60 British tennis champions - a look back at the 2021 season
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It’s been a great year for British tennis – from the start of the year in Australia right the way through to the closing ITF events of the season, 60 Brits have won titles on tour in 2021.
We take a look back at the all the British tennis successes this season.
The biggest wins in 2021
There’s only one place to start – Emma Raducanu’s historic victory at the US Open.
The 19-year-old from Bromley broke almost every record in the book as she became the first qualifier to ever win the US Open women’s singles title and the first British women to win in New York for 44 years – not bad going! Her final match against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez was one of the most watched sporting events of the year with Raducanu coming through with a 6-4, 6-3 win.
Raducanu is on the LTA’s Pro Scholarship Programme, the highest level of support offered to developing players by the LTA, and is also an ambassador for the LTA’s junior programme, LTA Youth.
But Raducanu wasn’t the only Grand Slam champion this year... in fact, British players won a total of 13 in 2021.
Joe Salisbury has dominated the doubles tour this season – lifting the US Open men’s doubles title with American partner Rajeev Ram, as well as the US Open and Roland Garros mixed doubles titles with Desirae Krawczyk.
Salisbury also reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon with fellow Brit Harriet Dart, but the duo were beaten to the trophy by Neal Skupski – who claimed his first career Grand Slam with Krawczyk on home soil at SW19.
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid once again lit up the wheelchair doubles events at this year’s majors, completing an historic calendar Grand Slam – winning all four of the top titles. An incredible achievement on different surfaces.
Hewett's major successes didn't stop there - in June, the British star defended his French Open singles titles, defeating World No.1 Shingo Kunieda in the final.
Jordanne Whiley and Andy Lapthorne also enjoyed big wins on the Grand Slam stage in 2021. Whiley – who retired in November – won her fifth Wimbledon doubles title with Yui Kamiji in July, while Lapthorne claimed the Roland Garros and Wimbledon doubles championships with American partner, David Wagner.
In tour action, Cam Norrie became the first British player to win the ATP Masters at Indian Wells, which helped him rise to World No.12 at the end of the season.
Johanna Konta – who also announced her retirement this year – became the first British woman to win a pro tournament in Britain since 1981 after she claimed the Viking Open Nottingham. Konta was virtually faultless en route to the final and cruised to the title with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Zhang Shuai.
In the doubles, Jamie Murray reunited with partner Bruno Soares this year, with the pair going on to win the ATP Great Ocean Road Open, the St Petersburg Open and finish runners-up at the US Open.
First titles
2021 was a year of many firsts for the British stars.
Raducanu won her first tour level title at the US Open... yes, really.
Meanwhile, British No.2 and Davis Cup star Dan Evans won his first ATP title at the Murray River Open after defeating Félix Auger-Aliassime, 6–2, 6–3.
Before his heroics in Indian Wells, Norrie also sealed his maiden ATP title at Los Cabos, just a month after he finished runner-up at the cinch Championships at Queens Club.
After winning his first mixed doubles Grand Slam title earlier in the year, Salisbury also lifted his first ATP Masters title in Toronto alongside Ram.
Liam Broady claimed his maiden ATP Challenger title in a year that has seen him reach a career high ranking of 121. Playing in his eighth Challenger final, Broady got his breakthrough in Biel, defeating Marc-Andrea Huesler 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match.
On the ITF Tours, Fran Jones won her first W60 tournament in Biarritz having also qualified for her first Australian Open main draw earlier in the season. She beat Arianne Hartono 6-4, 6-1 in the final.
Paul Jubb also made waves this season, winning an incredible five singles titles including his first M25 event in Sintra. Jubb – who like Jones is supported by the LTA Pro Scholarship Programme – went on to win a total of three M25 competitions to round off a brilliant end to the year.
Sarah Beth Grey finished her season in style with her first W25 singles title in Jablonec nad Nisou to add to her first W60 doubles event this year.
18-year-old rising star Jack Pinnington Jones won his first brace of pro titles in 2021, finishing as champion at M15 events in Antalya and Heraklion. Pinnginton Jones also earned himself a place on the LTA Pro Scholarship programme this year has already risen over 500 places in the rankings since turning pro in May.
After winning his first M15 title in Sozopol this year, Billy Harris has gone from strength to strength, collecting four singles and three doubles trophies in a brilliant year for the 26-year-old.
In wheelchair tennis action, Greg Slade won not only his first international title in the quad singles at BNP Paribas International Paratennis Toulouse Balma in France in November, but he also claimed his first doubles title – both without dropping a set. Whilst Ben Bartram won his first pro title in men's doubles at the International Wheelchair Clube Tennis Porto in Portugal.
Other Brits who claimed their first pro titles in either singles or doubles this year include: Sonay Kartal, Felix Gill, Stuart Parker, Finn Bass, Tom Hands, Henry Patten, Giles Hussey, Daniel Little and Lauryn John-Baptiste.
Most title wins
| Rank | Player | Total | Singles | Doubles |
| 1 | Alfie Hewett | 14 | 5 | 9 |
| 2 | Gordon Reid | 11 | 2 | 9 |
| 3 | Cornelia Oosthuizen | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Billy Harris | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | Alicia Barnett | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | Joe Salisbury | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | Luke Johnson | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Lloyd Glasspool | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | Paul Jubb | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | Charles Broom | 5 | 2 | 3 |
Full list of champions
- Abbie Breakwell
- Alastair Gray
- Alfie Hewett
- Alicia Barnett
- Andy Lapthorne
- Anna Popescu
- Anton Matusevich
- Arthur Fery
- Ben Bartram
- Ben Jones
- Billy Harris
- Cameron Norrie
- Charles Broom
- Cornelia Oosthuizen
- Dan Evans
- Daniel Cox
- Daniel Little
- Dominic Inglot
- Eden Silva
- Emily Appleton
- Emily Arbuthnott
- Emily Webley-Smith
- Emma Raducanu
- Evan Hoyt
- Felix Gill
- Finn Bass
- Francesca Jones
- Giles Hussey
- Gordon Reid
- Greg Slade
- Harriet Dart
- Henry Patten
- Jack Pinnington Jones
- Jamie Murray
- Jodie Burrage
- Joe Salisbury
- Johanna Konta
- Jonathan Gray
- Jonny O’Mara
- Jordanne Whiley
- Julian Cash
- Katie Swan
- Ken Skupski
- Lauryn John-Baptiste
- Liam Broady
- Lloyd Glasspool
- Lucy Shuker
- Luke Johnson
- Mark Whitehouse
- Neal Skupski
- Olivia Nicholls
- Paul Jubb
- Ryan Peniston
- Ryan Storrie
- Samantha Murray Sharan
- Sarah Beth Grey
- Sonay Kartal
- Stuart Parker
- Tara Moore
- Tom Hands
