Mimi Xu is the next British women’s tennis teen hoping to make a splash at a Grand Slam. Still only 17, the Welsh star emerged from an A-Level exam earlier this week to learn that she had received a wildcard for Wimbledon.
Xu is one of a number of young British hopefuls handed wildcards to this year’s tournament in SW19. However, she has recently had to balance playing in tournaments all over the world with exams. Clad in full tennis gear, Xu was taking a biology paper when news of her Wimbledon wildcard was made public. She left the hall to learn that her childhood dreams had come true.
“I stand out a bit because I’m in full sports kit,” Xu, who says she first started playing tennis with a neighbour aged three, told The Times of sitting in an exam hall.
“I think I’ve been able to fit it all in quite well. I did my maths last year and I have economics to sit next year. I have limited tournaments because of my age, which has helped with fitting everything in. If I have tournaments and get behind, it’s not the end of the world because I’ve been able to catch up.
“In all fairness, I enjoy studying. It might sound a bit weird but I feel like studying is a bit of a hobby of mine. I really enjoy learning new things. I think a part of me after these exams is going to be thinking, ‘What shall I do with my free time?’”
Xu was born in Swansea to Chinese parents. Tony and Wendy met at Swansea University and settled in the city. It was at Swansea Tennis and Squash Club where Xu first played competitively, before she won an Under-8 tournament and decided to take tennis seriously.
Rated highly by the LTA, Xu first entered Wimbledon as a qualifier aged 14 and reached the junior girls’ doubles final at Wimbledon last year with Mika Stojsavljevic. She has two recent top-100 victories and has climbed to No. 350 in the world.
“For any player to play at Wimbledon is just a dream,” Xu said. “When I get there I think it’s going to feel absolutely amazing. If I am feeling good about myself and believing in myself I feel like I’ve a good chance against anyone. I’m really confident in my game at the moment.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk