Flashback to July 2013, British tennis was riding a wave of popularity thanks to Andy Murray’s victory in the Wimbledon Men’s Singles title. Murray’s straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Novak Djokovic meant that he became the first British man to win the Wimbledon Singles title since Fred Perry back in 1936. He also inspired a new generation to pick up a racket in the process.
Fast forward almost eight years, and some of these players are looking to emulate Murray and become household names in their own right, but who are they? What are their chances of success at future Grand Slam tournaments?
Murray Bucks the Trend
Prior to Murray’s 2012 US Open victory, no British player had won a Grand Slam title since Virginia Wade back in 1977. Yet Murray’s victory undoubtedly broke down many preconceptions about British players competing abroad.
Now there is a number of young British tennis stars with a chance of landing major tournaments like the Australian Open. You can find odds on who’s set to win the Australian Open at Paddy Power, with the list including a number of up-and-coming players. As these competitions are often loaded with quality, British players can be ignored by the market and, as a result, be valued at triple-figure odds.
Young Stars to Watch
Arguably the best young British men’s player coming through the tennis ranks at present is the nineteen-year-old Jack Draper. Runner-up in the 2018 Wimbledon Boys’ Singles Championship behind the Taiwanese player Tseng Chun-hsin, Jack Draper is slowly climbing the tennis ranks and has named Andy Murray as a big source of inspiration.
The Wimbledon Boys’ Singles Championship has proven to be a great base for unearthing future tennis stars, with Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pat Cash, and Roger Federer just a few names on its honour roll. Jack Draper will be hoping he can put that previous Wimbledon experience to good use and prove a big threat in future Grand Slam tournaments.
No female British tennis player has won a Grand Slam tournament since Virginia Wade landed the 1977 Wimbledon title, and since then, no British female player has even reached a Grand Slam final. This could all be about to change though, with a number of talented female players beginning to climb the current WTA Singles rankings.
Eighteen-year-old Emma Raducanu was born in Toronto but has been living in the UK since 2004 and has already been part of two GB Fed Cup teams. Ranked just below the world’s top 300, there are hopes amongst British tennis fans that Raducanu will compete in many future Grand Slam events.
Andy Murray’s 2013 Wimbledon success undoubtedly encouraged many people to get down to their local tennis court. This is perhaps the most poignant to the younger generation, and now eight years on, British tennis is beginning to reap the rewards. In Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu, and many more up-and-coming British players, there is clear hope that British tennis can become a dominant force in the years to come. In turn, this should result in more British stars competing in Grand Slam events worldwide.
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