Cornelia Oosthuizen becomes British No.1 in women’s wheelchair singles rankings
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Cornelia Oosthuizen is the new British No.1 in the women’s wheelchair singles rankings, overtaking former Paralympic silver medallist Lucy Shuker.
Oosthuizen is now the top-ranked British women’s singles player for the first time in her career.
She is currently ranked as the world No.20 after winning her first round match at the French Riviera Open WC1000 last week.
Shuker – who is set to retire at the end of this year – had most recently held the British No.1 spot since January 2022, but has been British No.1 on a number of occasions during her career since first achieving the milestone herself in February 2006.
“It’s incredibly special to step into the position of GB No.1," Oosthuizen, 47, said. "It’s an honour to follow in the footsteps of some great players who have held this position before me, and I’ll give everything I have to represent GB with courage on court. I’m excited to embrace the challenge and see what lies ahead.”
Oosthuizen began playing tennis at the age of four, but following an injury to her right foot and lower leg whilst serving in the British Army in 2014, she transferred her skills to wheelchair tennis.
Following a series of LTA taster sessions, Oosthuizen went on to win a bronze medal in wheelchair tennis at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto. She is the only British No.1 to have played and medalled at the Invictus Games and is the only British women’s player to have beaten Shuker in competition since 2022.
She was part of the Great Britain women’s squad that won the bronze medal at the 2019 World Team Cup and claimed silver at the 2023 European Para Championships.
Oosthuizen is currently a 10-time wheelchair singles title-winner and has won a further 12 doubles trophies in her career.
So far in 2026, she has won the singles and doubles at the WC50 Plock Open and the singles at the Plock Cup in Poland. She also played alongside Shuker and Abbie Breakwell at this year's World Team Cup in Orlando.
Her biggest title win to date came last year at the Bolton Indoor ITF2 Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, where she teamed up with fellow Brit Shuker.
Just a few months later, Oosthuizen went on to make her Wimbledon debut and reached a career-high ranking at world No.18.
