‘We all push each other’ – Jodie Burrage ‘excited’ by British results from Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu to start 2024

Jodie Burrage says the results achieved by British players this year are “really encouraging and exciting”, and that they are all “pushing each other” to improve.

British No. 2 Burrage reached the first WTA 500 quarter-final of her career last week in Linz, while British No. 1 Katie Boulter started her year with her first top-five win and is up to a career-high No. 48 in the rankings.

Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, has impressed on her return from surgery, and Harriet Dart and Heather Watson have had good results this week.

By the start of next week there could be five British players in the top 130 of the WTA rankings.

“I think we’re all in a really good place at the moment,” Burrage tells Eurosport.

“We’ve all had good results this year. I don’t really know why, it’s funny how it’s happened all at the same time. But yeah…we’re all just pushing each other.

“We’re all seeing that other people can do it and because we are close, I think maybe that belief comes because other people are doing it. So it’s good and it’s exciting.

“I think it’s exciting for British fans and people to see that as well, because I think there’s been quite a lot of speculation about British women’s tennis not being in an amazing place, but right now, I think we’re doing great.

“And we are doing our best to get up there. Boults had an unbelievable year last year and started great in Australia. Me and Haz [Harriet Dart] are on the edge of 100, Emma’s back playing, which is great and she’s getting some good results.

“So yeah, it’s really encouraging and it’s exciting.”

The recent WTA 500 tournament in Linz saw Burrage in action along with Boulter and Dart.

Burrage sees several benefits to playing alongside fellow Brits at tournaments, including being able to share career experiences.

“It’s really good because there’s quite a few of us at the tournaments, which is just nice in itself,” she says.

“You have people to go to dinner with, and last week my coach couldn’t come with me so I had the girls supporting me there.

“I’m very close to Boults and a few of the other girls, and definitely you share what you’ve been through, and how you’ve dealt with things and your experiences.

“That’s not to say that everyone needs to do that. Everyone’s on their own path. And I think that’s really important actually as well because we all are different players and it is an individual sport.

“It’s not like one thing is set for everyone. But it definitely helps, you know, being able to chat to those other British players. Because we are all in the same tournaments at the moment and we are all pushing each other.”

Burrage has moved up from outside the top 130 at the start of 2023 to No. 88 in the rankings.

She is currently recovering from an injury sustained in her quarter-final run in Linz but hopes to play in San Diego later this month before the WTA 1000 double-header of Indian Wells and Miami in March.

Asked what her ambitions are in terms of rankings this year, she said: “I was saying to myself at the start of the year that I wanted to cement my top 100 ranking.

“I think that’s really important because once you get to these bigger tournaments, you can you can go quite a few weeks without winning matches. And it’s trying to cement yourself in the top 100.

“You don’t have to worry about falling back out. And that’s something that I have been worrying about the last six months or whatever, because I’ve always been on that cusp.

“I mean, I’d love to finish this year within the top 50 really, but I think for me, a realistic goal would be top 75. I’d be happy to finish with. But that’s just something I’m striving for.

“But every week’s a new week and after Linz I got a load of ranking points so it’s kind of really helped me. So then your perspective can change a little bit. But I think if I was going to set myself a goal, that’s what it would be.”