Heather Watson

Last updated

Heather Watson
Watson WM19 (55) (48521847187).jpg
Watson at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships
Country (sports)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Born (1992-05-19) 19 May 1992 (age 32)
Saint Peter Port, Guernsey
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) [1]
Turned pro2010
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
CoachDiego Veronelli
Prize moneyUS$ 5,694,687
Singles
Career record415–343
Career titles4
Highest rankingNo. 38 (19 January 2015)
Current rankingNo. 142 (25 November 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 3R (2013)
French Open 2R (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018)
Wimbledon 4R (2022)
US Open 1R (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 2R (2012, 2016)
Doubles
Career record177–184
Career titles5
Highest rankingNo. 39 (25 February 2019)
Current rankingNo. 57 (25 November 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 3R (2021)
French Open 2R (2018, 2022)
Wimbledon QF (2018)
US Open 3R (2024)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games QF (2024)
Mixed doubles
Career record13–8
Career titles1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open QF (2024)
French Open 2R (2024)
Wimbledon W (2016)
US Open 1R (2017)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games QF (2016)
Team competitions
BJK Cup SF (2022, 2024), record 31–16
Medal record
Tennis
Representing Flag of Guernsey.svg Guernsey
Commonwealth Youth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Pune Singles
Last updated on: 25 November 2024.

Heather Miriam Watson [2] (born 19 May 1992) is a British professional tennis player. A former British No. 1, Watson has won nine titles over her career, including the mixed-doubles title at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, partnering Henri Kontinen, making her the first British woman to win a major title since Jo Durie in 1991, and the first to win a Wimbledon title since Durie in 1987. In October 2012, Watson won her first WTA Tour singles title at the Japan Women's Open, becoming the first British woman to win a WTA tournament singles title since Sara Gomer in 1988.

Contents

In her junior career, Watson won the US Open and a gold medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. [3] She reached No. 3 in the world on the ITF Junior Circuit. [1]

Early life and junior career

Heather Watson was born in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey to Michelle and Ian Watson. Her mother is from Papua New Guinea and her father is British, and was the managing director of Guernsey Electricity from 1995 until retirement in 2010. She has one brother and two sisters. Watson started playing tennis at the age of seven, [4] and at age twelve she went to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. [2]

In 2006, Watson won the British Under-14 Championship. [5] The following year she won the British Under-16 Championship, [6] and reached the semifinals of the British Under-18 Championship. [7] She lost in the under-18 semifinals again in 2008 to eventual winner Tara Moore. [8] In October, Watson travelled to Pune in India to compete at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games where she won the gold medal, winning the final against Kyra Shroff. [9] [10] Mother Michelle left her job in 2008 to travel full-time with her daughter around the World Junior Circuit. [2]

Watson played her first senior tournament in March 2009 – the $25k Jersey Open, but lost in the second round to Katie O'Brien. At the beginning of July, she became the highest-ranked British junior, overtaking Laura Robson. [11] She achieved her first senior women's world ranking on 27 July 2009, entering at No. 756. [12] She won her first senior title at the Frinton $10k tournament. Watson beat Anna Fitzpatrick in the final. [13] At the 2009 US Open, Watson was seeded 11th for the girls' singles. She reached the quarterfinals on 10 September before rain interrupted the tournament schedule. The tournament moved indoors and Watson beat second seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in the quarterfinal on 12 September. [14] She played her semifinal on the same day and was victorious against Daria Gavrilova to reach the final, where she faced doubles partner Yana Buchina. [15] Playing on court 7, Watson won in straight sets. [16]

At the 2009 French Open, Watson and her partner, as the third seeds, reached the girls' doubles final where she and Tímea Babos faced the second-seeded pair of Noppawan Lertcheewakarn and Elena Bogdan and were beaten in a match tie-break. [17] Partnering Yana Buchina, that year they were the seventh seed at the Australian girls' doubles and sixth seed at the US Open girls' doubles, but they lost in the first round at both tournaments. At Wimbledon, she teamed up with Magda Linette and they were seeded sixth in the girls' doubles but eliminated in the second round.

Junior Grand Slam performance

Australian Open: QF (2009)
French Open: 1R (2009)
Wimbledon: 1R (2008, 2009)
US Open: W (2009)

Junior Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (title)

ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win 2009 US Open Hard Flag of Russia.svg Yana Buchina 6–4, 6–1

Doubles: 1 (runner-up)

ResultYearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss 2009 French Open Clay Flag of Hungary.svg Tímea Babos Flag of Romania.svg Elena Bogdan
Flag of Thailand.svg Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 		6–3, 3–6, [8–10]

Career

At Kockelsheuer Sports Center Heather Watson (22389715242).jpg
At Kockelsheuer Sports Center

2009

Watson began competing on the ITF Women's Circuit in March when she entered the qualifying tournament for the $10k event in Bath, Somerset, but failed to win a match. She entered her next tournament, a $25k event in Jersey, on a wildcard and beat compatriot Jade Curtis in the first round. She was defeated by another Britain, Katie O'Brien, in round two. In July, she reached her first ITF semifinal as a qualifier in the $10k grass-court tournament in Felixstowe, before losing to Anna Smith. She went on to qualify for the next tournament she entered and again faced Smith in the semifinals; however, this time Watson was victorious and went on to beat Anna Fitzpatrick in the final to win her first title. Continuing to compete on the ITF Circuit for the rest of the season, Watson beat Melanie South in round one of a $50k in Barnstaple in October, before being defeated by Kristina Mladenovic in round two. She ended the 2009 season with a singles ranking of 588. [18]

2010: Turned professional, Grand Slam debut

Watson began 2010 with a wildcard into the $25k event in Sutton, London, where she made the quarterfinals. She immediately flew to the $100k Midland Classic, losing to qualifier and fellow 17-year-old Beatrice Capra in the first round. [19] Two weeks later, she entered the $25k event in Hammond, Louisiana. Watson qualified and went on to reach her second quarterfinal of the year, defeating former world No. 7 and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, Nicole Vaidišová, and fifth seed Monique Adamczak, en route. The following week, Watson entered another $25k event in Clearwater, Florida. In the final qualifying round, she lost to fellow Brit Georgie Stoop, before being handed a lucky loser spot in the main draw and defeating Anna Tatishvili in the first round. She lost to Zhou Yimiao in round two. Watson was then given a wildcard into the main draw of the Miami Open, [20] but lost to Tsvetana Pironkova in the first round. [21] This was the first time in her career that Watson competed on the WTA Tour. In April, she reached the quarterfinals of a $25k event in Jackson, Mississippi. Following this, she qualified for the WTA Tour event in Charleston, South Carolina, [22] before losing to Elena Vesnina in the first round. [23]

