For the first time in two decades, Wales will be represented in the Wimbledon singles main draw, as 17-year-old Mingge (Mimi) Xu earns a wildcard into the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament.
Born and raised in Swansea, Xu becomes the first Welsh player to feature in the singles since Rebecca Llewellyn competed at the Championships in 2005. The teenager’s recent surge in form on the grass courts has not gone unnoticed, with a string of impressive results at top-level events earning her a coveted place in the main draw.
Xu’s wildcard marks a significant milestone—not just for her burgeoning career, but for Welsh tennis. Now ranked 318 in the world, she has recorded four WTA-level victories over the past month, including standout wins against two top-150 players and a high-profile triumph over world No.52 and tournament top seed Alycia Parks at the Birmingham Classic.
Already a familiar face at Wimbledon, Xu holds the record as the youngest player in the Open Era to receive a wildcard into the women’s qualifying event—doing so aged just 14 after winning both the U16 and U18 British National titles. Last year, she finished runner-up in the junior girls’ doubles alongside fellow Briton Mika Stojsavljevic and reached a career-high junior world ranking of No.8 before shifting her focus fully to the women’s tour this season.
She prepared for Wimbledon this week with more grass-court action in Eastbourne and could yet feature in the junior draw, where she would be considered among the title favourites.
Xu began her tennis journey at Swansea Tennis and Squash Club and Swansea Tennis Centre before moving to the LTA National Academy in Loughborough. She now trains at the LTA National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, where she shares facilities with the likes of Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.
“This will be a superb experience,” said one coach close to her camp, “Competing in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time at just 17 is a landmark moment for Mimi—and for Welsh tennis.”
Wales will also be represented by Cardiff’s James Story, 24, who featured in Wimbledon qualifying after winning the LTA Wimbledon Qualifying Play-Offs earlier this year. Story, a former Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist and Junior Wimbledon doubles semi-finalist, recently graduated from the University of South Carolina before turning professional in 2024.
With a career-high ATP ranking of 557, Story has built a strong foundation this season and earned his place as one of the country’s top male players. In the Wimbledon qualifiers, he drew a tough opening match against world No.107 Tomas Barrios Vera, the fifth seed and a former ATP 250 champion. Despite a spirited performance, Story fell short of reaching the main draw—but his showing underlines his growing potential on the professional circuit.
Meanwhile, Penarth’s Felix Bockelmann-Evans will fly the flag for Wales in the junior boys’ doubles, after claiming the Lexus Junior National Championships title alongside partner Ferran Redza. The 18-year-old duo powered past the tournament’s top three seeds to lift the national trophy and secure a spot at the All England Club.
Bockelmann-Evans, who trains through the Tennis Wales National Training Programme in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University, is enjoying a breakthrough season. In January, he won his first men’s title at a Progress Tour event held at Cardiff Met, and his Wimbledon debut marks a significant step forward in his development.
The Junior Championships begin a week after the main Wimbledon tournament, with matches available to watch via BBC iPlayer.
With three Welsh players featuring across senior and junior draws, 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for tennis in Wales—and a moment of pride for a nation that has waited two decades for a new Wimbledon chapter.
