Jodie Burrage has every reason to smile that she's on the verge of being in the top 100 in the world. Photo: Paul Grover for The Telegraph
Almost 14 years ago, 14-year-old Jodie Burrage gave an interview to Telegraph Sport with the headline: «My lonely reality is trying to get to Wimbledon.» She was a promising British talent, navigating boarding school and on her way to elite tennis. In one memorable quote, her mother Yvonne said, «I don't think it's worth continuing if Jodie isn't going to be in the top 50 or top 100 in the world.»
When reminded of her mother by the Word, Burrage, who drops to at least 127th in the world on Monday, might see the funny side. “Wow, Mom,” she says, feigning a wince. «I think she would have looked back at that comment and thought it was a little harsh.»
Burrage, 24, may be on the verge of living up to her mother's hopes and expectations. A few weeks ago, she hit a career-high number 106 in the rankings, putting her on the cusp of finally making the top 100. She is also part of a group of women who spend the season on grass courts competing for the top spot in the UK. , due to the absence of an injury to former US Open champion Emma Raducanou.
“I think 14-year-old me would be surprised, I had no idea what it really takes to be a professional athlete,” Burrage says of his journey. “Honestly, even at 17 or 18, I decided to go to university [before I changed my mind] because I didn’t believe I could become a professional tennis player. That's what I'm still constantly trying to get, that's faith in myself. I think the 14-year-old me would be happy if I stayed with this.”
A year ago, the prospect of Burrage replacing Radukan seemed unlikely. She was not in the top 250 and struggled to get consecutive wins on the ITF Tour. In addition to being 248 spots behind Radukan, she was also ahead of Heather Watson, Harriet Dart, Cathy Boulter, Fran Jones and Cathy Swan.
Burrage has been showing impressive results over the past 12 months and looks to get even better in the coming months. Photo: PA/Jacob King
But then came last year's UK grass court season, where Burrage reached the final of the £100,000 tournaments at Surbiton and Ilkley before beating world No. 4 Paulo Badosa at Eastbourne, climbing nearly 120 places in the rankings in four weeks. Since then, she has continued to progress for several months, working on her fitness with trainer Craig Veal and mostly playing on the second tier of the ITF Tour, winning her biggest ever title at a £60,000 tournament in France in March. A couple of weeks ago, she reached the final in Nottingham, where she lost to the reigning No. 1 Boulter in Great Britain.
Burrage meets Telegraph Sport at the National Tennis Center in Roehampton, preparing for what could be a career-defining season at the grass court if she can take first place in the British rankings. Does she think that people used to underestimate her abilities?
“Do they see me as an outsider? Yes, definitely,” Burrage says, nodding. “I had several injuries in my early years, for example, from 16 to 18 years old I had three operations on my ankle, multiple stress fractures, even this year I broke my knee. So I feel like it's been a journey where I've been trying to get consistent on tour where the level is just different. It got in the way a little. But I feel that now I can show how I can play and what I can achieve. I'm far from finished yet, I'm just getting started and really believe in it. I may not have thought at the start of the year of being British No. 1.”
Burrage's career-high ranking last month was achieved in a curious combination of circumstances. The rest of the Brits fell in the rankings along with Radukan due to injuries and loss of form. For the first time in 15 years, no British woman made the top 100.
Burrage hopes to make an impact at Wimbledon by earning a wildcard. has been No. 1 in the UK since January 2008 (Kathy O'Brien didn't last long despite dropping to No. 127) when she hit No. 126 earlier that month. Grass running pushed her up to 77th, but all the Brits relied on wildcards to get into the Wimbledon main draw.
It's a strange place, Burrage admits. “I saw headlines that no British woman made it into the top 100. But 106th place in the world is my career maximum. If I can't enjoy it now, then what can I enjoy? So it was a little strange to see it all.”
One of the most outspoken critics was Dan Evans, the second-best-ranked Briton, who suggested that women lacked fire in their bellies. or the motivation to play «week after week» by adding, «Maybe they have too much money or something.»
Burrage brushes it off with a smile. “I know Evo well, he likes to play tricks on people. It's just his playful [sic] behavior and the way he treats people. After all, he has no idea how much money they make or anything like that. It's just a vague remark, although I know that he will stick to it, because he is who he is.
“I know girls. Obviously, there is a desire to be there. Otherwise, we would not be professional athletes. Everyone has ups and downs in their careers, this is part of the life of an athlete.”
Burrage understands how quickly things can change. She opted to sit out the French Open to guard against a nagging elbow injury, and a first-round loss at Surbiton saw her slip even more, with Dart and Swan poised to take advantage. Making it to the final in Nottingham means she remains Britain's No. 2 for the time being and above Radukan in the table.
Berraj considers Emma Raducana his friend and is now ahead of her in the rankings. Credit: Getty Images/Alex Davidson
Burraj says she hasn't discussed the rating with Raducanu, whom she considers a friend, but she advised her on how to deal with the three surgeries she's had in the past few weeks. “To undergo an operation is not easy, to lie in the hospital, to go to bed. I gave her some advice on how to get the very best medicine, because once you leave the hospital, you can be in a lot of pain.
“We chat a little backstage. She did the right thing by getting it. We will support each other no matter what. It's weird [overtaking her], you know she's falling, but we're professional athletes, we're going up and down.”
As for the potential pressure to be British No. 1, surely Radukan has some advice? Burrage laughs, but is not in the mood to tempt fate. «Yeah, it would probably be nice to have a chat with her, but then again, that hasn't happened yet — so we can cross that bridge when it comes down to it.»
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