Wimbledon 2025: Britons get set for debuts at The Championships

Several of these players have entry thanks to wild cards off the back of impressive seasons so far – giving them a chance to compete at the next level against some of the best players in the world.

Among the British talents set to compete at SW19 this year there will be a number of debutants getting to play their home slam for the first time.

One such player will be 17-year-old Mimi Xu, who featured amongst the headlines on Friday as she was drawn against compatriot and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the opening round.

Xu – who is supported by the LTA Pro Scholarship Programme, presented by Lexus – has been one of the stories of the summer, reaching her first WTA 125 quarter-final in Birmingham, getting her first WTA Tour win in Nottingham and announcing herself as a strong player on the grass.

Ahead of a blockbuster first round match on her debut outing at Wimbledon, the young Brit from Swansea is excited to get underway.

“I got a message from my coach saying, ‘what an exciting draw’ and then my Mum’s getting messages saying, ‘that’s so exciting’ without saying the name,” she explained at her pre-tournament press conference.

“Eventually someone told me I was playing Emma, and I feel like I’m ready for it – I’m excited for it.

“She’s someone who has done so well in her career and I’m only at the beginning of mine, so I think it will be a really good test for me and good opportunity to just go out and play.

“To see her win there (US Open) was absolutely amazing, she’s been a really big part of British tennis and I think she’s a really good role model to have.”

Xu is one of three British teenagers in the women’s singles draws this year, alongside two recent junior Grand Slam finalists – US Open champion Mika Stojsavljevic and Roland Garros runner-up Hannah Klugman.

Klugman will get to face Raducanu’s opponent in that famous 2021 US Open final – 29^th seed Leylah Fernandez on Monday.

The 16-year-old is excited to play the main draw of a tournament just five minutes down the road from her house, and already has experience of playing with the Canadian in the past.

“It’s a dream. It’s been a goal since I was young. I only live down the road so it’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life.

“Nothing changes I don’t think after this experience. It’s a nice stepping stone and an opportunity to get some experience.

“I hit with her (Fernandez) a while back so I know how she plays. She likes to stay close to the baseline and takes it early which is good for the grass. I’m just excited – no matter who I was going to play, I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it.”

All three players have previously made the girls’ doubles finals at Wimbledon and have shown they have the game to be dangerous on the grass.

Stojsavljevic says that experience will be crucial going into this year’s main draw – where she faces 31^st seed Ashlyn Krueger – and her Grand Slam showings in the past have helped build her confidence.

“I’ve played the juniors twice and I’ve had some good results here,” she said. "I’m definitely coming back with an excited feeling and knowing that I can play well.

“I think it (the US Open win) opened the door a little bit – I think I probably got this wild card off the back of that. It was good to show that I can compete on that level and a lot of the girls I beat are now competing on the WTA Tour.”

There will be several new faces on the men’s side of the draw this year as well. One name that may have caught the attention of British fans this summer is Jack Pinnington Jones, after the 22-year-old reached the final of the Lexus Ilkley Open.

For the past few years, Pinnington Jones has been applying his trade in the NCAA American college system – representing Texas Christian University (TCU), the same school that Cam Norrie and Jacob Fearnley both attended.

The British star is an impressive talent, who loves competing on the grass. Rather like Fearnley this time last year, the young Brit is now making his first steps onto the pro tour and is showing he can mix it with top players.

“It’s a childhood dream. To be given the opportunity by the Club and the LTA is really special and I’m just going to go out there and try and enjoy every moment of it.

“I had a good couple of weeks in the grass court season, I feel like I’ve been playing well. The fact that the Club and the LTA feel like I’m progressing in the right direction, and they’ve given me the opportunity to get some points and the prize money is huge for funding my tennis. It’s pretty special that they believe in me as a prospect in British tennis.”

On making the final in Ilkley, he added: “It was awesome. My first Challenger final in a 125. Being in the UK is always special, it’s a really cool tournament up there. It was a huge milestone for me to know I can play and beat players at that level.”

Oliver Tarvet wouldn’t have been a player that many would have had for the main draw at Wimbledon this year, but the 21-year-old, who like Pinnington Jones plays in the NCAA, fought through three rounds of qualifying to secure a dream spot at SW19.

The 21-year-old – currently ranked as the world No.719 – grew up in St Albans and currently plays for the University of San Diego. Having received a wild card for this year’s qualifying draw, the young Brit seized it with both hands and is now set for his first Grand Slam appearance.

“It’s been pretty special,” he said commenting on his qualifying run. “I wasn’t expecting it, I was just trying to take it match by match. I saw it as an opportunity to play some good players and improve my game. I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was able to perform out there and compete against these top guys.”

Tarvet has been drawn against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi in the first round, but a win will likely see him play against two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round.

“It’s cool but I’m not thinking too much about it,” he said. “Everyone at this level is really good and If I’m not focused on Monday and don’t put in a good performance, I’m not going to win.

"My full undivided attention is going into Monday’s match and then if I win, we can focus on that."

You can follow all the results and updates from Wimbledon here on the LTA website