British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Var · Futures qualifying

Week 26 - WTA250 - Eastbourne, Great Britain Grass

the addict · Tennis legend

" He was given his first wild card in 2002. In 3002 he then went on to win his first challenger event, so seems to have helped. "
Should this be in the predictions section ?

9vicman · Futures qualifying

Wild cards are subjective, end of. And one of the reasons to award wild cards are to give players experience with no guarantees. Bogdanovic was talented, and continued to get wild cards as he was ranked in the Top 200/top x in Great Britain for many years. And he didn't have the temperament for success at the highest level, but to me that didn't mean it was wrong to give him wild cards.

Personally I think the three juniors deserve wild cards more than say Lily Miyazaki and Amarni Banks, and I will still feel that even if they lose easily in the first round.

And certainly I wouldn't have given a wild card to Iva Jovic (who has benefited from wild cards at all three previous Slams) or Lois Boisson, who has yet to playa professional match on grass. They can earn their way through qualifying just as players from other countries can.

Sure British players are lucky to have additional wild card opportunities during the year, but all host events use wild cards to help promote the tournament, and Wimbledon is no different.

HarryGem · Club Coach

seagull wrote:
I have bad news guys. The guy coaching Mika today on court was. Jeremy Bates

Exactly what they don't need. The three young GB hopefuls need world class coaching at all aspects of the game and the LTA should be doing their best to find them the coaches required.

HarryGem · Club Coach

telstar wrote:
Var wrote:
indiana wrote:
Boisson and Jovic?

I put both Hanbah and Mika in my MD WC predictions. But more I had a feeling the AELTC / LTA were going to go with all 3 of Mimi, Hannah and Mika, rather than being at all convinced that they should have.

It's great that they did allocate all the singles WCs ( both men and women ) - there shouldn't be any left unallocated / just going to the next DE in line.

But there is a good argument to be had that at least these couple of non GB players had very strong cases this year and they might have held off this year re Hannah and Mika.
I dont really understand why not. Even the French on social media understand the decision. Pragmatic maybe but they get it. RG would never give WCs to our juniors so why not give Wimbledon WCs to the Brits? if there was reciprocal arrangements then fair enough.
Hannah and Mika have minimal chances of winning a round in the main draw. Qualifying is much more their standard. If they were to win through qualifying. it would be great for their confidence. They would feel that they had earned a place in the main draw rather than having been gifted it!

And if they were to lose in the first round of qualifying then the opposite would be true.

Maybe they have earned it through their performances as juniors over the last few years. It's not like they are being rewarded for consistent years of failure on the tour and never being quite good enough to qualify through their ranking.

Let's give them a chance to experience the event in a friendly home slam. Imagine if they manage to win a match and what that might do for their confidence! I don't expect them to win but awarding wild cards shows them that the tennis establishment in this country believes in them. A positive message I would have thought.

-- Edited by HarryGem on Saturday 21st of June 2025 09:28:13 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

telstar wrote:
Yes they may be class for their age but they are juniors! If they don't already realise that they need to improve to make it in adult tennis then there is little hope for them!

All the players need to improve

Lord, Harriet and Heather and Jodie definitely need to improve

So what?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

HarryGem wrote:
telstar wrote:
Var wrote:
indiana wrote:
Boisson and Jovic?

I put both Hanbah and Mika in my MD WC predictions. But more I had a feeling the AELTC / LTA were going to go with all 3 of Mimi, Hannah and Mika, rather than being at all convinced that they should have.

It's great that they did allocate all the singles WCs ( both men and women ) - there shouldn't be any left unallocated / just going to the next DE in line.

But there is a good argument to be had that at least these couple of non GB players had very strong cases this year and they might have held off this year re Hannah and Mika.
I dont really understand why not. Even the French on social media understand the decision. Pragmatic maybe but they get it. RG would never give WCs to our juniors so why not give Wimbledon WCs to the Brits? if there was reciprocal arrangements then fair enough.
Hannah and Mika have minimal chances of winning a round in the main draw. Qualifying is much more their standard. If they were to win through qualifying. it would be great for their confidence. They would feel that they had earned a place in the main draw rather than having been gifted it!
And if they were to lose in the first round of qualifying then the opposite would be true.
Maybe they have earned it through their performances as juniors over the last few years. It's not like they are being rewarded for consistent years of failure on the tour and never being quite good enough to qualify through their ranking.
Let's give them a chance to experience the event in a friendly home slam. Imagine if they manage to win a match and what that might do for their confidence! I don't expect them to win but awarding wild cards shows them that the tennis establishment in this country believes in them. A positive message I would have thought.

