After the Wimbledon whirlwind!

I've been so busy since Wimbledon, I haven't had a chance to catch up and reflect on what's happened! The media interest has been brilliant and I really hope that interest in wheelchair tennis grows and grows from here.

I'm sharing the press release issued by the Tennis Foundation as a report on the Wimbledon match as I'm now in Nottingham for the British Open and I'll make sure I find time to note my own thoughts soon!

Courtesy of The Tennis Foundation

Jordanne Whiley and Yui Kamiji had to give everything to claim their second successive Wimbledon title on the day it was announced there will be a singles wheelchair tennis event at The Championships from 2016.

The British-Japanese pair lifted the title after a back and forth match which saw them eventually beat Dutch rivals Jiske Griffioen and Aniek van Koot 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the women’s doubles final.


Whiley earned the first service hold of the women’s final to take the top seeds into a 3-2 lead and they used their momentum to take the opening set after winning five games in row.

They made it eight games in a row to take a 3-0 second set lead before second seeds Griffioen and van Koot battled back to force the customary decider in games between these four.

A tense final set saw the defending champions earn what turned out to be the vital break as they seized the initiative at 5-3. Whiley then held her nerve superbly to serve out and give herself and Kamiji their sixth Grand Slam title out of the last seven majors after finishing runners-up to Griffioen and van Koot at Roland Garros last month.

“It’s always difficult to come back and defend your title and today certainly wasn’t easy. Yui and I really started strongly being a set and three love up but we knew that they were going to come back strongly after that and we lost it a little at the start of the third set. But we were able to fight back and the crowd really helped us with that as they always do here at Wimbledon,” said a delighted Whiley.

“I did feel the nerves in the second set and I was feeling a bit sick as we’ve never actually led like that in a final, we’ve always come from behind before. This was one of the best matches we’ve ever played and I’m really proud of both of us for doing so well. It’s so special to play at Wimbledon and share the ground with some of the greats of the game, playing singles here next year will be amazing and someone will get to be Wimbledon singles champion, which will be very special.”


#WheelchairTennis #Wimbledon

Reflecting on Roland Garros

With Yui and I looking to win our sixth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title, it's fair to say that the French Open at Roland Garros didn't quite go to plan....

Having won our Semi Final in straight sets, we came up against second seeds Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot, who we know well, having beaten the Dutch girls in the last four Grand slam finals. 

Although we fought hard, we lost the final match 6-7, 6-3, 10-8. Of course we were gutted to lose, particularly as neither of us played as well as we could have done, it was just one of those days where both Yui and I were off our game.

In the singles, I played against World No 2 Jiske Griffioen, I was pleased with the way I played but Jiske just had the edge over me.  Being so close has given me great confidence in my singles game for the rest of the season, knowing some of the things I've really been working on are paying off.

On court at Roland Garros

#wheelchairtennis #RolandGarros #FrenchOpen

Turkish Delight......

From a long haul flight back from Japan, I had a couple of days back in the UK to get some washing done and I was off to Turkey with the GB team to contest the World Team Cup. A different sort of event for me, as winning wasn't just about my performance, or that of my doubles partner, but everyone in the team.

It was a really intense week of matches in Turkey and I am so proud of the girls of the Team GB team as we came away with a Bronze medal.

Team GB Bronze Medal winners at World Team Cup

I've also got to make a mention of the Team GB boys who came away from the tournament with Gold medals!  Wheelchair tennis in the UK is getting stronger all the time thanks to the support we have from National Lottery and Tennis Foundation.

#Wheelchairtennis #WorldTeamCup #Medals

All things Japanese

I've just arrived back from a trip to Japan where I was playing in the Japan Open at Lizuka with Yui. It was great to spend some time together before the tournament and get to do some 'normal' things together, like visit the zoo and go strawberry picking!  I picked so many I think I could supply Wimbledon! Yui and I are great friends and have real fun together, even though the language barrier sometimes makes it interesting!

 
We had a great tournament and finished with another doubles win beating my regular Team GB partner Lucy Shuker and Germany's Sabine Ellerbrock 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the final.

I've now got a couple of days back in the UK before I head off to Turkey where I will be representing Team GB in the World Team Cup.  I'd better get packing again!

