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Oliver Tarvet, Billy Harris and Max Basing booked their spot in the men’s singles draw for Wimbledon after winning all three games in qualifying this week.
It marks the first time since 199 that three British players have reached the main draw of the Grand Slam after progressing through the qualifying tournament.
Tarvet became only the third British player to qualify in back-to-back years after defeating Greece’s Stefanos Sakellaridis in straight sets at Roehampton on Thursday.
After coming through qualifying last year, he claimed his maiden Grand Slam win by outlasting Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi in the opening round and went on to reach the second round at the All England Club, where he faced the defending champion at the time, Carlos Alcaraz, on centre court.
“I’m definitely very overwhelmed right now, but the main emotion for me is happiness,” he told BBC Sport.
“I think I have come a long way from where I qualified last year. I think I had some challenges as well, which makes these victories sweeter.
“I think it was the added pressure that I put on myself. Feeling like I had to replicate the levels and results that I had at Wimbledon. I feel like those expectations didn’t help me.”
Harris is into the main draw at Wimbledon for the third year in a row after an impressive comeback from one set down to beat Yi Zhou 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-3 in the final round of qualifying.
Reaching the quarter-final at Nottingham Open earlier this month, the 31-year-old has produced key performances on the grass courts and will be encouraged ahead of Wimbledon next week.
“It’s nice to finally qualify,” Harris told the LTA. “I’ve had some tough matches in the last rounds of qualifying in the other Slams and a couple of years ago here. I’m pleased to get over the line – I had a bit of a shaky start but managed to regroup and found some decent tennis.
“It’s great to have three wins under your belt going in and feeling good. It’s obviously not easy to qualify, but if you do it’s probably an advantage in some ways.
“Feeling good (in my game). I feel like I’m playing some good tennis, it’s not perfect all the time. I like the grass and hopefully can get some wins in the main draw.”
As for 23-year-old Basing, he will now compete in his first Grand Slam main draw after a gruelling five-set clash with Switzerland’s Remy Bertola, eventually winning 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 to win the first five-set match of his career.
It has been quite the week for the young Brit, who originally lost out in the pre-qualifying event but received a wildcard for the qualifying tournament, and he took the opportunity with both hands, winning the three required matches to earn his spot in the main draw at Wimbledon.
“It’s been crazy to say the least,” said Basing, who spent his teenage years training at the Rafa Nadal Academy. “I started in pre-qualifying last week, down at Southlands at Wimbledon, got to the semis and lost there this time last week. I just feel super lucky and privileged to have still been given the opportunity to play this week.”
However, former British number one Heather Watson failed to reach her first singles main draw in 15 years after falling to defeat against top seed Maria Timofeeva 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
In total, there will be 21 British players in the singles draws at Wimbledon and they will learn their first-round opponents when the draw takes place on Friday 26 June.
