Olivia Nicholls: 2025 season in review
• 3 minute read
In 2025, Olivia Nicholls fully cemented her place as the WTA doubles British No.1.
The 29-year-old enjoyed her best season to date, in which she has broken into the world’s top 30 for the first time in her career and has enjoyed success at the biggest events on the WTA calendar.
Catch up on all the highlights and best moments from Nicholls’ 2025 season:
Olivia Nicholls’s 2025 season by numbers:
- Partner: Tereza Mihalikova (SVK)
- Titles won: 1 (Berlin)
- End of season ranking: 26
- Career-best ranking: 23 (June 2025)
- Tournaments played: 29
- Win-loss record: 25-28
- Notable milestones: Achieved a new career-high ranking of world No.23, reached her first WTA 1000 final in Indian Wells, won her biggest title in Berlin, made the Grand Slam mixed doubles semi-finals in Melbourne, and featured for Lexus GB at the Billie Jean King Cup
Olivia Nicholls’s biggest win of the 2025 season:
Nicholls and Tereza Mihalikova’s biggest win of the season came at the Berlin Open this summer as the duo claimed their best title as a partnership.
In their second event of the grass court season, the British, Slovakian team reached their third final of the season without drooping a set, including a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Demi Schuurs and Asia Muhammad in the semi-final.
In the final they faced arguably their toughest challenge of the season against the Roland Garros champions and Olympic gold medallists, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
Nicholls and Mihalikova came back from a set down to force the Italians to a deciding match tie-break. From 6-6 in the tie-break, the duo won the final four points in a row to see out a 4-6, 6-2, 10-6 victory, sealing their first WTA title together.
Olivia Nicholls’s defining moment in 2025:
After a strong start to the season – reaching semi-finals in Hobart and Abu Dhabi – Nicholls and Mihalikova had their WTA 1000 breakthrough at Indian Wells.
The pair won their opening two rounds in match tie-breaks before going on to reach their first WTA 1000 final.
In the semis, they beat former world No.1 Su-Wei Hsieh and former world No.2 Shuai Zhang 7-5, 6-3 in a landmark victory for the British, Slovakian partnership.
It marked Nicholls’ fifth WTA final at the time and gave her 650 points to rise up to a career-high world No.31.
They eventually finished runners-up to Schuurs and Muhammad, losing the final 6-2, 7-6(4).
Olivia Nicholls’s 2025 Grand Slam results:
In women’s doubles, Nicholls’ best result came at Roland Garros, where she reached the third round for the first time in her career.
However, the British star also made the semi-finals of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open with partner Henry Patten.
- Australian Open: First round (w/ Tereza Mihalikova) (lost vs Jelena Ostapenko & Su-Wei Hsieh 7-5, 6-2)
- Roland Garros: Third round (w/ Tereza Mihalikova) (lost vs Olga Danilovic & Anastasia Potapova 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-0)
- Wimbledon: First round (w/ Tereza Mihalikova) (lost vs Kamilla Rakhimova & Anna Siskova 6-4, 6-1)
- US Open: First round (w/ Tereza Mihalikova) (lost vs Camila Osorio & Yue Yuan 6-2, 4-6, 6-4)
Olivia Nicholls’s video of the year:
Ever wondered what professional tennis players do to warm-up before a training session?
This off-season, Nicholls ran us through her warm-up routine including mobility stretching, activation and tennis preparation before stepping out on court.
Olivia Nicholls’s photo of the year:
Nicholls was a force to be reckoned with on the mixed doubles court this year, alongside two-time Grand Slam champion Patten.
The British duo were just one match away from reaching finals at the Australian Open and reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals, forging one of the strongest partnerships of 2025.
The image below shows the two Brits in action in their Australian Open semi-final before narrowly losing out to Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith of Australia.
Olivia Nicholls’s quote of the year:
We’ve been together since the grass court season last year and we’ve just been building and building. This is our first WTA 1000 final and hopefully there are many more to come.
What’s next for Olivia Nicholls in 2026?:
Nicholls is set to start her season with the Great Britain team at the United Cup, alongside fellow British No.1s Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu and Lloyd Glasspool.
Nicholls will then link back up with Mihalikova ahead of the Australian Open, where the duo will be hoping for a strong run after exiting in the first round last year.
The duo enjoyed strong results at the WTA 1000 events last year – also making the semi-finals in Wuhan – and will feel confident that they can make a run for a title in 2026.
A top-20 ranking will be another goal for the British star and she will be hoping that her form will keep her front of mind for Billie Jean King Cup selection in April.