At the Eastbourne International, Watson qualified for the main draw by defeating Anna Smith, Tsvetana Pironkova and Bojana Jovanovski. [24] Watson defeated world No. 48, Aleksandra Wozniak, in the first round. [25] In the second round, she was defeated by former top-10 player Victoria Azarenka. She then entered the first Grand Slam tournament of her career, after receiving a wildcard into the main draw of Wimbledon. Watson met Romina Oprandi in the first round and lost in three sets. [26] [27] Moving back onto hardcourts, her next tournament was a $25k tournament in Wrexham. She defeated four fellow British players (including Anna Fitzpatrick and Naomi Broady) on her way to the final, where she defeated former top-30 player Sania Mirza to win her second ITF title. In October 2010, she was seeded fifth for the women's singles at the Commonwealth Games, taking the rare opportunity to represent Guernsey. [28] She eventually lost to top seed, Anastasia Rodionova of Australia, in the quarterfinals. [29] Partnering Patrick Ogier, Watson also reached the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles, where they were defeated by the third seeds Sarah Borwell and Ken Skupski, representing England. [30]

2011: First major match win at the French Open & top 100 debut

Watson playing in the 2011 Fed Cup Fed Cup Group I 2011 Europe Africa day 1 Heather Watson 003.jpg
Watson playing in the 2011 Fed Cup

Watson began the season by qualifying for the Auckland Open. She continued her winning streak in the main tournament and beat ninth seed Carla Suárez Navarro to get into the quarterfinals, [31] where she lost to Peng Shuai. [32]

Watson qualified for the Cellular South Cup., going on to reach her second quarterfinal of the year where she lost to Evgeniya Rodina. [33]

On 3 April 2011, Watson won two matches to qualify for the Charleston Open, where she lost a close three-set match to Christina McHale in the first round. [34]

Watson next attempted to qualify for the Estoril Open. In the first round of qualifying, she beat former world No. 17, Karolina Šprem. [35] She went on to beat Katarzyna Piter in the second round of qualifying, [36] but eventually lost to Tamira Paszek in the final qualifying round. [37]

Watson qualified for the French Open on her debut. She beat Raluca Olaru and Sally Peers in the first and second rounds, respectively, to reach the final round, where she defeated Stefanie Vögele to gain a place in the main draw for the first time. [38] This was the first time a British woman had qualified for the French Open since Kate Brasher, the daughter of Shirley Bloomer and Chris Brasher, in 1983. She played French wildcard Stéphanie Foretz Gacon in the first round and won. [39] The victory saw her break into the top 100 for the first time. In the second round she lost to 16th seed Kaia Kanepi in the second round. [40]

Watson continued her good form entering the grass-court season when she beat 15th seed Chanelle Scheepers in the first round of the Birmingham Classic. [41] She followed this up by beating Misaki Doi in the second round. However, she lost to third seed and eventual semifinalist Peng Shuai in the third round. [42]

On 22 June 2011, Watson played Mathilde Johansson in her first round match in the Wimbledon Championships, winning the opening set before suffering an arm injury in the second set. Johansson then went on to win in three sets. [43]

On 29 August 2011, in the first round of the US Open, Watson lost in three sets to former champion Maria Sharapova. [44] After the match, Sharapova stated "There's no doubt that she's a great up-and-coming player". [45]

2012: Wimbledon 3rd round, maiden WTA Tour title, top 50 debut

Watson lost in the first round of the Australian Open to the eventual champion Victoria Azarenka. [46]

Watson was selected for the British Fed Cup Team to play in the Europe/Africa Group-1 match at Eilat, Israel on 1–4 February 2012. In the group stages she played doubles with Laura Robson, defeating pairs from Portugal [47] and the Netherlands [48] and Israel in the group stages. Robson and Watson were not required to play their doubles in the play-off match against Austria as Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha won their singles rubbers, and the 2–0 lead qualified the team for a place in the World Group II promotion play-off in April 2012. [49]

Watson won three rounds in qualifying for the French Open at Roland Garros in May 2012. She then defeated Elena Vesnina in the first round, matching her 2011 result in the tournament. In the second round, she was defeated by the 25th seed Julia Görges of Germany. [50]

In June, ranked No. 103, Watson defeated world No. 52, Iveta Benešová, in her first singles win at 2012 Wimbledon Championships. [51] She then beat Jamie Hampton, becoming the first British woman since 2002 to reach the third round of Wimbledon. [52] In the third round, Watson lost to the third seed and eventual runner-up, Agnieszka Radwańska. [53]

At the Stanford Classic, Watson lost in the second round to world No. 37, Yanina Wickmayer, after a victory over the world No. 49, Sloane Stephens. [54] She won the doubles competition of the Stanford Classic, where she played with Marina Erakovic to beat Vania King and Jarmila Gajdošová in a second set tiebreak. This was her first title on the full WTA Tour. At the Carlsbad Open, she beat Eleni Daniilidou to set up a second round meeting with qualifier Chan Yung-jan. However, she lost the match. [55]

She received an ITF wildcard into the singles tournament at the London Olympics, where she defeated Sílvia Soler Espinosa, [56] before losing her second-round match to Maria Kirilenko. She also played in the women's doubles in the Olympic tournament with Laura Robson, losing in the first round to Angelique Kerber and Sabine Lisicki. [57] Her next tournament was the Texas Open where in the singles she lost to Yanina Wickmayer in the first round. [58] However, she went on to win the doubles competition alongside Marina Erakovic. [59]

Watson gained automatic entry into the main draw of the US Open but was beaten in the first round by Li Na. [60] She then qualified for the Pan Pacific Open and beat Sabine Lisicki in the first round, [61] but then lost to Maria Sharapova. [62]

Watson made a WTA Tour singles final for the first time in her career at the HP Open where she beat Polona Hercog, sixth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues, Pauline Parmentier and Misaki Doi. In the final, she saved four match points to beat Chang Kai-chen in a match lasting 3 hours and 12 minutes. [63] With this win, Watson attained a top-50 ranking for the first time in her career, at the same time overtaking compatriot Laura Robson as the British No. 1. Watson also became the first Briton to win a WTA singles title since Sara Gomer in 1988. She also made the doubles final in the same event with Kimiko Date-Krumm, but lost to Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears. [64]

2013: Australian Open 3rd round & top 40

Watson during the 2013 Fed Cup Fed Cup Group I 2013 Europe Africa day 3 Heather Watson 009.JPG
Watson during the 2013 Fed Cup

Watson began the year in the top 50 and therefore qualified for the Australian Open. She reached the second round for the first time in her career thanks to a three-set victory against the Romanian Alexandra Cadanțu. [65] In the second round, she came back from trailing Ksenia Pervak by a set and 6–3 in the tie break, to win in three sets. [66] She faced world No. 4, Agnieszka Radwańska, in the third round, where she was beaten in two sets. [67] This run saw Watson rise to a career-high world ranking of 40. [68]

Watson's next tournament was the Pattaya Open where she was eighth seed and reached the second round but lost to Anastasija Sevastova. [69] She then competed in the Fed Cup, helping Great Britain reach a World Group II Play-off tie with victories over Tímea Babos of Hungary [70] and Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in the Euro/Africa Group I Play-off. [71]

