British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Andy Parker · Club Coach

RE: Week 38 – ITF W35 Wagga Wagga, Australia - Hard

the addict · Tennis legend

The answer to the number of predictions for Katie in the top 10 is seven, with an average ranking of 185.

Top 200 might be hard to acheive by the end of the year, but she has no points dropping until the end of April, so plenty of time to accumulate.

indiana · Tennis legend

Andy Parker wrote:
indiana wrote:
Yes emmsie, keep pretty fit and well, and Katie will smash into the top 300 and top 200 does look achievable if quite a stretch target ( live ranked 200 is on 350 points ). Though 'just' getting enough points to get into Aus Open qualifying would still represent a very good return and be a great starting point for next year ( 300 points is equivalent to live ranked 228 just now, so yes that's probably around the points that will be needed ). But at 35 points a W35 titie, before even moving up, who knows ...

The SF so far here should take her into the 350s on 165 points, which is the points the current GB #11, Emily App, has. ( I wonder how many predictors have Katie in their top 10? ). If she goes on to take the title here then probably 330s with 186 points. Just from 10 counters so every ranking point she wins will be a net gain for another 8 counters so no doubt for the rest of the year.
It is a a good place that she is in, but we are approaching the end of September, so any injury niggle or loss of form could stymie a push into the top 200 - that is why I am a bit cautious to put that pressure on her. (or to think it will happen this year).
She has the talent, and no counters to come off, so maybe it could be a spectacular end to her season, but for me, to ask here to go from 165 points gained in the first nine months of the year to doubling her points total or more by the end of the season looks like a huge ask.
I am just happy she is back and showing great form right now - for me, any more points gained between now and the end of the season is a bonus to what she has already achieved this year, but I do think that most of us on here believe in her great ability and that she may achieve her best career rankings in the years ahead - in other words, that she has not peaked and we have not yet seen the best of Katie.

Can be good to be cautious

But tbf Katie didn't step onto an ITF tennis court until April so we are talking quite a lot less than 9 months, and has built her current live points tally from 11 counters ( corrected myself above from 10 ), and is undoubtedly getting better as she goes along, as was clearly to be expected. So we shall see ...

emmsie69 · Masters Series Champion

Turns out I've got Katie S at an extremely optimistic 165 which currently requires 423 points. Come on Katie, I believe.

Lambda · ATP level

Having been on the verge of quitting the sport, Katie will just be happy to be back playing. She should have no goals this year other than staying fit and healthy. She should not concern herself with achieving a specific ranking or trying to get into AO qualifying. She should just enjoy playing and let the ranking be what it will be. Next year she can start targeting more specific goals if she feels ready to.

the addict · Tennis legend

SF:- Katie Swan (GBR) WR 451 [4] v Erica Sema (JPN) WR597 [7]

Mervatron2 · ATP qualifying

Lambda wrote:
Having been on the verge of quitting the sport, Katie will just be happy to be back playing. She should have no goals this year other than staying fit and healthy. She should not concern herself with achieving a specific ranking or trying to get into AO qualifying. She should just enjoy playing and let the ranking be what it will be. Next year she can start targeting more specific goals if she feels ready to.

This.
Great to see her get through to another semi final after last week.

foobarbaz · Club Coach

Lambda wrote:
Having been on the verge of quitting the sport, Katie will just be happy to be back playing. She should have no goals this year other than staying fit and healthy. She should not concern herself with achieving a specific ranking or trying to get into AO qualifying. She should just enjoy playing and let the ranking be what it will be. Next year she can start targeting more specific goals if she feels ready to.

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of this, Lambda, and it may well be the realistic outlook for the rest of 2025, I'm now thinking that there's room to consider a more purposeful strategy. Tennis players, like all sportspersons, tend not to think too far ahead, because fitness next year for example cannot be guaranteed. Maintaining a high level of match fitness, and avoiding injury are two sides of the same coin, and this depends on committing to a punishing schedule of competition. Also, those same players want to be competing at their optimum level, and the only way to get there in tennis is to accumulate enough ranking points as quickly as possible (in Swan's case whilst carefully maintaining match fitness). Furthermore, having set goals for to work towards definitely boosts competitive performance, and helps determine tournament participation strategy. Lastly, tennis players are generally highly competitive and love a challenge.

It does appear that Swan, having seemingly found a way to keep the long-term injury at bay, has embarked on a tennis schedule that is more purposeful than playing just for the enjoyment of competition.

Johnny Aitch · Intermediate Club Player

the addict wrote:
SF:- Katie Swan (GBR) WR 451 [4] v Erica Sema (JPN) WR597 [7]

Katie won in straight sets.

emmsie69 · Masters Series Champion

Katie is a professional Sports Woman. At 26 she should be looking to play the big tournaments. She's played 39 matches since April (probably one of our most active Women in the last months), has 3 titles and is in another Final this week. She absolutely will be aiming for the Australian Open (which so happens to be next year)

-- Edited by emmsie69 on Saturday 20th of September 2025 05:41:46 AM

emmsie69 · Masters Series Champion

SF:- Katie Swan (GBR) WR 451 [4] DEF Erica Sema (JPN) WR597 [7] 6-3 6-1

emmsie69 · Masters Series Champion

F: Katie Swan(GBR) WR445 [4] vs Tayla Preston (AUS) WR 266 [2]

Lets hope for the same result this week

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
Katie is a professional Sports Woman. At 26 she should be looking to play the big tournaments. She's played 39 matches since April (probably one of our most active Women in the last months), has 3 titles and is in another Final this week. She absolutely will be aiming for the Australian Open (which so happens to be next year)

-- Edited by emmsie69 on Saturday 20th of September 2025 05:41:46 AM

Given her Australian boyfriend, it makes perfect sense - to me - that she's programmed an Australian stint, no matter if it's the best points she could get or not

I also notice that Alex hasn't played since the US Open so either he's injured and back in Oz getting treatment, or he's having a break, and back in Oz seeing family, just living, or a bit of both.

Again, excellent choice to spend some time together and for her to choose two-three months in Oz, at lower level events, with Alex as coach, peresumably, than hawking around the higher level events, on her own (maybe leaving Alex to deal with his rehab or whatever all on his own?).

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

THis is a lovely article, emphasising the importance of Alex and how she'd completely given up

I hadn't realised (had forgotten?) about her tubing accident as a teenager - which explains a lot

And didn't know about the Pennsylvania doctor - blessing be on him

www.tennis.com.au/nsw/news/2025/09/18/what-is-it-about-an-aussie-alex-and-british-katie

PaulM · Tennis legend

That's a brilliant article thanks for sharing CD. And yeah, the tubing story and something not being dealt with properly as a teenager so she could 'recover' as quickly as possible storing up issues for down the line with explains a lot and sounds too familiar!