GB RANKING1
WORLD RANKING39
CAREER HIGH
28/10/2024 38
WTA TITLES2
ITF TITLES20
BILLIE JEAN KING CUP TIES 5
Last updated: 03/12/2024
FAVOURITE
SURFACE: Grass
SHOT: Volley
COACH
Tom Kiesel
AGE30
HEIGHT178 cm
PLAYSRight-handed
BACKHANDTwo-handed
LTA SUPPORT NTC Pro Access
TURNED PRO2017
FAVOURITE
SURFACE:Grass
SHOT:Volley
COACH
Tom Kiesel
Get to know Olivia Nicholls
About
Quick-fire facts
- Nickname: Liv
- Place of birth: Norwich, England
- Lives: Norwich, England
- Trains: Loughborough and the National Tennis Centre in London
- Tennis idols: Roger Federer
- Likes: Watching Norwich City FC, most sports, cooking and a good cuppa!
- Favourite early tennis memory: Spending the summer holidays going from one grass tournament to the next with her best friend and their brothers!
Tennis beginnings
Introduced to tennis by her mum at Acle Tennis Club in Norwich.
Most important people on her tennis journey:
Her coaches and support network when she was at Loughborough University: "James Buswell, Tom Kiesel and the rest of the team at Loughborough helped me develop as a player and gave me the belief to go on to play professionally after graduating. Also my parents have supported me all the way through my career."
Tennis Career
Highlights
- Reached the quarter-final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing alongside Tereza Mihalikova, losing out to Veronika Kudermetova and Chan Hao-ching 7-6(5), 6-3
- Clinched her third title of the season at the Charleston Challenger with Olivia Gadecki, beating Sara Erranki and Tereza Mihalikova 6-2, 6-1 in the final
- Lifted a second career WTA title at the ATX Open with Gadecki. The duo defeated Katarzyna Kawa and Bibiane Schoofs 6-2, 6-4 in the final
- Won her first title of the year at the W75+H Porto with Sarah Beth Grey, defeating Francisca Jorge and Matilde Jorge 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 in the final
Results
Tournament | Round |
November | |
Billie Jean King Cup | Semi-final |
October | |
Hong Kong Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Semi-final |
Japan Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | First round |
Ningbo Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | First round |
Wuhan Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Quarter-final |
September | |
China Open (with Terez Mihalikova) | Quarter-final |
Hana Bank Korea Open (with Terez Mihalikova) | First round |
August | |
Abierto GNP Seguros (with Terez Mihalikova) | Semi-final |
Cincinnati Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Quarter-final |
National Bank Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | First round |
Mubadala Citi DC Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | First round |
July | |
Palermo Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Semi-final |
Wimbledon (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Third round |
June | |
Bad Homburg Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Quarter-final |
Rothesay Classic Birmingham (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Quarter-final |
Libema Open (with Tereza Mihalikova) | Runners-up |
May | |
Roland Garros (with Ingrid Gamarra Martins) | First round |
Grand Prix De Son Altesse Royale La Princesse Lalla Meryem (with Ingrid Gamarra Martins) | First round |
Saint Malo Challenger (with Olivia Gadecki) | Semi-final |
April | |
Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole (with Ana Blinkova) | First round |
Credit One Charleston Open (with Heather Watson) | Quarter-final |
March | |
Charleston Challenger (with Olivia Gadecki) | Champion |
ATX Open (with Olivia Gadecki) | Champion |
February | |
Transylvania Open (with Elixane Lechemia) | Semi-final |
January | |
W75+H Porto (with Sarah Beth Grey) | Champion |
December
Nicholls headed to the W100 event in Dubai where she finished runner-up in the doubles event alongside Heather Watson. The pair endured a close battle with Timea Babos and Vera Zvonareva, just losing out 6-1, 2-6, 10-7.
October
In October, Nicholls and Barnett joined forces once again at the Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole, where they missed out on a spot in the final to Anna Bondar and Kimberley Zimmermann, 6-4, 6-7(6), 10-1.
July
British duo Nicholls and Alicia Barnett lost in the opening round of the women's doubles at Wimbledon.
However, Nicholls and Jonny O'Mara enjoyed a brilliant run that took them to the semi-finals of the mixed doubles. The Brits took out fifth seeds Matthew Ebden and Ellen Perez 7-5, 7-5 to book their spot in the mixed doubles semi-final, where they lost out to eventual champions Mate Pavic and Lyudmyla Kichenok 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3.
Nicholls and Barnett then headed to the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz event where they sprinted to the silverware, after beating Estelle Cascino & Diana Marcinkevica 6-3, 6-4 in the final to wrap up the title without dropping a set.
June
Nicholls and Barnett kicked off their grass court season in style after finishing runners up in the women's doubles event at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.
In the final, the all-British pair faced Yanina Wickmayer and Sophie Chang, but missed out on the crown in a 6-4, 6-1 defeat.