Her next tournament was the U.S. National Indoor Championships in Memphis where she was seeded fourth. In the first round, she overcame a tense battle with world No. 109, Galina Voskoboeva. [72] She then defeated Andrea Hlaváčková in another three-setter [73] before losing to Stefanie Vögele in the quarterfinals. [74]

Watson was forced to miss Great Britain's Fed Cup Play-off against Argentina after contracting glandular fever. Her first game back after recovering was at the French Open, where she lost to Stefanie Vögele in three sets, saying after the match she knew it would be tough but that she was very disappointed. [75]

Beginning the grass-court season, she entered the Birmingham Classic seeded 14th and defeated Melinda Czink in the first round, [76] her first victory since returning from her illness before she lost to qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva. [77] At the Eastbourne International, Watson upset world No. 27, Varvara Lepchenko, in the first round in two sets. [78] At Wimbledon, she lost in the first round to Madison Keys. [79]

Before the US Open Series, she decided to change coaches by hiring Jeremy Bates [80] and won her first post-Wimbledon match against wildcard Alexandra Mueller at the Washington Open. [81] Watson then lost in the next round to fourth-seed Alizé Cornet, in straight sets. [82]

2014: Third tour doubles title

Heather Watson at the 2014 Open de Cagnes-sur-Mer Heather Watson Cagnes 2014.JPG
Heather Watson at the 2014 Open de Cagnes-sur-Mer

Watson qualified for the Australian Open. [83] She faced 31st seed Daniela Hantuchová and lost in three sets. [84]

In Fed Cup Watson continued her impressive run winning all four of her singles rubbers in the Europe/Africa Zone. Despite her victories, which included two top 40 scalps defeating Yvonne Meusburger of Austria [85] and Romanian world No. 26, Sorana Cîrstea, [86]

Watson then proceeded to compete at the second-tier Midland Classic where she defeated Ksenia Pervak in the final to win her fourth ITF title and, partnering Anna Tatishvili, she also reached the doubles final and won after a deciding champions tiebreak. [87]

Watson re-entered the WTA top 100 after winning the Sparta Prague Open in May. She defeated three top-100 players – Klára Koukalová, Karolína Plíšková and Tímea Babos – en route to the final of the $100k event. Due to poor weather, Watson was forced to play her semifinal with Babos on the final's day. She claimed a two-set victory, before defeating sixth seed Anna Karolína Schmiedlová (who had played most of her semifinal the day before) in the final. [88]

Her impressive form carried over to the French Open where she came through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw. In the first round, Watson defeated Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in straight sets [89] before falling to world No. 4, Simona Halep, in the second round. [90]

At Eastbourne, she defeated sixth seed Flavia Pennetta, in three sets, in the second round [91] on the way to the semifinals where she lost to Madison Keys. [92]

At Wimbledon where she played Ajla Tomljanović and defeated her in straight sets. [93] She then played Angelique Kerber, the ninth seed, in the second round losing in three sets. [94]

Watson won her third career doubles title at the Baku Cup, partnering with Alexandra Panova. In the final, they crushed Raluca Olaru and Shahar Pe'er. [95]

Watson qualified for the Rogers Cup, making it to the third round where she was defeated by eighth seed Victoria Azarenka. [96] She then qualifyed for the Cincinnati Open, before losing to Zhang Shuai in the first round in three sets. [97]

2015: Second career singles title

Watson won her second tour title at the Hobart International. On her way to it she did not drop a set, beating Madison Brengle in the final. [98]

During the Indian Wells Open, she recorded her first top-ten win with a two-set victory over world No. 8 Agnieszka Radwańska to move into the fourth round for the first time, [99] where she lost to Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets. [100]

At Wimbledon, Watson made it into the third round for the second time in her career. She was then pitted against the world No. 1, Serena Williams, and was two points away from winning, but lost in three sets in a match described by pundits as a "thriller". [101] [102] Following the match, Williams applauded Watson's efforts and went on to say that "she should have won the match". [103] Watson's efforts at Wimbledon pushed her back up to world No. 55.

Over the course of the rest of the season, her best result was a quarterfinal showing at the Hong Kong Open where she lost to former major champion Samantha Stosur. [104]

2016: Third career singles title, Wimbledon mixed-doubles champion

Watson represented her nation at the Hopman Cup with Andy Murray. She was beaten by Caroline Garcia in the tie against France, but went on to win against Daria Gavrilova and Sabine Lisicki. Great Britain almost reached the final against Ukraine, but the Australia team of Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios won their tie against France, placing them ahead of Great Britain in the round-robin results. [105]

As the world No. 53, Watson then started her season at the Hobart International, attempting to defend her title. The tournament was interrupted by multiple rain delays, [106] with Watson losing in the quarterfinals, playing twice in one day. [107] At the Australian Open, she was narrowly beaten in the first round by Tímea Babos. [108]

In Mexico at the Monterrey Open, Watson defeated No. 2 seed Caroline Wozniacki and No. 4 seed Caroline Garcia on her way to the title, beating Kirsten Flipkens in the championship match for her third WTA title. [109]

At the Miami Open, her strong form continued with two wins over higher-ranked players including world No. 22, Sloane Stephens, [110] before a fourth round defeat by world No. 5, Simona Halep. [111]

On grass courts, Watson's second-round appearance at the Birmingham Classic with a win over Camila Giorgi resulted in her re-entry into the world's top 50. [112]

At Wimbledon, she won the mixed doubles title with Henri Kontinen, defeating Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Grönefeld in the final. [113] [114]

Watson represented Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics. [115]

2017: Wimbledon 3rd round

Starting the year at the Hopman Cup partnered with Daniel Evans, the duo were knocked out in the group stages, between them winning only one of nine matches. In Melbourne at the Australian Open, Watson beat seeded Samantha Stosur to get through to the second round. [116]  She was the Europe/Africa Zone Group I 2017 winner of the Fed Cup Heart Award, which is awarded for commitment to their players team and the Fed Cup competition. [117]

Watson was runner-up at the ITF event of Surbiton [118] and reached Eastbourne semifinals, defeating top-10 player Dominika Cibulková in the second round, [119] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third [120] and Barbora Strýcová in the quarterfinals, [121] before falling to Caroline Wozniacki. [122] At Wimbledon, she defeated 18th seed Anastasija Sevastova in the second round [123] before bowing out against Victoria Azarenka in three sets. [124]

2018: Loss of form, doubles quarterfinal at Wimbledon

A first round defeat at the Prague Open in April to Anna Karolína Schmiedlová was Watson's eighth consecutive loss on the WTA Tour. [125] She finally snapped her losing streak when she defeated Kateryna Bondarenko in the first round of the Nuremberg Cup at the end of May to record her first win in four months. [126]

As the top seed, Watson lost in the first round of the Surbiton Trophy to world No. 184, Gabriella Taylor. [127] and went on to fail to win a match during the grass-court season. Watson was docked a point for swearing as she and Tatjana Maria lost to Katerina Siniaková and Barbora Krejčíková in the doubles quarterfinals in Wimbledon. [128]

