to get us across the line. Across five-matches and six weeks, it's swung both ways and we're in for a great day.' England will have the option to use the heavy roller in the morning. Asked if that would be an advantage, Root said: 'I haven't got a crystal ball. It has made an impact so far in this game. Whether that changes on day five, we'll see. Hopefully it works well in our favour and flattens things out.'
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
'We'll be ready for Europe,' insists Brendan Rodgers after Celtic need late winner to see off St Mirren
Brendan Rodgers promised that Celtic will be ready to qualify for the Champions League despite labouring to an opening day win over St Mirren. The Parkhead men required Luke McCowan's deflected strike with three minutes left to avoid slipping up as they began the defence of their crown. Rodgers finds out tomorrow which side Celtic will face in the Champions League play-off, with Sturm Graz, Basel, Dynamo Kyiv, Slovan Bratislava, Kairat Almaty, Qarabag and Shkendija all possible opponents. Last Friday, on the back of a quiet summer to date, he challenged the club's board to match his ambition. But he remains confident the team will be to his liking come the first leg of the £40million shootout at the end of the month. 'We'll be ready for the games,' he said. 'The players are working very hard. They are always tense games but we're in a good place and we'll take that game on when it comes. 'I'm feeling really good. The players are shaping up very well. There's real spirit and solidarity in the team. Whoever we get, it's going to be tough, but it will also be tough for them. And we'll accept whatever challenge comes.' Rodgers took a straight bat to questions over whether his team's solitary goal against St Mirren underlined the need to add more quality in forward areas. 'We got into a lot of good areas,' he said. 'We'll always take the game to the final third of the pitch, but we created a lot today. 'You have to give credit to the goalkeeper (St Mirren's Shamal George). He made some great saves. We were creative, dominated the game. 'To win the first game is always good and I'm absolutely pleased with the performance. 'St Mirren are such a hard team to break down. You have to be aware of the threat on the counter-attack, the physicality at set-pieces.' Asked if his side could have had three or four goals on another day, the Celtic manager said: 'I think everyone who was at the game or watched it on TV would say that. Sometimes you need a wee bit of good fortune as well. We didn't quite have that, but some of them hit the post and the bar.' Kieran Tierney's competitive return was cut short amid fears he had suffered another injury, but Rodgers revealed the defender was only suffering from cramp. 'He got a great reception and you see the qualities he has,' he said. 'He had a wee bit of cramp at the end. 'He hasn't played a lot of football. We need to build him and his fitness.' Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was at the game, with a one-year loan deal now all but agreed. 'We're still waiting for clearance on that one,' said Rodgers. 'But he's up here ready for the move.' Saints boss Stephen Robinson felt his side gave an extremely good account of themselves. 'It was disappointing because we lost to a deflection,' he said. 'Our level of performance showed when Celtic were trying to waste time in the last five minutes of the game. Defensively, we were superb.'
The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
RB Leipzig ask about transfer for Chelsea star during Xavi Simons talks but Blues don't want to lose player
RB LEIPZIG are keen on signing Chelsea starlet Tyrique George, according to reports. The Blues are in advanced talks to sign £60million-rated RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. 3 3 Simons, 22, missed the Bundesliga side's most recent friendly and it is believed that he has played his last game for them. During talks regarding the Dutchman, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that RB Leipzig have enquired about George's availability. George, 19, enjoyed a breakout season for the Blues last term, making 26 appearances in all competitions. Due to Chelsea 's huge squad, however, the winger is said to see his future away from Stamford Bridge, at least for the 2025-26 season. The Blues would like to keep George, but a permanent transfer has not been ruled out. In addition to RB Leipzig, Borussia Monchengladbach are also said to be keen. Earlier this year, SunSport was given an insight into George's incredible rise. Bismark Odoi, father of ex-Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi, told SunSport: "He is a few years younger than my son but he was very noticeable from his early years. "We all used to take them, but I'm happy that he's making his parents proud because I tell you it's a lot of hard work, people only see the results, but the work is massive. "Tyrique was very close to another guy who was similar in stature to him, called Apau I think, a very good young player during their under-12 days. 'Not everyone makes it, but yeah, he was there. I think he was one of the youngsters who played very well knowing their parents were watching too.' Chelsea have confirmed the £37million signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax. Remarkably, the acquisition took spending on defenders to an astonishing £360million under BlueCo. 3
