As the grass season begins, British tennis finds itself in a precarious position following a challenging clay campaign. Cameron Norrie is now the only British man ranked inside the ATP top 100, while Emma Raducanu is the sole woman in the WTA top 70. With Wimbledon approaching, many home players will depend on wildcards to enter the main draw.
Injuries and Rankings Decline
Injuries have taken a toll on several of Britain's top players. Jack Draper, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 just 52 weeks ago, has fallen out of the top 100 for the first time in nearly three years. A left arm injury sidelined him from August to February, followed by a knee injury in Barcelona that ended his clay season. He will return at Queen's Club with Andy Murray now part of his team.
Emma Raducanu had a promising 2025 with 50 matches, her busiest year yet, but a foot injury derailed her pre-season, and a post-viral illness kept her out for over two months. She lost her opener in Strasbourg and exited in the second round of Roland Garros.
Cameron Norrie, who has been the last British man standing in majors 14 times in five years, retired mid-match at the French Open due to a rib injury—his first professional retirement. He hopes to be fit for Queen's.
Other British Players Struggling
Jacob Fearnley, who broke the top 50 last June, also suffered a rib issue. He qualified for the French Open but lost his opener to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who then shocked Jannik Sinner. Fearnley has not made the main-draw cut for Wimbledon and will need a wildcard unless withdrawals occur.
Sonay Kartal, who reached the second week of Wimbledon last year, missed the entire clay swing with a back injury and has ruled herself out for grass season. Francesca Jones picked up a glute injury at the Australian Open and later suffered a concussion when a leg press machine safety lock failed during gym training. Despite this, she earned her first Grand Slam main draw win at Roland Garros.
Injury Patterns and LTA Response
The LTA, Britain's tennis governing body, conducts an injury surveillance audit. While no clear pattern has emerged, players now face a higher overall load, with matches lasting longer and most ATP and WTA 1000 events extended to 12 days. The LTA has refreshed its physio service and upgraded recovery facilities at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
Francesca Jones believes the injury wave is not unique to British players. “If you look at the US, Amanda Anisimova, Emma Navarro, Taylor Fritz have all been out. Because we're a smaller country, it's more apparent, but it's a tour-wide issue,” she explained. She noted that the extended Masters tournaments pose the biggest challenge.
Wildcard Prospects for Wimbledon
Several British players will require wildcards for Wimbledon. Jacob Fearnley is one, though he is willing to go through qualifying. “I hope I get a wildcard, but it's not the end of the world. I want to earn it,” he said.
Other male contenders include Toby Samuel, who qualified for the French Open but lost to eighth seed Alex de Minaur; Arthur Fery, who stunned Flavio Cobolli at the Australian Open and Alexei Popyrin at Wimbledon; Jack Pinnington Jones; Billy Harris; and former world No. 21 Dan Evans, who recently returned from injury in French Open qualifying.
On the women's side, Francesca Jones is just outside the top 100 and may need a wildcard. Teenager Mika Stojsavljevic, winner of the 2024 US Open junior girls title, impressed in her Billie Jean King Cup debut. Fellow teens Mimi Xu and Hannah Klugman, who received wildcards last year, are also in contention, along with Harriet Dart, Katie Swan, and Heather Watson.
Doubles Bright Spot
British doubles players have thrived. Four men rank in the ATP top 10, and Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool are the reigning Wimbledon champions. Olivia Nicholls and her partner Tereza Mihalikova were seeded 10th at the French Open.