At San Jose she beat Claire Liu before succumbing to Venus Williams. [129] Watson showed signs of form when she reached the final of an ITF event in Canada, before losing to Misaki Doi. [130] She carried this form into the US Open qualifying where she won three successive matches to reach the main draw. [131] However, Watson was unable to get her first main-draw win in New York as she lost in three sets to Ekaterina Makarova. [132] Watson reached the semifinals in Quebec, but lost in a deciding set tiebreak against Pauline Parmentier. [133]

2019: Tianjin Open final

In October 2019, she reached the final of the Tianjin Open, which she lost to Rebecca Peterson. [134]

2020: Fourth WTA Tour title

Her 2020 season started well, reaching the semifinals as a qualifier in Hobart. On her way to the semifinals, Watson defeated top seed Elise Mertens, [135] before losing to eventual champion Elena Rybakina. [136] She took this form to the Australian Open, where she defeated Kristýna Plíšková in the opening round, [137] before losing to Mertens. [138]

In the Fed Cup Play-offs, Watson represented Great Britain in their crunch tie away in Slovakia. She lost to Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in the opening tie, before beating Rebecca Sramkova on the following day. [139] Great Britain eventually lost the tie 1–3. [140]

In February 2020, Watson played at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, winning her fourth career singles title. She defeated CoCo Vandeweghe, Kateryna Bondarenko, Christina McHale and Wang Xiyu to reach the final, where she overcame qualifier Leylah Fernandez in three sets, clinching the match on her tenth championship point. [141] [142] The win propelled Watson back into the world's top 50 (No. 49) for the first time since 2016.[ citation needed ]

She participated in the Battle of the Brits Team Tennis event, held in London in late July, notching up a number of wins in singles and teaming up with Jamie Murray in mixed doubles.[ citation needed ]

When the WTA Tour resumed following the COVID-19 pause, Watson lost in the first round at Flushing Meadows to British No. 1 and world No. 13, Johanna Konta. [143]

Watson won the Battle of the Brits Premier League women's event, held in December 2020. [144]

2021: Birmingham semifinal

The highlight of Watson's 2021 season was a semifinal appearance at the Birmingham Classic, defeating third seed Donna Vekić, 6–4, 6–2, to become just the third Brit player to reach the last four in the Birmingham tournament's 31-year history, following Anne Hobbs in 1984 and Jo Durie in 1992. [145] She also took part in her third Olympics at the delayed Tokyo Games. [146]

2022: Wimbledon fourth round, BJK Cup semifinalist

At the Australian Open beating Mayar Sherif in a close three-set encounter, [147] before losing to Zidanšek. [148]

She qualified for the main draw at Indian Wells where lost in the first round to Tereza Martincová. [149]

At the Miami Open, Watson broke a six-year losing streak at the event when she defeated Arantxa Rus in the first round where after a 3-hour 25 minute battle. [150] She then overcame 15th seed Elina Svitolina [151] before losing her next match to 22nd seed Belinda Bencic. [152]

At the Nottingham Open, she defeated Katie Volynets in the first round despite needing a medical timeout towards the end of the first set. [153] In the second round, however, she lost in straight sets to Viktoria Golubic. [154]

In her 12th attempt, Watson finally reached the fourth round at Wimbledon defeating Kaja Juvan, [155] before she lost to Jule Niemeier. [156]

At the close of the season she helped the Great Britain team reach the semifinals of the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup [157]

2023: Nottingham semifinal

At the 2023 Australian Open, she went out in the first round of qualifying. It was the first year since 2012 that she did not play the main draw in Melbourne. [158]

She reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal in almost two years at Hua Hin with wins over second seed Yulia Putintseva [159] and Han Na-lae. [160] She lost in the last eight to seventh seed Wang Xinyu. [161]

Watson made it through qualifying at the Austin Open where she defeated Danka Kovinić in the first round, [162] before losing to fifth seed Sloane Stephens. [163]

At the 2023 Nottingham Open, she made her first tour semifinal since 2021 with wins over Jule Niemeier, [164] Tatjana Maria [165] and Viktorija Golubic. [166] Her run was ended by eventual champion Katie Boulter. [167]

2024: Fourth Olympics and doubles quarterfinal

After being given a wildcard entry, Watson lost to Greet Minnen in the first round at Wimbledon. [168] [169]

She was selected to play doubles alongside Katie Boulter at the 2024 Summer Olympics which was her fourth appearance at the Games. [170] [171] [172] The pair reached the quarterfinals, defeating sixth seeded Brazilian duo Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani in the second round, [173] before losing to third seeds and eventual gold medalists, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini from Italy. [174] [175] Watson went out in the second qualifying round for the US Open, losing in straight sets to Aliaksandra Sasnovich. [176]

Watson qualified for the newly upgraded WTA 500 Korea Open, defeating Ku Yeon-woo in the final round of the qualifying competition. [177] She overcame Lu Jiajing in the first round to record only her third main draw singles win of the season. [178] [179] This was her twelfth win in fourteen singles matches 180. Watson lost in the second round to Marta Kostyuk. [180]

At the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November, Watson and Olivia Nicholls lost to Viktória Hrunčáková and Tereza Mihalikova in the decivisve doubles match as Great Britain were eliminated in the semifinals by Slovakia. [181]

Playing style

Watson is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand. Her game is often likened to that of Martina Hingis and she has been praised by Nick Bollettieri for her "amazing footwork". [182] Her on-court intelligence, court sense and timing have been other talking points about her game. [183] According to Nigel Sears, head of women's coaching at the Lawn Tennis Association, Watson possesses "a complete game", [184] with variety including a consistent one-handed backhand slice, volleys and angles. Her game has been described as similar to ATP player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga due to her "big serve" and athleticism. [185]

Upon Watson reaching the 2011 French Open second round, Andy Murray commented "When I saw her for the first time, I thought she was good. I like the way she moves on the court. She's very balanced". [186] Bollettieri stated that Watson's "game is based on great movement, but she's not afraid to whack the ball. She's not easy to beat. She has very good ground strokes, though she can over-hit and strike the ball a little too flat at times". [187]

Playing equipment

In 2011, Watson used the Dunlop Biomimetic 300 Tour tennis racquet, [188] and has also played with, and endorsed, the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 LS. [189] Since the end of 2020, Watson has started to use the Babolat Pure Strike racquet, that she used in 2016 and 2017 as well.

