The turn of the millennium marked one of the most significant periods in the history of women’s tennis. An audacious, charismatic generation of young stars had stormed the tour, usurping the old leaders and transforming the image of the sport. On the biggest stages, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Anna Kournikova often generated more attention and higher TV ratings than their male counterparts. Some transcended the sport as global superstars.
At the same time that women’s tennis was thriving around the world, it had reached a grim nadir on these shores. For years, not a single British woman reached the top 100. They competed almost exclusively on the lower-level ITF circuit, only making fleeting cameos on the tour through wildcards at Wimbledon and during the grass season. The Fed Cup team, meanwhile, was rooted to the zonal group stages, a world away from competing with the best teams. Women’s tennis has a rich history in Britain, particularly in the grand slam-winning era of Virginia Wade and Sue Barker, but by the early 2000s Britain was completely irrelevant on the WTA Tour.
After another successful week for the British Billie Jean King Cup team, defeating Germany and the Netherlands in The Hague to reach the BJK Cup Finals for the second year running, perhaps this is a moment to reflect on the progress British women’s tennis has made since those barren years.
This has taken some time. It was Anne Keothavong, now the BJK Cup captain, and the late Elena Baltacha who began to turn the tide by breaking into the top 50. Then came Laura Robson and Heather Watson. Although injuries obstructed Robson from achieving her full potential, Johanna Konta, a late bloomer, left no stone unturned in her career as she reached No 4 in the WTA rankings.
Over the past year, the current generation has distinguished itself through its depth. For the first time in 39 years, Great Britain has three players in the top 60 of the WTA rankings, with No 40 Katie Boulter, No 47 Emma Raducanu and No 59 Sonay Kartal.
This will understandably elicit some shrugs. The US, after all, boasts three of the top five players in the world, the Czech Republic seems to produce a new grand slam champion every other year and Ukraine is enjoying its most successful era despite the country being ravaged by war. With the exception of Raducanu’s surprise US Open triumph, which she has not come remotely close to replicating, none of these players are competing for major titles. Britain is also a grand slam nation and the LTA has far greater resources than most other countries.
However, becoming a top-level player is a significant achievement that requires a lifetime of hard work and resilience alongside talent. All the top 100 tennis players, men and women, have defied the odds to build hugely successful careers. There is plenty to respect about the way these players have carried themselves.
After years of injuries, Boulter’s recent evolution has been outstanding. Other players are more consistent, athletic and flexible but Boulter has shown with her ultra-aggressive shotmaking that she has the weapons to hang with the best in the world. She has also been a great leader, which she demonstrated on Saturday by immediately moving past her singles defeat and producing a superb performance alongside Jodie Burrage to win the decisive doubles rubber.
The absence of Raducanu, who played a pivotal role in Great Britain’s run with 5-0 record last year, only further underlined their depth in The Hague. Kartal took her place as the No 2 player and stepped up with two assured victories. At 5ft 4in, she will always be vulnerable to the many bigger and stronger players on the tour but the 23-year-old is an excellent athlete, composed, consistent and armed with a potent topspin forehand. She has shown that she can at least enjoy a long career around the top 50.
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This trio is bolstered by those lower in the rankings. Harriet Dart (currently No 110) has spent most of the last year inside the top 100, and Burrage is attempting to re-establish herself after suffering significant wrist and ankle injuries while inside the top 100 last year. With her ranking of No 134, Francesca Jones is not a long way from being in contention for the team herself and, really, she is one of the most inspirational athletes in all sports. Jones has a genetic condition, ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia (EED), which means she only has four digits on each hand and handling the intensity of professional tennis has been challenging.
At the end of an intense few days, after their dismantling of the Dutch doubles pairing, Boulter and Burrage laughed their way through their post-match interviews. The pair are close friends and, as with this entire group, they frequently train together when home at the LTA National Tennis Centre. Their tight relationship made up for their lack of experience together in doubles.
Even though professional tennis is a lonely, solitary pursuit, every week these players are both supporting and pushing each other as they try to unlock their talent. In the process, they have fulfilled some of their own personal goals while helping to return British women to the top levels of the sport. Considering there was a time not long ago when it was hard to even imagine British female tennis players on these stages, it is simply nice to see them there.