Olivia Nicholls
Nicholls at the 2024 Washington Open | |||||||||||||||
| Full name | Olivia Ann Nicholls | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country (sports) | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 October 1994 Norwich, England | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2017 | ||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||
| Prize money | US$ 728,583 | ||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||
| Career record | 32–39 | ||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 943 (18 September 2017) | ||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||
| Career record | 253–155 | ||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 23 (23 June 2025) | ||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 23 (23 June 2025) | ||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 1R (2023, 2025) | ||||||||||||||
| French Open | 3R (2025) | ||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 3R (2024) | ||||||||||||||
| US Open | 3R (2024) | ||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | SF (2025) | ||||||||||||||
| French Open | QF (2025) | ||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (2023) | ||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||
| BJK Cup | SF (2022, 2024), record 3–2 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
| Last updated on: 23 June 2025. | |||||||||||||||
Olivia Ann Nicholls (born 26 October 1994) is a British tennis player who specializes in doubles. On 23 June 2025, she peaked at world No. 23 in the WTA doubles rankings.
Nicholls has won three doubles titles on the WTA Tour, one doubles title on the WTA Challenger Tour and 19 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.[2]
Early life and education
Nicholls was born at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, the daughter of Ian and Ann Nicholls. She grew up in the Norfolk village of Acle. She completed a BSc in Sports Science with Management at Loughborough University.[3]
Career
At the 2017 Summer Universiade held in Taipei, Taiwan, she won the bronze medal in women's doubles, along with Emily Arbuthnott.[4]
2022: WTA Tour debut and first title
She made her WTA Tour debut at 2022 Lyon Open in the doubles draw, partnering with Alicia Barnett. The duo finished runners-up,[5] losing to Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.[6] Nicholls and Barnett won the doubles title at the Championnats Banque Nationale de Granby, defeating Harriet Dart and Rosalie van der Hoek in the final which went to a deciding champions tiebreak.[7]
2023: Wimbledon mixed doubles semifinal
At the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, partnering with Jonny O'Mara, Nicholls reached the semifinals in the mixed doubles, losing out to eventual champions Mate Pavić and Lyudmyla Kichenok.[8]
2024: Second WTA doubles title, top 60, British No. 1
Alongside Olivia Gadecki, Nicholls won the doubles title at the ATX Open, defeating Katarzyna Kawa and Bibiane Schoofs in the final.[9]
Prior to the 2024 US Open, where she reached the third round for the first time with new partner Tereza Mihalikova, Nicolls reached a ranking of No. 57 on 19 August, making her the No. 1 British female doubles player.[10]
Nicholls and Mihalikova reached back-to-back quarterfinals at the China Open[11] and at the next WTA 1000, the Wuhan Open.[12]
At the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November, Nicholls and Heather Watson lost to Mihalikova and Viktória Hrunčáková in the decivisve doubles match as Great Britain were eliminated in the semifinals by Slovakia.[13]
2025: First WTA 500 title, Australian Open mixed doubles semifinal
Partnering Henry Patten, Nicholls reached the mixed doubles semifinals at the Australian Open, defeating top seeds Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani in the second round[14] and then Jackson Withrow and Irina Khromacheva in the quarterfinals.[15][16] They lost to John-Patrick Smith and Kimberly Birrell in the last four.[17]
In March, alongside Tereza Mihalíková, Nicholls made it through to her first WTA 1000 final at Indian Wells, overcoming fifth seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Zhang Shuai in the semifinals.[18] Despite losing the championship match to Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs,[19] she moved up to a career-high number 31 in the WTA rankings.[20]
In May, Nicholls and Mihalíková were runners-up at the WTA 125 Trophée Clarins, losing to Irina Khromacheva and Fanny Stollár in the final.[21]
Teaming up with Henry Patten, Nicholls reached the mixed doubles quarterfinals at the French Open,[22] but pulled out at that stage due to a hand injury she had sustained.[23]
Alongside Mihalíková, she won her first WTA 500 title at the Berlin Tennis Open in June, defeating top seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the final which went to a deciding champions tiebreak.[24][25] As a result she reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 23 on 23 June 2025.[24]
Performance timelines
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Doubles
Current through the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup finals.