Personal life

From 2016 to 2018, Watson was in a relationship with fellow tennis player Lloyd Glasspool. [190] Between 2019 and 2022, she was in a relationship with Yeovil Town and Morecambe footballer Courtney Duffus. [191] [192] As of August 2024, Watson was in a relationship with footballer Shaun Rooney. [193]

Career statistics

Grand Slam performance timelines

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#P#DNQAZ#POGSBNMSNTIPNH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles

Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 SR W–L Win%
Australian Open A Q2 1R 3R 1R 1R 1R 2R 1R 1R 2R 2R 2R Q1 Q1 0 / 116–1135%
French Open A 2R 2R 1R 2R 2R 2R Q3 2R Q2 1R 1R 1R Q1 Q1 0 / 106–1038%
Wimbledon 1R 1R 3R 1R 2R 3R 1R 3R 1R 2R NH 1R 4R 1R 1R 0 / 1411–1444%
US Open Q1 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R Q1 1R 1R Q3 Q1 Q2 0 / 100–100%
Win–loss0–11–33–42–42–43–41–43–31–41–21–31–44–30–10–10 / 4523–4534%

Doubles

Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 SRW–LWin %
Australian Open AAA 1R A 2R 2R 1R 1R 1R A 3R 2R 1R 1R 0 / 105–1033%
French Open AAA 1R A 1R 1R 1R 2R 1R 1R 1R 2R A 1R 0 / 102–1017%
Wimbledon 2R 1R 1R 1R 1R 2R 3R 2R QF 1R NH 3R 3R 2R 1R 0 / 1413–1448%
US Open AA 1R 1R 1R A 2R 1R 1R AAAA 2R 0 / 72–722%
Win–loss1–10–10–20–40–22–34–41–44–40–30–14–34–32–30–30 / 4122–4135%

Mixed doubles

Tournament 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 SRW–LWin %
Australian Open AAAAAAAAAAAAA 3R 0 / 12–167%
French Open AA 1R AAAAAANHAAA 2R 0 / 21–233%
Wimbledon 2R 2R 2R 1R 1R W F 3R 2R NH 1R A 2R 2R 1 / 1216–1159%
US Open AAAAAA 1R AANHAAA0 / 10–10%
Win–loss1–11–11–20–10–14–05–21–11–10–00–10–01–14–31 / 1619–1556%

Grand Slam tournament finals

Mixed doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

ResultYearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win 2016 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Finland.svg Henri Kontinen Flag of Colombia.svg Robert Farah
Flag of Germany.svg Anna-Lena Grönefeld 		7–6(7–5), 6–4
Loss 2017 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Finland.svg Henri Kontinen Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jamie Murray
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Martina Hingis 		4–6, 4–6

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kateryna Volodko</span> Ukrainian tennis player (born 1986)

Kateryna Volodymyrivna Volodko is a tennis player from Ukraine. Her career-high rankings are world No. 29 in singles and No. 9 in doubles. She was the doubles champion at the 2008 Australian Open, partnering her sister Alona Bondarenko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magdaléna Rybáriková</span> Slovak tennis player

Magdaléna Rybáriková is a Slovak former professional tennis player. In her career, she won four singles titles and one doubles title on the WTA Tour. Rybáriková reached the semifinals of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships and broke into the top 30 for the first time in September 2017, and reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 17, in March 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Robson</span> British tennis player

Laura Robson is a British former professional tennis player. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached the final of the girls' singles tournament at the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2010. She won her first tournament on the ITF Women's Circuit in November 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhang Shuai</span> Chinese tennis player (born 1989)

Zhang Shuai is a Chinese professional tennis player. She has a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 2, achieved in July 2022 and a singles ranking of No. 22 reached in January 2023. She is a two-time Grand Slam tournament champion in women's doubles, having won the 2019 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open, both alongside Samantha Stosur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Panova</span> Russian tennis player

Alexandra Alexandrovna Panova is a Russian professional tennis player who specializes in doubles. She has a career-high WTA doubles ranking of world No. 34 achieved on 26 August 2024. She peaked at No. 71 in singles on 30 July 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Broady</span> British tennis player (born 1990)

Naomi Broady is a British former tennis player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mihaela Buzărnescu</span> Romanian tennis player

Mihaela Buzărnescu is a Romanian former tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 20, achieved on 6 August 2018. Her best doubles ranking of world No. 24, she reached on 22 October 2018. She won one singles title and two doubles titles on the WTA Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johanna Konta</span> British tennis player

Johanna Konta is a British-Australian former professional tennis player. Konta won four singles titles on the WTA Tour, along with eleven titles in singles and four in doubles on the ITF Women's Circuit. She was British No. 1 and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 on 17 July 2017. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Garcia</span> French tennis player (born 1993)

Caroline Garcia is a French professional tennis player. She has a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in singles and world No. 2 in doubles. Garcia is the 2022 WTA Finals champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Pegula</span> American tennis player (born 1994)

Jessica Pegula is an American professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings in singles of world No. 3, achieved on October 24, 2022, and in doubles of world No. 1, achieved on September 11, 2023. Pegula has won six singles titles and seven doubles titles on the WTA Tour, winning three WTA 1000 titles in singles and two in doubles. She also reached the singles final at the 2023 WTA Finals and the 2024 US Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeļena Ostapenko</span> Latvian tennis player (born 1997)

Jeļena "Aļona" Ostapenko is a Latvian professional tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of world No. 5 in singles and world No. 4 in doubles. Ostapenko became the first Latvian to win a Grand Slam in singles and in doubles. She won the 2017 French Open singles title, the first unseeded player to win Roland Garros since 1933, and the doubles title at the 2024 US Open with Ukrainian Lyudmyla Kichenok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisa Chirico</span> American tennis player

Louisa Chirico is an American tennis player. On 24 October 2016, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 58. On 6 March 2017, she peaked at No. 184 in the WTA doubles rankings. Chirico has won seven singles titles and two doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. Her best performance in singles at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the second round at the 2016 French Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Boulter</span> British tennis player (born 1996)

Katie Charlotte Boulter is a British professional tennis player and currently the British No. 1 in women's singles. On 4 November 2024, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 23. On 4 November 2024, she peaked at No. 282 in the WTA doubles rankings. She has won three singles titles on the WTA Tour as well as seven singles titles and four doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Swan</span> British tennis player (born 1999)

Katie Swan is a British tennis player. She has won 11 ITF singles titles and one in doubles. Her peak world ranking in singles is 118 and her highest in doubles is 293. When she made her debut, Swan was the youngest player to represent Great Britain in the Fed Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elise Mertens</span> Belgian tennis player (born 1995)

Elise Mertens is a Belgian professional tennis player. She reached world No. 1 in doubles on 10 May 2021, the third Belgian to hold the top ranking in either singles or doubles after Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Mertens is a four-time major champion in doubles, having won the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open partnering with Aryna Sabalenka, and the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and 2024 Australian Open with Hsieh Su-wei. She also finished runner-up at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships with Zhang Shuai and at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships with Storm Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasmine Paolini</span> Italian tennis player (born 1996)

Jasmine Paolini is an Italian professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 4, tying the record for the highest-ranked Italian singles player with Francesca Schiavone in the WTA rankings. Paolini is a three-time major finalist, contesting the singles and doubles finals of the 2024 French Open and the singles final of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Paolini has won two singles and six doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including a WTA 1000 singles title at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships, two WTA 1000 doubles titles, and an Olympic gold medal in doubles, partnering Sara Errani. She is the current Italian No. 1. Paolini was part of the Italian squad which won the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Dart</span> British tennis player (born 1996)

