Wimbledon wildcard – Katie Swan profile: A closer look at the rising British star

The 20-year-old reached the round of 64 at last year’s Championships

Katie Swan is one of three British women to be handed a wildcard to this year’s Wimbledon main draw. The 20-year-old, who is currently based in the USA, was hand-picked by the LTA as one of the potential stars of the future: she is one of three members of the Pro Scholarship Programme to be granted a wildcard straight into the competition proper, joining Harriet Dart and Jay Clarke.

Swan recently drew plaudits from fellow professionals, including Nick Kyrgios, for speaking out over mental health struggles. She took to Twitter to express the difficulties of life on the pro circuit, in particular the toughness of dealing with losses. The youngster, who was involved in the latest GB Fed Cup squad, has spoken with gratitude over the support she has since received.

On the tennis courts, Swan’s form has been variable so far this year. A run to the quarter-finals in Rome represented a reasonable showing, and defeat to Kristina Kucova in the final qualifying round was all that prevented Swan from making an appearance at the French Open.

However, a loss in the first round of Australian Open qualifying and in qualification for the Monterrey tournament was underwhelming.

Armed with a newfound perspective on the sport, she will be hopeful of repeating last year’s run beyond the first round of Wimbledon. Even if she cannot, it is encouraging to see a sports star feel the benefits of opening up. The wildcard offers something of a free hit for Swan.

Best Wimbledon finish: Round of 64, 2018 (Defeat in straight sets to Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu)

Grand Slam best: As above. Swan has reached the final round of qualifying for both the US Open and French Open, but her only main draw Grand Slam appearances have been at Wimbledon. As well as her second-round loss last year, she was eliminated in the first round in 2016.

Highest ranking: Katie Swan reached world number 163 in October of last year.

Current Ranking: 211

Age: 20

How did she perform last year? Last year at Wimbledon was Swan’s most impressive performance to date. Buoyed by the home crowd, she triumphed over Irina-Camelia Begu. The Romanian has ranked as highly as 22nd in the world, but was dispatched 6-2 6-2 by the Briton.