| Tournament | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 0 / 2 | 0–2 | 0% |
| Wimbledon | Q1 | A | NH | A | 2R | 1R | 3R | 0 / 3 | 3–3 | 50% |
| US Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 3R | 0 / 2 | 2–2 | 50% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 4–3 | 0 / 8 | 5–8 | 38% |
| National representation | ||||||||||
| Billie Jean King Cup | A | A | A | A | SF | QR | SF | 0 / 2 | 3–2 | 60% |
| WTA 1000 tournaments | ||||||||||
| Canadian Open | A | A | NH | A | A | A | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% |
| Cincinnati Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 67% |
| China Open | A | A | NH | A | QF | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 67% | ||
| Wuhan Open | A | A | NH | QF | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 67% | |||
| Guadalajara Open | NH | A | 1R | NTI | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% | |||
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 6–4 | 0 / 5 | 6–5 | 55% |
| Career statistics | ||||||||||
| Tournaments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 20 | Career total: 50 | ||
| Titles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Career total: 2 | ||
| Finals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Career total: 3 | ||
| Overall win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 14–15 | 4–15 | 25–19 | 2 / 50 | 43–49 | 47% |
| Win % | – | – | – | – | 48% | 21% | 57% | Career total: 47% | ||
| Year-end ranking | 273 | 362 | 324 | 187 | 63 | 107 | ||||
Mixed doubles
| Tournament | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | SR | W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | SF | 0 / 1 | 3–1 |
| French Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | |
| Wimbledon | 1R | SF | 2R | 0 / 3 | 4–3 | |
| US Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | |
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3-1 | 4–3 | |
WTA Tour finals
Doubles: 6 (3 titles, 3 runner-ups)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Mar 2022 | Lyon Open, France |
WTA 250 | Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Laura Siegemund Vera Zvonareva |
5–7, 1–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Aug 2022 | Championnats de Granby, Canada |
WTA 250 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Harriet Dart Rosalie van der Hoek |
5–7, 6–3, [10–1] |
| Win | 2–1 | Mar 2024 | ATX Open, United States |
WTA 250 | Hard | Olivia Gadecki | Katarzyna Kawa Bibiane Schoofs |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2–2 | Jun 2024 | Rosmalen Championships, Netherlands |
WTA 250 | Grass | Tereza Mihalíková | Ingrid Neel Bibiane Schoofs |
6–7(6–8), 3–6 |
| Loss | 0–1 | Mar 2025 | Indian Wells Open, United States | WTA 1000 | Hard | Tereza Mihalíková | Asia Muhammad Demi Schuurs |
2–6, 6–7(4–7) |
| Win | 1–0 | June 2025 | Berlin Open, Germany |
WTA 500 | Grass | Tereza Mihalíková | Sara Errani Jasmine Paolini |
4–6, 6–2, [10–6] |
WTA Challenger finals
Doubles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Dec 2022 | Open de Limoges, France |
Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Oksana Kalashnikova Marta Kostyuk |
5–7, 1–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Mar 2024 | Charleston Pro, United States |
Hard | Olivia Gadecki | Sara Errani Tereza Mihalíková |
6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1–2 | May 2025 | Clarins Open, France | Clay | Tereza Mihalíková | Irina Khromacheva Fanny Stollár |
6–4, 6–7(5), [5–10] |
ITF Circuit finals
Doubles: 39 (19 titles, 20 runner–ups)
| Legend |
|---|
| W100 tournaments (2–3) |
| W60/75 tournaments (3–6) |
| W25 tournaments (6–7) |
| W10/15 tournaments (8–4) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Nov 2015 | GB Pro-Series Bath, United Kingdom |
W25 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Freya Christie Lisa Whybourn |
1–6, 6–4, [10–2] |
| Win | 2–0 | Feb 2016 | ITF Wirral, United Kingdom |
W10 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Veronica Corning Harriet Dart |
6–2, 1–6, [10–8] |
| Win | 3–0 | Sep 2016 | ITF Nottingham, United Kingdom |
W10 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Dasha Ivanova Margot Yerolymos |
6–2, 1–6, [10–8] |
| Loss | 3–1 | Oct 2016 | ITF Loughborough, United Kingdom |