#wheelchairtennis #JapanOpen

From the court to the catwalk

After a busy few months of training, travel and tournaments it was great to do something a bit out of the ordinary and I had a great time in London yesterday with the British Paralympic Association and ASOS.

ASOS have been chosen by the BPA to develop the formal and ceremony clothing for Team GB when they travel to Rio for the 2016 Paralympics.

The athletes are being consulted about the designs and I cant wait to see what ASOS deliver for us over the coming months.

#paralympics #ASOS #TeamGB

Tournament to tournament

Last month was a pretty busy one, as I flew out to the USA to compete in two tournaments there. First up was the Pensacola Open in Florida where the conditions weren't the greatest, when it finally stopped raining and we were able to play, it was still really windy and its pretty hard to play with a wind across the court!

I wasn't playing my best and lost out in the semi finals of the singles.  However, I paired with Lucy Shuker again in doubles and we managed to edge the final 7-6, 7-6 to come away with the win. Having not been at my best all week, I was happy to come away with a trophy!

It was then onto the Cajun Classic tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where I won both my singles and doubles semi-final matches.

The singles final was against the World No.4 Sabine Ellerbrock and despite taking it to three sets I lost out 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.   I was then facing Sabine again in the doubles final later the same day, this time I was partnering Marjolein Buis and Sabine was playing with Lucy.   We lost out on a close match but I hadn't been at my best all the time in the USA so I know what I need to work on when I get home and come back stronger.

#wheelchairtennis

A double win in Bolton

It was great to get back on court this week at the USN Bolton Arena Indoor Championships.   It was so good to see that the popularity of wheelchair tennis is growing with the large numbers of girls that entered too. 

I'm really happy at coming away from the tournament winning both the Singles and Doubles titles. it's my first singles title of the year and just showing the results of all the hard work and training I've been doing to improve my singles game. 

I wouldn't be able to train and compete the way I do without some really great support, and I wanted to say a massive thank you to my team at Tennis Foundation, Living Tennis, 17 Sports Management and my sponsors, The National Lottery/UK Sport, Babolat, Adidas, RGK Wheelchairs, First Avenue Estates and KT Tape UK, all of whom help make my success possible.

#wheelchairtennis #sport #women

Raising the profile

Well, since getting back from Australia, I don't seem to have stopped and there's been plenty of media interest in what I've achieved. It's all been really great and is helping to raise the profile of the sport, and me of course!

I really enjoyed taking part in the BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Panel with Eleanor Oldroyd recently, it was great to be able to discuss all sorts of sporting issues openly in this format with people from different sporting backgrounds.

Yesterday I had a lot of fun filming at the BBC for A Question of Sport. I was on Matt Dawson's team, but as the programme hasn't been broadcast yet, I can't tell you the result! Keep an eye on my Twitter and Facebook as I'll let you know the date it's due for broadcasting.

High Five!

Friday 30 January 2015, what a day that was! 

That was the day Yui and I won our fifth consecutive Grand Slam title, the Australian Open Ladies Doubles in Melbourne.  The final against Jiske and Aniek was probably the hardest match I have ever played.  It was a real battle over three sets and I'm so relieved we came out on top 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 after 3 hours 21 minutes.  I think we were all exhausted by then and it couldn't have been closer.  I think the experience I'd got from winning four slams last year really showed and it certainly helped us to finish the game.

I'm really happy that, after the season we had last year, we were able to come back and be at the top of our game. There are so many people who help make this possible and I would like to thank everyone at the Tennis Foundation, Living Tennis, 17 Management, UK Sport through the National Lottery and my sponsors RGK, Babolat, Adidas and First Avenue Estates. I would also like to thank all of the people who sent their messages of love and support, it means so much to me.

Unfortunately my singles campaign at the Australian Open was over almost before it started. I'd prepared well and practice had been great but it just didn't happen for me on the day, as I lost in straight sets in the first round.

So now, with five Grand Slams under the belt, Yui and I will be trying to make it six at the French Open in Paris, in June.

#wheelchairtennis #AustralianOpen #GrandSlam

Australian Open Ladies Doubles Final 2015