Season highlights, hitting the world’s top 40 & setting sights on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals – exclusive interview with British doubles No.1 Olivia Nicholls
British No.1 Olivia Nicholls is currently embarking on a breakthrough season on the WTA tour, having reached new heights in the doubles game.
Nicholls joined up with her Czech doubles partner Tereza Mihalikova at the beginning of the grass court season with the pair finishing runners-up at the WTA 250 event in s’Hertogenbosch.
From there, the pair have grown from strength to strength – reaching the quarter-finals of three WTA 1000 events in Cincinnati, China and Wuhan to reward Nicholls with a spot inside the world’s top 40.
We caught up with Nicholls during the Asian swing to chat all about what’s clicked for her this year, her highlights of the season so far, and how she’s feeling heading into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga in just a couple of weeks’ time.
“I feel like I’ve been playing very well,” Nicholls said. “I have a great support team in Craig Veal and Tom Kiesel, who’ve really brought out the best in me this year.”
“One of the biggest improvements is that I feel confident in my game and I’m clear about my tennis identity on the court. Also, combining with Tereza (Mihalikova) has worked well and we’ve picked up some great results recently.
“I think I’ve grown a lot (this year). I’m now in a position where we’re playing the highest-level tournaments and being competitive against the best teams in the world. We feel as though we belong here and maybe that wasn’t the case a year ago.”
It’s certainly been a season to remember for the 30-year-old, who has ticked off several career milestones over the last few months. A career-high ranking of world No.38, a spot at the top of the British rankings for the first time and three titles, including her second WTA tour-level title at the AXT Open, to name a few.
With so many highs and memorable moments to pick from, Nicholls admitted it’s difficult to pick a standout highlight of her 2024 season so far.
“There have been so many, it’s tough to pick just one out. Reaching the third round of Wimbledon and US Open this year were definitely up there. Particularly, Wimbledon where I had my friends and family there to support, it was really special.
“Beijing was also a standout for me as I’d never played in China before. We had a good run there and the fans created a great atmosphere to play in.”
As Nicholls continues to edge her way up the WTA rankings week by week, she is earning the opportunity to compete in some of the world's top tournaments. But how does she enjoy spending her time when she’s not practicing or competing on the road?
“I love to explore the cities I’m in and seek out the best local coffee shops”, she added.
“I take any opportunity to watch live sport outside of tennis as well, especially football - but sometimes if you’re having a good tournament you don’t get as much time to do all of the above!”
While the season might be approaching its end, there’s still one more target on the horizon for Nicholls who has been selected to join the Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team at the Finals in Malaga.
The doubles star will join British No.1 Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson as part of the five-strong team set to challenge for their maiden Billie Jean King Cup title.
Nicholls has racked up an impressive Billie Jean King Cup record since making her debut in 2022 – clinching three wins and just one loss – and helped the Brits to a semi-final in Glasgow. A year on from her last appearance at the tournament, Nicholls is brimming with excitement at the thought of getting stuck into a team environment once again.
“I love playing in a team environment and even more so when I’m representing Great Britain. You want it that little bit more when you’re not just playing for yourself but for your teammates and your country. I grew up playing for my county and playing for the Loughborough University team, so I’m used to competing as part of a team – it’s an environment I really thrive and enjoy playing in.
“I’ve been in Asia for six weeks and have seen all the girls (in the Billie Jean King Cup team) at some point on this trip. We all have high hopes for the team, and we’re really excited for Malaga.”
You can watch Nicholls and the rest of the Lexus GB Billie Jean King Cup team live in action against Germany from Friday 15 November not before 16:00 GMT.