Ellen Tribley – A Great First Half of the Year

It's been an incredible first half of the year for our sponsored athlete, Ellen Tribley, filled with hard work, impressive victories, and exciting developments on her tennis journey! We're excited to bring you a full update on her progress, from her early tournaments in late 2024 and the start of the year to what she’s up to at the moment.

The end of 2024 saw Ellen's dedication quickly translate into on-court results.

In September, she had a good showing at her first trip to Germany for a tournament in Cologne. She won her first match in the girls' round robin, and though she lost her second to a higher-ranked player, she played exceptionally well, pushing her opponent and showing clear progress. She even had a great time playing fun doubles.

Then, in October, at the ITF Junior wheelchair tennis tournament in Arnhem, Ellen secured a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win in her first match.

Soon after these tournaments, Ellen was immersed in the first-ever Cruyff High Performance Camp, where she absolutely loved her time training with other juniors and even received expert advice from the women's world no. 1, Diede De Groot.

The year kicked off with fantastic news: Ellen was ranked 6th in the world! What an amazing achievement. This early success set the tone for a fantastic season.

We were proud to see her at the Cruyff Junior Masters in Tarbes. She had an amazing day, winning her singles match 6-1, 6-4 to come third in the singles round robin. But the highlight was her victory in the doubles final with her partner Emma, winning an amazing match tie-break 11-9! Her consistent performance was also evident at the Lee Valley tournament, where Ellen played amazingly, finishing as runner-up in women’s singles and having a blast winning the mixed doubles.

Then Ellen had a wonderful time playing as a guest in the BUCS individual finals at Loughborough, where she was runner-up twice to the amazing Paralympian Abby Breakwell in both singles and doubles. Ellen continues to wear her Active Wrist Support when training and during competitions, as it gives her the support she needs to play at her best.

After focusing and completing her GCSEs, Ellen had a lovely weekend catching up with friends at the Loughborough tournament. She was a runner-up in Women’s singles after a very hard-fought, close match with every game going to deuce against the eventual winner, Mariam. To top it off, they paired up to win the women’s doubles, and it was a special moment with Paralympian Abby Breakwell doing the honours at the presentation.

And just four weeks ago, in her first tournament since finishing her exams, she reached the semi-finals in Hilversum in the Netherlands.

Most recently, Ellen competed in the Junior tournament in Nice. She was knocked out of the singles draw in the semi-finals, but she truly showed her best tennis in the doubles, finishing as runners-up with Isabelle. They staged an incredible comeback from a set down to win the second set and a very close match tie-break.

This brings us to Ellen's current schedule. Ellen had a lovely time at the Amjoy Cup last Thursday to Saturday in Eindhoven, Netherlands. She was competing in the Amjoy ITF junior wheelchair tournament. It was a beautiful sunny day there, and proud to hear she had valuable court time with her coach, Nick Skelton, and secured a fantastic first doubles win with her partner, Beatrice. Just recently, Ellen also achieved a fantastic runner-up trophy in doubles with Matt at the Flanders tournament in Belgium.

At the Amjoy Cup, Ellen played exceptionally well, winning her semi-final match and reaching her first-ever International singles final! She also showcased amazing tennis in the doubles, partnering with a girl from Romania she had just met at the tournament, despite no shared language. As a result, Ellen was runner-up in both the singles and doubles events!

This outstanding performance has propelled her ranking back up to number 7 in the world!

Looking ahead, Ellen has already secured her spot in the prestigious "Play Your Way to Wimbledon" finals, set for August 8th and 9th at Wimbledon. This is a huge achievement, as she's qualified for the Women's draw. We can't wait to cheer her on at such an iconic venue.

Following Wimbledon, Ellen is entered in a tournament in Bromma, Sweden, from August 19th-22nd, competing in both the junior and women's draws. This will mark her first International women's tournament, a significant milestone in her career!

The beginning of September could see an even bigger opportunity arise for Ellen. We are eagerly awaiting her invitation to play at the US Open at the beginning of September, as the top 8 ranked players are eligible to participate. If she qualifies, her plans will shift dramatically. This would be an incredible experience and a testament to her hard work and progress.

We'll be sure to keep you all informed as Ellen's busy summer unfolds. Stay tuned for more updates, or browse our range of tennis supports and braces.