W10 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Dasha Ivanova Petra Krejsová |
6–7(2–7), 6–7(2–7) |
| Win | 4–1 | Nov 2016 | ITF Sheffield, United Kingdom |
W10 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Mia Eklund Nika Shytkouskaya |
7–6(7–3), 7–5 |
| Win | 5–1 | Nov 2016 | GB Pro-Series Shrewsbury, United Kingdom |
W10 | Hard | Sarah Beth Grey | Alicia Barnett Lauren McMinn |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 6–1 | Feb 2017 | ITF Birmingham, United Kingdom |
W15 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Melanie Stokke Julia Wachaczyk |
6–3, 5–7, [10–7] |
| Loss | 6–2 | Apr 2017 | ITF Óbidos, Portugal |
W15 | Carpet | Laura Sainsbury | Anna Klasen Erika Vogelsang |
4–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 6–3 | May 2017 | ITF Hammamet, Tunisia |
W15 | Clay | Sarah Beth Grey | Gaia Sanesi Martina Spigarelli |
0–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 7–3 | Sep 2017 | ITF Madrid, Spain |
W15 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Marina Bassols Ribera Júlia Payola |
6–1, 6–2 |
| Loss | 7–4 | Sep 2017 | ITF Clermont-Ferrand, France |
W25 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Cornelia Lister Vera Lapko |
4–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 8–4 | Mar 2018 | ITF Ramat Hasharon, Israel |
W15 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Charlotte Römer Caroline Werner |
6–4, 7–6 |
| Win | 9–4 | Mar 2018 | ITF Tel Aviv, Israel |
W15 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Mathilde Armitano Elixane Lechemia |
7–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 10–4 | Apr 2018 | ITF Óbidos, Portugal |
W25 | Carpet | Sarah Beth Grey | An-Sophie Mestach Nina Stojanović |
4–6, 7–6(7–4), [10–6] |
| Win | 11–4 | Apr 2018 | ITF Óbidos, Portugal |
W25 | Carpet | Sarah Beth Grey | Jessika Ponchet Ganna Poznikhirenko |
6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 11–5 | May 2018 | ITF Monzón, Spain |
W25 | Hard | Sarah Beth Grey | Cristina Bucșa Yana Sizikova |
2–6, 7–5, [8–10] |
| Loss | 11–6 | Aug 2018 | ITF Chiswick, United Kingdom |
W25 | Hard | Sarah Beth Grey | Freya Christie Samantha Murray |
6–3, 5–7, [8–10] |
| Loss | 11–7 | Nov 2018 | ITF Wirral, United Kingdom |
W25 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Freya Christie Valeria Savinykh |
4–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 12–7 | Nov 2018 | GB Pro-Series Shrewsbury, United Kingdom |
2W25 | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Tayisiya Morderger Yana Morderger |
0–6, 6–3, [10–4] |
| Loss | 12–8 | Mar 2019 | Torneig Els Gorchs, Spain |
W60 | Hard | Jodie Burrage | Jessika Ponchet Eden Silva |
3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 13–8 | Mar 2020 | ITF Sunderland, United Kingdom |
W25 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Celia Cervino Ruiz Maria Gutierrez Carrasco |
6–4, 7–6 |
| Loss | 13–9 | Sep 2020 | ITF Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal |
W25 | Hard | Jodie Burrage | Marina Bassols Ribera Ioana Loredana Roșca |
6–7(5–7), 6–4, [6–10] |
| Loss | 13–10 | May 2021 | ITF Santa Margarida, Spain |
W15 | Hard | Celia Cerviño Ruiz | Victoria Bosio Justina Mikulskytė |
6–4, 1–6, [7–10] |
| Win | 14–10 | Jun 2021 | ITF Figueira da Foz, Portugal |
W25 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Berfu Cengiz Anastasia Tikhonova |
6–3, 7–6 |
| Loss | 14–11 | Jul 2021 | Open Araba en Femenino, Spain |
W60 | Hard | Celia Cerviño Ruiz | Olivia Gadecki Rebeka Masarova |
3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 14–12 | Sep 2021 | Caldas da Rainha Open, Portugal |
W60 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Momoko Kobori Hiroko Kuwata |
6–7, 6–7 |
| Loss | 14–13 | Sep 2021 | ITF Santarem, Portugal |
W25 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Marie Benoît Eden Silva |
5–7, 1–6 |
| Loss | 14–14 | Nov 2021 | Open Nantes Atlantique, France |
W60 | Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Samantha Murray Jessika Ponchet |
4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 14–15 | Dec 2021 | ITF Selva Gardena, Italy |
W25 | Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Eudice Chong Moyuka Uchijima |
2–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 14–16 | Jan 2022 | Open Andrézieux-Bouthéon, France |