Harriet Dart is a British professional tennis player. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 70 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 59, on 14 October 2024. She reached the final of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships in mixed doubles with Joe Salisbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodie Burrage</span> British tennis player (born 1999)

Jodie Anna Burrage is a British tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of 84, achieved on 4 March 2024, and a best WTA doubles ranking of 147, set on 15 January 2024. Burrage has won one doubles title on the WTA Tour and one doubles title on the WTA Challenger Tour, along with six titles in singles and six in doubles on the ITF Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Miyazaki</span> British tennis player (born 1995)

Yuriko Lily Miyazaki is a Japanese-born British tennis player. Miyazaki has career-high rankings by the WTA of 132 in singles and 184 in doubles. She has won seven singles titles and eight doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonay Kartal</span> British tennis player (born 2001)

Sonay Kartal is a British tennis player. She has career-high rankings of world No. 85 in singles achieved 25 November 2024 and of No. 559 in doubles. She has won one WTA Tour and 14 ITF singles titles.

References

  1. 1 2 "Heather Watson". Lawn Tennis Association . Retrieved 22 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mum toasts tennis champ". The National . 17 September 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "Watson beats Russian". The Guernsey Press. 7 September 2009. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  4. ↑ "WATSON, Heather (GBR)". International Tennis Federation . Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  5. ↑ "Ariel British Junior National Championships – 14U MD 14 & Under Girls Singles". Lawn Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Ariel British Junior National Championships – 16U 16 & Under Girls Singles". Lawn Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  7. ↑ "Ariel British Junior National Championships – 18U 18 & Under Girls Singles". Lawn Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "British Junior National Championships – 18U 18 & Under Girls Singles". Lawn Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  9. ↑ "Tennis – Women's Singles – Gold Medal Match" (PDF). 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  10. ↑ Le Prevost, Gareth (20 July 2009). "Our golden girl". The Guernsey Press. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  11. ↑ "Watson is top GB junior". The Guernsey Press. 8 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  12. ↑ Batiste, Rob (28 July 2009). "Watson in at 756". The Guernsey Press. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  13. ↑ Le Prevost, Gareth (20 July 2009). "Watson secures first senior title". The Guernsey Press. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  14. ↑ "Robson & Watson reach semi-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  15. ↑ "Watson through to US girls' final". BBC Sport. 12 September 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  16. ↑ "Watson wins US Open girls' title". BBC Sport. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  17. ↑ "Draws / Girls' Doubles". Fédération Française de Tennis. Archived from the original on 29 October 2005. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  18. ↑ "Activity: WATSON, Heather (GBR)". itftennis.com.
  19. ↑ "Heather Watson crashes out in first round in Michigan". BBC Sport. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  20. ↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (22 March 2010). "Watson given wild card into Sony Ericsson Open" . The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  21. ↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (24 March 2010). "keothavong and Watson crash out" . The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  22. ↑ "Watson qualifies for Premier event". LTA. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  23. ↑ "Watson/Vesnina Charleston". The Guardian. London. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  24. ↑ "Watson books spot for Eastbourne". BBC News. 14 June 2010.
  25. ↑ Jackson, Jamie (15 June 2010). "Heather Watson beats Aleksandra Wozniak in style at Eastbourne". The Guardian. London.
  26. ↑ "Heather Watson draws Romina Oprandi at Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  27. ↑ Cheese, Caroline (22 June 2010). "Wimbledon day two as it happened". BBC News.
  28. ↑ "Watson puts her island before tour". Guernsey Press. 11 January 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "Guernsey at Delhi 2010: Day Four round-up". BBC Sport. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "Guernsey at Commonwealth Games 2010: Look back". BBC Sport. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "Watson books place in first WTA Tour quarter final". ESPN. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Shuai Peng in Auckland quarters". BBC Sport. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  33. ↑ "Heather Watson out of Cellular South Cup in Memphis". BBC Sport. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  34. ↑ "Heather Watson beaten by McHale in Family Circle Cup". BBC. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  35. ↑ "Watson through first round of qualifying". ESPN. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  36. ↑ "Watson closes in on Estoril spot". ESPN. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  37. ↑ "Heather Watson loses final qualifier for Estoril Open". BBC. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  38. ↑ "French Open: Heather Watson into main Roland Garros draw". BBC Sport. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  39. ↑ Cambers, Simon (23 May 2011). "French Open 2011: Heather Watson sees off Stéphanie Foretz Gacon". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  40. ↑ Mitchell, Kevin (26 May 2011). "French Open 2011: Elena Baltacha and Heather Watson buoyed by progress". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  41. ↑ "Heather Watson wins first-round tie in Aegon Classic at Birmingham". The Guardian. London. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  42. ↑ "Watson romps into third round in Birmingham". ESPN. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  43. ↑ Ronay, Barney (22 June 2011). "Wimbledon 2011: Heather Watson loses tough fight after elbow injury". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  44. ↑ "Maria Sharapova Shocked Out of US Open, More From New York". 2 September 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  45. ↑ Newman, Paul (30 August 2011). "Watson beaten in titanic struggle after Robson strides into second round" . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  46. ↑ Mitchell, Kevin (16 January 2012). "Australian Open 2012: British trio exit in first round". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  47. ↑ "Great Britain defeat Portugal in Fed Cup match". LTA. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  48. ↑ "AEGON GB Fed Cup Team defeat Netherlands". LTA. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  49. ↑ "GB Fed Cup team progress to World Group II Play-offs". LTA. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  50. ↑ "French Open: Heather Watson knocked out by Goerges". BBC. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  51. ↑ "Wimbledon 2012: Heather Watson upsets Iveta Benesova". BBC Sport. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  52. ↑ "Watson ends Britain's 10-year Wimbledon wait". The Times of India. 27 June 2012.
  53. ↑ "Wimbledon 2012: Heather Watson loses to Agnieszka Radwanska". BBC Sport. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  54. ↑ "Serena Williams moves into Stanford Classic third round". The Times of India. 12 July 2012.
  55. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Chan Yung-Jan in Carlsbad". BBC Sport. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  56. ↑ "Olympics tennis: Heather Watson & Laura Robson through". 30 July 2012.
