Wimbledon 2019 – Jay Clarke wildcard profile: A closer look at the young Briton

Clarke was knocked out in the round of 128 at last year’s Championships

Jay Clarke, 20, is a Derby-based player receiving a wildcard into only his second Grand Slam main draw. He holds a world ranking of 164, an impressive rise given that he only broke into the top 1000 in October 2016.

He is a member of the LTA’s Pro Scholarship Programme. This is the highest level of support offered by the national governing body, aimed at identifying and aiding those with the best prospects of breaking into the top 100 within five years. Nine out of 12 members of the programme have been afforded the opportunity to feature at this year’s tournament, either through entry into the main draw or the qualifiers.

Clarke nearly reached the main singles draw in 2017, but was defeated in the final qualifying round despite going two sets up. The following year he featured in the competition proper for the first time, but lost in five sets to Ernests Gulbis.

He also partnered Cameron Norrie in the men’s doubles, again falling in five sets in a Wimbledon classic that saw the pair lose the fifth set 22-20. However, he and Harriet Dart embarked upon a remarkable journey to the semi-finals of the mixed doubles, defeating the first seeds along the way before eventually losing to Jamie Murray and Victoria Azarenka.

Clarke will be hoping to replicate similar against-the-odds success in only his second taste of the singles tournament, although his first-round defeat in his two most recent grass court tournaments does not bode particularly well.

Best Wimbledon finish: Round of 128, 2018 (defeat in five sets to Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis)

Grand Slam best: As above. Clarke has only featured beyond qualifying in a Slam on one occasion, having lost in three sets in the first round of French Open qualifying earlier this year.

Highest ranking: Jay Clarke reached a career high of 158 in the world in late May this year.

Current ranking: 164

Age: 20

How did he perform last year? Clarke’s most significant Wimbledon contribution by far came in the mixed doubles last year. Along with Harriet Dart, another member of the Pro Scholarship Programme who has also received a wildcard to the main draw, Clarke advanced far deeper into the tournament than anyone predicted. Number 1 seeds Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski were defeated on the way to a semi-final run. Clarke suffered narrow first-round defeats in both the men’s doubles and men’s singles.