16 players nominated and 2 wildcard places in the Player of the Season competition up for grabs. Vote from the list below - can be for any reason you feel right for a wildcard, but please do say when you vote and why.
Top 2 get through to PoS - if there is a tie for one or both places that needs breaking, therell be a tie break vote which will be separate. Hence this vote starting early and it will end at 8.10am on Friday 3rd January
Please forgive the big font as cut and paste does that for me sometimes on my phone!
1 - Heather Watson - most nominated player for the player of the month who hasnt qualified - 7 times - and also won our favourite British player vote back in Feb. She must have done well this season to get so many nominations and be so popular! Seriously, she won a W50 title in Nottingham this season and is also our third best ranked doubles player
2 - Paul Jubb - without having any really spectacular performances apart from reaching the semi final of the Mallorca ATP250, Paul has nevertheless consistently performed well over the year and raised his ranking from 793 at the end of last year to a career high of 180 by the end of November.
3 - Emily Appleton - for winning 5 doubles titles at at least W75 level ( 4 W75s & a WTA 125 ) with 5 different partners and entering the doubles top 100. Also in July reached a singles CH 348
4 - Madeleine Brooks - for having a breakout year, winning 4 titles during 2024 (a W50 and 3 W75s) with three different partners. Before this year, Madeleine had only reached (and lost) two finals at W25 level. Apart from winning those titles, she's consistently gone deep in other tournaments, reaching the final on 4 further occasions. As a result, she's raised her ranking from 287 at the end of 2023 to her current CH of 127.
5 - Johannus Monday - moving from a strong college career which he finished in May as the No 2 ranked man and briefly being ranked No 1 in early May, JoMo really hit the pro ranks hard this summer and ended up taking 4 ITF M25 titles on US Hardcourts, backed up with 2 M25 doubles titles and a Challenger doubles title at Knoxville. Over the year, he has improved his ranking from 724 to a high of 369 this year and is one of our men players to watch in 2025
6 - Anna McBride - despite injury and illness issues throughout the year, para tennis player Anna managed some great results, including defending her singles and doubles titles at the Australian Open and later in the year becoming World Champion at the championships in France. Even when recovering from injury and (thanks to incompetence by the LTA) relatively unprepared, she showed her fighting spirit by playing competitively against much better prepared opponents. (I'd also like to acknowledge how much we owe to Anna's father for posting updates here and patiently explaining the ins and outs of para tennis to us. It's been a great addition to this place.)
7 - Emile Hudd - Has made great strides again this year, in singles rising from around 900 to the edge of the top 500; and winning 4 ITF titles in the doubles. In singles he has notched up a 60 percent win loss record in the process, playing in a lot of far flung places to amass the points.
8 - Jack Pinnington-Jones - Starting the US College team season in January as TCU's No 2 he stepped up to be their No 1 in early March when Jake was injured, and went 15-2 at No 1. His performances were so impressive that he prevented Jake from regaining being TCU's No 1 when he returned from injury. JPJ went unbeaten in team college play as TCU's No 1 through April and May playing a leading role in helping TCU to be US College National Champions and the No 1 ranked team. He finished the 2024 US College season ranked No 6. Focussing on the pro-game since June he has increased his ranking around 400 places from the 770s to the 370s, taking 1 M25 title and being runner-up in another.
9 - Dan Evans - so, Dan had a torrid season, really poor. But he did a couple of amazing things. First he chose not to defend his Washington title so he could partner his pal, Andy Murray, in the Olympics, collapsing down the rankings through not defending his points. And did he partner Andy as they staved off certain defeat twice and came back to epic wins in reaching the last 8. As if that wasnt enough, Dan arrived in New York facing a winter of challenger events; and in New York, he stayed around, for 5 1/2 hours in the longest ever US Open match in beating Khachanov, a feat recognised today by the ATP as their grand slam comeback of the year. It may have been a bad season for him - but the highlights sure stood out.
10 - Daniela Britton - despite having turned 14 only in November (and therefore young compared to most of the 2010 cohort), Daniela has won 3 singles titles (2 x J30, 1 x J60) and 3 doubles titles (1 x J30, 2 x J60) in 2024. This includes winning both singles and doubles at the J60 event in Finland. During the year, she reached a career high in the junior rankings of 455, putting her in the top 20 worldwide for her age group.