Well put

9vicman · Futures qualifying

The thought of our having a discussion back in the 1990s on whether three British juniors, all of whom have reached the SF or better at the last three Slams, should receive a Wimbledon wild card or not. I would have bitten your hand off!

wimbledont · Lower Club Player

If Mimi, Mika and Hannah were not awarded MDWCs, the next players on the list...

www.wimbledon.com/pdf/update/referees/2025/LS_Entries.pdf

would be Erika Andreeva (RUS13), multiple wildcard recipient Bianca Andreescu, and retiree Alize Cornet (SR103, live ranking 840).

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

wimbledont wrote:
If Mimi, Mika and Hannah were not awarded MDWCs, the next players on the list...

www.wimbledon.com/pdf/update/referees/2025/LS_Entries.pdf

would be Erika Andreeva (RUS13), multiple wildcard recipient Bianca Andreescu, and retiree Alize Cornet (SR103, live ranking 840).

Also, if they weren't awated MDWCs, they obviously would have been awared Quali WCs

Which means three other players - three out of Ella, Ranah, Marni, Millie, Emily App - wouldn't have got wildcards

Which also means they would have played wildcardplayoffs - so three out of the wildcard playoff would not have been able to play

And Katie Swan and Katy Dunne may well not have won and so wouldn't be in qualis either

Giving the youngsters the MD WCs opened up opportunities for SO many more players

wimbledont · Lower Club Player

I also think that the most important upcoming tournament for this trio may be Wimbledon Girls. Win that tournament, and you're a winner for life. And the financial rewards in sponsorship deals would dwarf any Wimbledon women's 2025 prize money; and it will surely help with nerves at Wimbledon Girls if they've spent the previous week playing the adult tournament.

verveandsolley · Lower Club Player

HarryGem wrote:
telstar wrote:
Var wrote:
indiana wrote:
Boisson and Jovic?

I put both Hanbah and Mika in my MD WC predictions. But more I had a feeling the AELTC / LTA were going to go with all 3 of Mimi, Hannah and Mika, rather than being at all convinced that they should have.

It's great that they did allocate all the singles WCs ( both men and women ) - there shouldn't be any left unallocated / just going to the next DE in line.

But there is a good argument to be had that at least these couple of non GB players had very strong cases this year and they might have held off this year re Hannah and Mika.
I dont really understand why not. Even the French on social media understand the decision. Pragmatic maybe but they get it. RG would never give WCs to our juniors so why not give Wimbledon WCs to the Brits? if there was reciprocal arrangements then fair enough.
Hannah and Mika have minimal chances of winning a round in the main draw. Qualifying is much more their standard. If they were to win through qualifying. it would be great for their confidence. They would feel that they had earned a place in the main draw rather than having been gifted it!
And if they were to lose in the first round of qualifying then the opposite would be true.
Maybe they have earned it through their performances as juniors over the last few years. It's not like they are being rewarded for consistent years of failure on the tour and never being quite good enough to qualify through their ranking.
Let's give them a chance to experience the event in a friendly home slam. Imagine if they manage to win a match and what that might do for their confidence! I don't expect them to win but awarding wild cards shows them that the tennis establishment in this country believes in them. A positive message I would have thought.

-- Edited by HarryGem on Saturday 21st of June 2025 09:28:13 PM

Nailed on Mika vs Hannah in the first round!

verveandsolley · Lower Club Player

Do you think all 3 will play Juniors as well? I guess the only reason they wouldn't would be a prolonged run in the senior competition. As there ever been an instance I wonder of a player involved in the juniors while concurrently also in the seniors? Only realistic scenario might be the girls getting through 1 or 2 rounds of doubles. Would this even be permissable?

Var · Futures qualifying

verveandsolley wrote:
Do you think all 3 will play Juniors as well? I guess the only reason they wouldn't would be a prolonged run in the senior competition. As there ever been an instance I wonder of a player involved in the juniors while concurrently also in the seniors? Only realistic scenario might be the girls getting through 1 or 2 rounds of doubles. Would this even be permissable?

Mika and Hannah will define play Juniors. I dont think Mimi will. Could be wrong though!

Danny1312 · Intermediate Club Player

There all currently on the entrance list, doesn't mean they'll remain there of course but don't see why not, would be great for any to win junior Wimbledon!