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Winning Formula: Emily Appleton gets set for summer on court

As the tennis grass season gets underway and Wimbledon fever approaches, we caught up with Winning Students 100 tennis scholar Emily Appleton – one of Britain’s rising tennis sensations carving out a unique path in the world of professional sport.

At just 25 years old, she is balancing a career on the global tennis stage with academic pursuits, thanks in part to the support of Winning Students 100, Scotland’s national sports scholarship programme.

Currently ranked top 80 globally in doubles and 360 in singles, Emily is looking forward to a summer of fierce competition, having just competed in doubles at the French Open and bagged qualifying wild card spots in the ladies singles and doubles at Wimbledon.

Emily said: “Last summer, I won my first senior match at Wimbledon. It was one of the best days of my life so far and a moment I’ll cherish forever. The grass season is always exciting and being able to play at home is special. Wimbledon is the highlight for any British player because we’re on our home patch and we know how to play on grass, so it’s really exciting for us. I’m approaching the coming months with excitement and eagerness to take the opportunities that come my way and really looking forward to it all.”

Appleton’s tennis career began on a promising trajectory. By the age of 16, she was a top 10 junior player in the world and was poised to join the number-one college tennis programme in the United States. 

Choosing to turn pro was not a straightforward decision, but her junior success and a sponsorship opportunity with Sky Sports gave her the confidence to pursue a professional career and put Higher Education on hold.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen challenges to the tennis circuit. Emily used this period to reassess her priorities, eventually deciding to resume her education alongside her tennis career.

Currently, she is pursuing an online degree in Business and Enterprise in Sport at Edinburgh Napier University, while competing at an elite level. She balances over 40 weeks of travel annually for tennis while maintaining her academic commitments.

Reflecting on her studies, Emily said: "It’s been refreshing to have another focus beyond tennis. Studying helps fill the downtime during travel and helps me to manage my time and stress more effectively. It lets me do something productive that will benefit me in the future."

Appleton reflected on the impact Winning Students 100 has had on her dual pursuits. She said, “Tennis is an expensive sport: travel, accommodation, and coaching expenses add up quickly, and I also have the expense of my degree, so Winning Students 100 funding goes towards all of that. 

Appleton credits her academic pursuits with providing her with a mental reprieve from the pressures of professional sport, enhancing her focus and drive on court.

“Combining sport and study benefits one another. For me, since I’ve taken on my studies, my tennis has grown and thrived, so it’s really beneficial to both.”

Looking to the future and her goals, Emily shared: “Knowing that I’ve still got potential to unlock, I’m young and have a lot of time to prove where I can get to, that’s what motivates me. I’d love to play all four Grand Slams as a pro senior player. I’ve done so as a junior, and I’d love to emulate that again. For me, it’s about continual improvement and getting better all the time – the rankings and results will follow.”

With the support of Winning Students 100, Emily achievements on the court are paralleled by her progression off it, setting an example for the next generation of student-athletes.

Wimbledon starts on 30th June 2025. Winning Students 100 applications for 2025-26 open on 1st August 2025.