Joanna Garland: The Stevenage tennis player who is Taiwan’s No.1

Garland’s early years on tour have been beset by injuries, with her ranking falling to 551 at the end of last year.

However, 2025 has been her best year yet. Her Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking has risen to 144, external thanks to winning four International Tennis Federation (ITF) W35 tournaments, external in Kenya and Italy.

She is coached full time in the Netherlands by Tim de Rooij and qualified for her first Grand Slam at the French Open last month, winning her first-round match against Katie Volynets from the United States.

“I got a horrendous cold after qualifying at the French Open,” said Garland.

“I was in bed for three days. I didn’t practice and I got no sleep. I was 3-0 down in the third set and somehow I won it 6-4. I just thought ‘how on earth have I pulled this off?’.”

Her phone was inundated with messages from Taiwan.

“It was pretty overwhelming,” she added. “I called my mum to tell her and she said her phone had gone mad too.”

Garland was beaten by 32nd seed Julia Putintseva in round two but then backed up her run at Roland Garros by qualifying for her first WTA tournament at s’Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands, losing to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu in the first round.

She now prepares to qualify for Wimbledon this week for the first time.

“I am in a good place and quite excited about the next few weeks,” she said.

“I am nervous. There’s pressure because of Roland Garros but if I can play my best tennis, I do think I can do it. Reaching Wimbledon would be something else.”