Two exceptional tennis talents from Swansea, Mimi Xu and Francesca Lewis, have been honoured with prestigious awards at the highly-anticipated Tennis Wales Awards. The event, held in Cardiff, saw Mimi Xu emerge victorious as the Player of the Year, while Francesca Lewis claimed the esteemed Performance Coach of the Year title.
Mimi Xu, whose tennis journey began at the Swansea Tennis and Squash Club, exhibited remarkable resilience by overcoming an injury setback at the beginning of 2023. Her unwavering determination propelled her to compete in renowned tournaments such as the Junior French Open, Junior Wimbledon, Junior US Open, and most recently, the Junior Australian Open. Notably, she achieved the quarter-finals in the girls’ singles and the semi-finals in the girls’ doubles at the Junior Australian Open. Furthermore, Mimi’s exceptional performances included clinching the under-18s ITF J300 title in Beijing and representing Great Britain in the girls’ under-16s Tennis Europe European Summer Cup competition. These outstanding achievements have propelled her to the impressive 13th position in the ITF Junior World rankings.
Francesca Lewis, a former Wales number one player, currently serves as the Head Coach at the Tennis Wales Regional Player Development Centre at Swansea Tennis Centre. In this role, she leads a dedicated team that nurtures the talents of Wales’ most promising players aged between 10-14 years, guiding them towards achieving international standards. Notable success stories from the centre include the emergence of Mimi Xu and Niall Pickerd-Barua, who both claimed the GB champion titles in the under-12 and under-14 categories in the past two years. Francesca’s remarkable win follows her previous success at the 2021 Tennis Wales Awards and National LTA Awards, as well as being crowned UK Coaching Development Coach of the Year in 2018. Her stellar accomplishments have positioned her as a strong contender for the upcoming UK-wide LTA Awards later this year.
The remarkable achievements of Mimi Xu and Francesca Lewis reflect the prowess and dedication present within the tennis community in Swansea. Their contributions not only elevate their individual standings within the sport but also serve as a source of inspiration for aspiring players across the region.
As Swansea embraces the victorious return of its two tennis luminaries, the entire sporting community eagerly anticipates witnessing their continued success and the positive impact they will undoubtedly impart on the next generation of aspiring athletes.