May
Barnett and Nicholls then went on to compete at the W100 Wiesbaden event, where they made it to the semi-finals before missing out to Australian duo Jaimee Fourlis and Olivia Gadecki 6-4, 7-5.
April
Nicholls was selected to represent Great Britain in their Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tie against France at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Despite Great Britain having already lost their qualifying tie against France, Nicholls and Barnett stepped up to face Clara Burel and reigning French Open doubles champion, Kristina Mladenovic for the doubles rubber. With the scoreboard settled at one point a piece, a decisive tie-break saw the British duo fight back from 8-2 down, to clinch match victory, 7-5, 3-6, 11-9 to continue their fine form in Billie Jean King Cup ties.
March
Nicholls and Barnett lifted their first doubles title of the year together at the W60 Trnava in Slovakia.
The British pair dominated the field throughout the week, and cruised through to their ninth title together without dropping a single set. In the final, they came out on top against third seeds Amina Anshba and Anastasia Detiuc in a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
December
Nicholls and Barnett rounded off their year by making it to the final at the W125 Open BLS de Limoges event.
There, the British doubles duo faced first seeds Oksana Kalashnikova and Marta Kostyuk but were eventually defeated 5-7, 1-6 to finish runners up.
November
Nicholls was selected to represent Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow and became Colour Holder No.321 with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina and world No.11, Anna Danilina.
The success continued to pour in for the British duo in Great Britain’s tie against Spain, ousting Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov and Rebeka Masarova in their deciding doubles rubber to book the home nation a spot in the semi-finals for the first time since 1981. However, it wasn't meant to be for the British pair who marginally lost out 7-6(1), 6(5)-7, (10-6) against Australia's Storm Sanders and Sam Stosur in a nail-biting deciding doubles rubber.
October
The Brits reached the quarter-finals at the WTA 500 Agel Open, but lost to Alicja Rosolska & Erin Routliffe 6-1, 6-2.
September
The British team reached the quarter-finals at the Tallinn Open but lost out to Ulrikke Eikeri and Tereza Mihalikova 6-4, 5-7, 10-5..
August
Nicholls and Barnett found more success in Poland after beating top seeds Vivian Heisen and Katarzyna Kawa to secure the biggest title of their careers at the W100 Grodzisk Mazowiecki. This victory saw Nicholls break into the WTA top 100 for the first time in her career.
Nicholls reached a new career high ranking of world No.72 at the end of August off the back of her first WTA title with Barnett in Granby. The duo defeated fellow Brit Harriet Dart and Rosalie Van der Hoek 5-7, 6-3, 10-1 in the final to claim their maiden tour trophy.
July
Nicholls and Barnett commemorated their Wimbledon debut with a first round victory over Kaia Kanepi and Renata Voracova but lost out on a place in the third following their 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) defeat to 15th seeds, Raluca Olaru and Nadiia Kichenok.
May
The pair proceeded to reach their second consecutive semi-final in Wiesbaden before bowing out of the tournament, losing 6-1, 6-3 to Andrea Gamiz and Eva Vedder.
Fast forward to La Bisbal D’Emporda where Nicholls and Barnett reached yet another final on clay before suffering defeat to Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva and Renata Zarazua 6-4, 2-6, 10-8.
March
British duo, Nicholls and Alicia Barnett, served their way to the final of the Lyon Open after overcoming a nail-biting showdown where they came back from 6-0, 4-0 down to beat Britain’s Sam Murray Sharan and partner, Ulrikke Eikeri. The two, however, settled with runners-up as they lost in straight sets to Laura Seigemund and Vera Zvonareva.
Februray
Another final awaited at the W60 Grenoble, where Nicholls and Barnett too on Lily Miyazaki and Prarthana Thombare. The British duo ended up runners-up again, losing 6-3, 6-3 in the final match.
January
A strong start to the season saw Nicholls and her partner Alicia Barnett reach the semi-finals at the W25 in Bath, before moving on to the W60 Andrezieux-Boutheon. Here the pair finished runners-up, losing 6-4, 6-1 to Estelle Cascino and Jessika Ponchet in the final.
- 25k ITF Title in Figueira Da Foz
- Three ITF 60k finals
- Playing for the Jack’s at the Battle of the Brits.
- Playing Wimbledon qualifying for the first time.
- Winning four consecutive ITF titles.
- Winning a bronze medal at the World University Games in Taipei.
Women's doubles:
- Australian Open: First round (2023)
- Roland Garros: First round (2023)
- Wimbledon: Second round (2022)
- US Open: First round (2022)
Mixed doubles:
- Australian Open: N/A
- Roland Garros: N/A
- Wimbledon: Semi-final (2023)
- US Open: N/A
Stayed in education all the way through to university. Played a number of different sports from a young age and didn’t start travelling internationally until she was 23.