W60 | Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Estelle Cascino Jessika Ponchet |
4–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 14–17 | Feb 2022 | Open de l'Isère, France |
W60 | Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Prarthana Thombare Yuriko Miyazaki |
3–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 15–17 | Apr 2022 | Bellinzona Ladies Open, Switzerland |
W60 | Clay | Alicia Barnett | Xenia Knoll Oksana Selekhmeteva |
6–7(7–9), 6–4, [10–7] |
| Loss | 15–18 | May 2022 | Torneig Solgironès, Spain |
W100 | Clay | Alicia Barnett | Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva Renata Zarazúa |
4–6, 6–2, [8–10] |
| Win | 16–18 | Aug 2022 | Kozerki Open, Poland |
W100 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Katarzyna Kawa Vivian Heisen |
6–1, 7–6(7–3) |
| Win | 17–18 | Mar 2023 | Trnava Indoor, Slovakia |
W60 | Hard (i) | Alicia Barnett | Amina Anshba Anastasia Dețiuc |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 17–19 | Jun 2023 | Surbiton Trophy, United Kingdom |
W100 | Grass | Alicia Barnett | Yanina Wickmayer Sophie Chang |
4–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 18–19 | Jul 2023 | Open Araba en Femenino, Spain |
W100 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Estelle Cascino Diāna Marcinkēviča |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 18–20 | Sep 2023 | Tokyo Open, Japan |
W100 | Hard | Alicia Barnett | Jessika Ponchet Bibiane Schoofs |
6–4, 1–6, [7–10] |
| Win | 19–20 | Jan 2024 | Porto Indoor, Portugal |
W75+H | Hard (i) | Sarah Beth Grey | Francisca Jorge Matilde Jorge |
4–6, 6–3, [10–6] |
References
- ^ "Olivia Nicholls Tennis Player Profile & Rankings". LTA.
- ^ "Olivia Nicholls". www.wtatennis.com.
- ^ "Olivia Nicholls". www.lboro.ac.uk.
- ^ "Taipei Universiade: Golden day for Chans, silver for others". www.taipeitimes.com.
- ^ "Incredible semi-final comeback helps Team Bath Tennis player Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls reach first WTA final at Lyon Open". 22 March 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "Open 6e Sens Métropole de Lyon 2022 Scores | Latest Scores & Live Updates – WTA Official". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Kasatkina beats Saville in Granby, wins second title of 2022". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Wimbledon 2023: O'Mara and Nicholls miss out on a spot in the mixed doubles final". LTA. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Yuan battles past Wang Xiyu in Austin to capture first career title". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Olivia-Nicholls takes hold of British No.1 doubles spot". LTA. 21 August 2024.
- ^ "China Open 2024: Results & updates". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ "Wuhan Open: Results & updates". Lawn Tennis Association. 10 October 2024.
- ^ "Great Britain suffer Billie Jean King Cup semi-final heartbreak against Slovakia". The Independent. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "GB's Nicholls & Patten beat mixed doubles top seeds". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "British duo Nicholls and Patten reach first grand slam semi-final". STV. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "GB's Patten & Nicholls reach mixed doubles semi-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "All-Aussie mixed doubles final locked in at Open". Yahoo News. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "Hsieh, Zhang ousted from BNP Paribas Open women's doubles". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
- ^ "Muhammad and Schuurs capture WTA 1000 Indian Wells doubles title". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells 2025: Olivia Nicholls & Tereza Mihalikova finish as runners-up in first WTA 1000 final". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Boulter, Sherif claim this week's clay-court WTA 125 titles". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ^ "Nicholls and Patten progress in mixed doubles". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
- ^ "Britons Salisbury & Skupski reach last eight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Olivia Nicholls wins biggest title of her career in Berlin". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Berlin - Vondrousova, a champion on grass, again". Tennis Threads. Retrieved 23 June 2025.