  57. ↑ "Olympics tennis Ladies Doubles". 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  58. ↑ "Heather Watson & Laura Robson beaten at US events". BBC Sport. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  59. ↑ "Doubles delight for Watson". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  60. ↑ "US Open 2012: Heather Watson beaten by China's Li Na after rain interrupts play for 2½ hours". The Telegraph. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  61. ↑ "Heather Watson sees off Sabine Lisicki in Toray Pan Pacific first round". The Guardian. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  62. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Maria Sharapova at Pan Pacific Open". BBC Sport. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  63. ↑ "History made by Heather Watson in Osaka". ESPN. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  64. ↑ "Heather Watson beats Chang Kai-chen to win Japan Open". BBC. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  65. ↑ "Australian Open 2013: Heather Watson reaches second round". BBC. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  66. ↑ "Australian Open 2013: Heather Watson beats Ksenia Pervak". BBC Sport. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  67. ↑ "Australian Open 2013: Heather Watson loses to Radwanska". BBC Sport. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  68. ↑ "Heather Watson and Laura Robson rise in world rankings". BBC Sport. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  69. ↑ "Watson and Simpson defeated". Guernsey Press. February 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  70. ↑ "Fed Cup: Laura Robson & Heather Watson win as GB beat Hungary". BBC Sport. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  71. ↑ "Watson digs in for GB". Guernsey Press. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  72. ↑ "Heather Watson overcomes Galina Voskoboeva at the US National Indoor Tennis Championships". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  73. ↑ "US National Indoor Tennis Championships: Heather Watson wins in three sets". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  74. ↑ "Watson Crashes". Guernsey Press. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  75. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Stefanie Voegele at French Open". BBC. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  76. ↑ "Heather Watson wins in Aegon Classic round one". LTA. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  77. ↑ "Watson and Robson sent packing in Birmingham". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  78. ↑ "AEGON International: Heather Watson sends world number 27 Varvara Lepchenko packing". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  79. ↑ "Heather Watson is knocked out of Wimbledon in first round". BBC Newsround. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  80. ↑ "Heather Watson splits with coach Mauricio Hadad". BBC Sport. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  81. ↑ "Wins for Watson and Robson". ESPN. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  82. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Alize Cornet in Washington". BBC Sport. August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  83. ↑ "Australian Open 2014: Heather Watson comes through qualifiers". BBC Sport. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  84. ↑ "Australian Open 2014: Laura Robson & Heather Watson beaten". BBC Sport. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  85. ↑ "Great Britain defeats Austria Fed Cup in Play-off Match". LTA. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  86. ↑ "Romania defeat GB in Fed Cup". LTA. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  87. ↑ "Watson triumphs in style in Michigan". Guernsey Press. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  88. ↑ "Heather Watson back in top 100 after victory in Sparta Prague Open". The Guardian. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  89. ↑ "French Open 2014: Heather Watson extends winning run to advance at Roland Garros". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  90. ↑ "French Open 2014: Britain's Heather Watson out after losing to Simona Halep in Paris". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  91. ↑ "Heather Watson powers back to beat Flavia Pennetta at Eastbourne". The Guardian. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  92. ↑ "Eastbourne: Heather Watson loses semi-final to Madison Keys". BBC Sport. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  93. ↑ "Wimbledon 2014: Heather Watson wins as Maria Sharapova crushes Samantha Murray". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  94. ↑ Lewis, Tim (26 June 2014). "Wimbledon 2014: Heather Watson battles but Angelique Kerber advances". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  95. ↑ "Heather Watson and Alexandra Panova win WTA Baku Cup". BBC Sport. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  96. ↑ "Heather Watson beaten in third round of Rogers Cup by Victoria Azarenka". The Guardian. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  97. ↑ "WTA Western & Southern Open: Heather Watson loses 6-3 2-6 7-5 to Zhang Shuai". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  98. ↑ "Heather Watson wins Hobart International!". LTA. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  99. ↑ "Heather Watson beats Agnieszka Radwanska in Indian Wells". BBC Sport. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  100. ↑ "Heather Watson runs out of steam against Carla Suárez Navarro". The Guardian. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  101. ↑ "Heather Watson pushes Serena Williams to limit before bowing out in thriller". the Guardian. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  102. ↑ "Watson loses to Williams in thriller". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  103. ↑ "'Watson deserved to win the match,' concedes Serena" . The Independent. 3 July 2015. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  104. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Samantha Stosur in Hong Kong". BBC Sport. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  105. ↑ "Great Britain denied a place in Hopman Cup final". The Guardian . 8 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  106. ↑ "Rain delays Watson at Hobart". Sporting Life . 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  107. ↑ "Heather Watson loses in Hobart International last eight". BBC Sport. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  108. ↑ "Heather Watson snatches defeat from jaws of victory against Tímea Babos". The Guardian . 18 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  109. ↑ "Monterrey Open: Heather Watson beats Kirsten Flipkens in final". BBC. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  110. ↑ "Heather Watson crushes Sloane Stephens at Miami Open". ESPN. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  111. ↑ "Heather Watson beaten in straight sets by Simona Halep in Miami". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  112. ↑ "Heather Watson: Briton beats Camila Giorgi to progress at Aegon Classic". BBC Sport. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  113. ↑ "Wimbledon 2016: Heather Watson and Henri Kontinen claim mixed doubles title". BBC Sport. 10 July 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  114. ↑ "Wimbledon 2016: Heather Watson left delirious as 'joke' with partner Henri Kontinen leaves her a champion". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  115. ↑ "Four tennis players named to represent Team GB at Rio Olympic Games". LTA. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  116. ↑ "Australian Open 2017: Johanna Konta, Heather Watson and Kyle Edmund win". BBC Sport. 17 January 2017.
  117. ↑ "HEART AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED". Fed Cup. 3 April 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  118. ↑ "Heather Watson: British number two beaten in Surbiton Trophy final". BBC Sport. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  119. ↑ "Eastbourne: Heather Watson shocks Dominika Cibulková in second round". BBC Sport. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  120. ↑ "LIVE Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Heather Watson – WTA Eastbourne – 29 June 2017". Eurosport British. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  121. ↑ "Eastbourne 2017: Johanna Konta beats top seed Angelique Kerber". BBC Sport. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  122. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Caroline Wozniacki in Eastbourne semi-finals". BBC Sport. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  123. ↑ Steinberg, Jacob; Cambers, Simon (5 July 2017). "Heather Watson sets up meeting with Azarenka after demolition of No18 seed". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  124. ↑ Steinberg, Jacob (7 July 2017). "Heather Watson out of Wimbledon after three-set defeat to Victoria Azarenka". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  125. ↑ "Prague Open: Britain's Heather Watson loses to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in straight sets". BBC Sport. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  126. ↑ "Heather Watson: British number two ends four-month losing streak". BBC Sport. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  127. ↑ "Surbiton Trophy: Dan Evans wins as Heather Watson loses to Gabriella Taylor". BBC Sport. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  128. ↑ "Heather Watson penalised for swearing in Wimbledon doubles defeat". BBC Sport. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  129. ↑ "Venus Williams tops Britain's Heather Watson in San Jose". 3 August 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2020.[ dead link ]