11 - Emily Webley-Smith - 40 years young and great to see little reduction in the enthusiasm to keep competing in times when so much is made about younger players, particularly by the LTA. 2 W35 doubles finals this year, 26 ITF doubles events in the last year and she will end the year in the top 500 again, the 21st successive year she has been in the top 500. Keep on trucking ...
12 - Andy Murray. It's the last year he has played in. His determination to get the most out of last few months of his career was evident, and the doubles matches with Dan in Paris were great. The last chance to name him Player of the Season, and after all the board is named after him. He has inspired so many players and no doubt will continue to help GB tennis (once Djokovic has finished).
13 - Millie Rajecki - Finished her US College career with a singles ranking of No 2, the highest singles ranking ever for a British female in US College tennis as well as the highest ranking ever in her team's history. Was named the ITA Senior Player of the Year. Reached the NCAA singles semi-final for the 2nd consecutive year. In her first month as a full-time pro, got 2 top 100 ranking wins at WTA250 in Birmingham and has since continued to make steady progress up the rankings. Won 2 doubles titles including the W100 in Shrewsbury with Mimi, her biggest title to date.
14 - Marcus Willis for entering the doubles top 100 for the first time in his career and achieving a CH of 81. And he's a nice chap...
15 - Mimi Xu - just turned 17 yo in October, still as a 16yo in senior ITFs she won a singles W35 title in Aldershot plus 4 doubles titles - a W100 ( with Amelia Rajecki ), 2 W35s and a W15. She improved her WTA CHs to 442 in singles and 293 in doubles. In Junior Slams she made a singles SF ( US Open ) and QF and at least QF in all 4 doubles, reaching the Wimbledon final with Mika Stojsavljevic.
16 - Holly Hutchinson for winning six doubles titles this year including a W50 in November with Ella McDonald and climbing to a career high of 263 earlier in the year. At the same time she's building an off-court career in media management with a growing number of clients.
I was very tempted to vote for Andy to honour his career and for Dan for his efforts in some big matches over the season; Paul Jubbs return also caught my eye but, ultimately, as a contender of a genuine Player of the Season it was JoMo, via his college ending and then ITF and ATP summer and autumn who really impressed me and gets my vote.
Last year we got 36/37 votes in the wild card vote, before jumping up for main player of the season. After 39 votes in December PoM, it would be good to get 40 plus in this wildcard vote. Its New Years Day, weather is foul, so if youve nothing else to do, take a read through the nominations list and give this a go with a vote!
Its part of player of the season, so support the British players and vote for them!
3 votes so far - please do try and say who you vote for and why as it attracts others to read the thread and maybe vote; the more votes, the more interesting it is and the more real the outcome!
As in real life, a wild card can be for any reason - the best player, a young up and comer, an old stager, a local hero, the best season, one great result.
No need to justify, just have a vote and tell us why!
I've gone for Madeleine. I'm always excited when everything just clicks for a player and they're able to reach and then sustain a new level.
Was tempted by Daniela as an exciting new propsect and by Anna for her ability to deliver great results even in difficult circumstances. But this list shows how much good stuff has been happening with our players this year and it wasn't an easy choice.
Thanks Tanaqui - yes, Anna should have been someone I mentioned also, I hope her Dad wont mind, but there were so many really outstanding players this last year one way or another
Thanks Tanaqui - yes, Anna should have been someone I mentioned also, I hope her Dad wont mind, but there were so many really outstanding players this last year one way or another
Don't worry, there are a lot of players who deserve votes. It is nice just to be on the list. Of course I will vote for Anna to at least get her one vote.
I voted for Paul at the time he had his ATP sf and was shocked he couldn't get a top 2 place for such an outstanding achievement so I'm voting for him again
Millie Rajecki. Great to see one of the us college girls making an impact (us college definitely seen as a more valid pathway to pro tennis for the guys). To be so highly ranked in us college at the end, in a pool of loads of strong players, then to have such great wins in grass season back here, as well as close losses to high ranked players, I thought deserved a place in POS.