25-06-2025
Rajecki has no regrets after Wimbledon Qualifying loss
The Nottingham native went the distance against Iryna Shymanovich but was unable to find a way past the Belarusian, falling to a 7-6(6) 7-6(2) defeat in Roehampton
But while Rajecki will now have to wait another year before another shot at reaching the lawns of nearby SW19, the 23-year-old admitted she had fun all the same.
'It was tough,' said Rajecki. 'I served well in the whole match I felt and I had chances, which is a shame when you come off the wrong end and you don't get to take them.'
'She's a very experienced player and it was fine margins. The breaker was 8-6 in the first set but that experience in big moments and knowing what to do and going for it made the difference.
'I was hesitant as well with pressure and it did get to me in the second set. Experience is a massive influence on these things.
'It's my second time playing Grand Slam qualifying. It's a new experience every time and it's a learning curve and I'm glad I was able to go out there, play some good tennis and enjoy myself.'
Nottingham-born Rajecki developed her tennis in the collegiate system in the United States, completing a four-year stint in North Carolina before graduating last year.
Though no longer a member of the Wolfpack, it is there that the 23-year-old will return to the drawing board, with Rajecki hoping to draw of her friends and colleagues overseas to return to winning ways.
She added: 'Being in the US helped me massively. At 18, I wasn't ready to play professionally and I spent four years there working on my game and myself.
'It's very different to the professional level because you know you're playing every week. It helped as well being in a team and being able to support each other and go to each for help. On the professional tour, it's different because it's just you.
'In America, the mindset and lifestyle is very different to here and I thrived from that because there are a lot of good players out there and you're in a situation where if you're ranked pretty high, the pressure is on you every match and it was something I was able to get used to.
'I was able to work on myself without worrying about what anyone else is thinking and knowing what I wanted to do so that when I did come back, I could put it into practice.'
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