  130. ↑ "Misaki Doi of Japan Wins 2018 Odlum Brown VanOpen Women's Singles Title over Heather Watson of Great Britain". VAN Open. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  131. ↑ "Heather Watson qualifies for US Open with win over compatriot Katie Swan". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  132. ↑ "US Open 2018: Heather Watson loses to Ekaterina Makarova in first round". BBC Sport. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  133. ↑ "Heather Watson beaten by Pauline Parmentier in Quebec semi-finals". BBC Sport. 15 September 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  134. ↑ "Tianjin Open: Heather Watson beaten by Rebecca Peterson in final". BBC Sport. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  135. ↑ "Heather Watson reaches Hobart International semi-finals after rain-delayed win". BBC Sport. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  136. ↑ "Britain's Heather Watson beaten in Hobart International semi-finals". BBC Sport. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  137. ↑ "Australian Open: Heather Watson into second round but Dan Evans loses". BBC Sport. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  138. ↑ "Australian Open 2020: Heather Watson admits she was 'too slow' in one-sided loss to Elise Mertens". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  139. ↑ "Watson's efforts not enough for GB in Fed Cup tie". Team GB. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  140. ↑ "Fed Cup: Brits battle bravely before falling 3-1". LTA. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  141. ↑ "Mexican Magic: Heather Watson breaks top 50 with Acapulco title". The Big Racket. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  142. ↑ "Watson battles past Fernandez in Acapulco for fourth career title". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  143. ↑ "US Open: Johanna Konta knocks out Heather Watson to reach second round". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  144. ↑ "Watson and Matusevich crowned Battle of the Brits Premier League of Tennis champions". 23 December 2020.
  145. ↑ "Jabeur, Kasatkina pull double duty to set Birmingham final".
  146. ↑ "Heather Watson selected to represent Team GB at Tokyo Olympic Games". ITV. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  147. ↑ Media, P. A. (18 January 2022). "Watson through to Australian Open second round but Dart crashes out". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  148. ↑ "Australian Open 2022: Radacanu, Murray and Watson out of the grand slam". BBC Newsround. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  149. ↑ "Indian Wells 2022 – Disappointment for the Brits as Heather Watson and Katie Boulter crash out". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  150. ↑ "Miami Open: Heather Watson wins against Arantxa Rus to end six-year losing streak". BBC Sport. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  151. ↑ "Miami Open: Emma Raducanu loses in second round as Heather Watson advances". BBC Sport. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  152. ↑ "'Very tricky' Heather Watson loses to Belinda Bencic in straight sets in the third round of the Miami Open". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  153. ↑ "Watson defies injury to win Nottingham opener". Guernsey Press. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  154. ↑ "Golubic too strong for Watson in Nottingham". Guernsey Press. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  155. ↑ "In 12th Wimbledon, Watson through to first fourth round; Jabeur rolls on".
  156. ↑ "Heather Watson denied Wimbledon quarter-final by Jule Niemeier after Centre Court celebration". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  157. ↑ "Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2022: Great Britain through to first semi-finals since 1981". LTA. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  158. ↑ "Australian Open: Heather Watson knocked out in qualifying for 2023 tournament". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  159. ↑ "Heather Watson shocks Yulia Putintseva to win at Thailand Open". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  160. ↑ "Heather Watson beats Na-Lae Han to reach last eight at Thailand Open". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  161. ↑ "Heather Watson loses to Wang Xinyu in Thailand Open quarter-finals". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  162. ↑ "Heather Watson beats Danka Kovinic in first round in Texas". BBC Sport. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  163. ↑ "Battling Heather Watson loses to Sloane Stephens in ATX Open". Sports Mole. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  164. ↑ "Nottingham Open 2023 results: Britain's Heather Watson beats Jule Niemeier". BBC Sport. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  165. ↑ "Nottingham Open 2023: Heather Watson and George Loffhagen into quarter-finals but Liam Broady and Arthur Fery lose". BBC Sport. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  166. ↑ "Nottingham Open 2023: Jodie Burrage, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson reach semi-finals". BBC Sport. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  167. ↑ "Katie Boulter defeats Heather Watson to reach her first WTA Tour final in Nottingham". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  168. ↑ "Watson 'just wasn't good enough' in Wimbledon loss". BBC Sport. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  169. ↑ Wood, Greg (July 2024). "Kartal and Miyazaki pull off Wimbledon wins but Broom and Watson go out". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  170. ↑ "Paris 2024: Heather Watson determined to outdo London 2012 Olympic memories after first-round Wimbledon exit". Eurosport. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  171. ↑ "Fourth Games is a silver lining for Heather". Guernsey Press. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  172. ↑ "Doubles pairing confirmed for Paris 2024". Team GB. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  173. ↑ "Boulter & Watson reach women's doubles quarter-finals". BBC Sport. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  174. ↑ "Watson out after quarter-final loss". Bailiwick Express. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  175. ↑ "Paris 2024: Team GB's Katie Boulter and Heather Watson out of Olympics after defeat to Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  176. ↑ "Heather Watson out of US Open qualifying as Sonay Kartal and Lily Miyazaki progress to final round". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  177. ↑ @the_LTA (15 September 2024). "👊 @HeatherWatson92 qualifies for the @WTA Seoul! Heather beat Yeon Woo Ku 7-5, 6-3 to reach the main draw in Korea #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  178. ↑ "Watson makes winning start at Korea Open". BBC Sport. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  179. ↑ "Heather Watson into Korea Open last 16 after straight sets win over China's Lu Jiajing". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  180. ↑ "Watson beaten by Kostyuk at Korea Open". BBC Sport. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  181. ↑ "Great Britain suffer Billie Jean King Cup semi-final heartbreak against Slovakia". The Independent. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  182. ↑ "Watson into first round of AEGON International – The National". The National. 15 June 2010.
  183. ↑ "One To Watch: Heather Watson – On the Baseline Tennis News". Onthebaseline.com. 3 January 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  184. ↑ Baker, Andrew (14 September 2009). "US Open 2009: Heather Watson and Laura Robson lead new era of British talent". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  185. ↑ "Brian Moore: Heather Watson a minority figure in an exclusive British club" . The Telegraph. London. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  186. ↑ "'Happy' Murray salutes teen compatriot Watson". The Times of India. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  187. ↑ "Nick Bollettieri: Take it from me, feisty Watson has what it takes" . The Independent. London. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  188. ↑ "Dunlop signs British tennis sensation". ESPN. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  189. ↑ "Team Dunlop: Heather Watson". Dunlop. 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  190. ↑ Moore-Bridger, Ben (3 July 2018). "Love game! Heather Watson rules out Tinder as she looks for her perfect match on and off the court". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  191. ↑ Mitchell, Kevin (19 January 2020). "Heather Watson's Australian Open hopes lifted by love and Yeovil Town". The Guardian . Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  192. ↑ Shute, Joe (2 July 2022). "Hurrah! The fresh hopes of Wimbledon have arrived" . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  193. ↑ "Heather Watson watching St Mirren ace boyfriend from Paris as Olympic win put paid to Conference League plans". Daily Record. August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
Preceded by British Tennis number one
16 July 2012 – 16 September 2012
15 October 2012 – 7 April 2013
9 June 2014 – 5 October 2015		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.