Katie Swan on mental wellbeing and how British players can harness Wimbledon nerves - as she prepares to return from injury just months after considering quitting tennis

The British star is gearing up to compete once again in just a few weeks time But Swan is unable to take part in Wimbledon's 2024 event due to her injury25-year-old's competitive streak has seen her deeply miss being on court

For British tennis players, the arrival of Wimbledon ends weeks and months of feverish anticipation and grass court preparations, with the opportunity to dazzle in front of a home crowd on the greatest stage of all.

Monday will kick-off a first round which plays host to the highest number of British singles players in the draw since 1999. But one among the cohort of talented up-and-comers is conspicuous in her absence - Katie Swan, just last year contesting Katie Boulter for the British No1 ranking, now painfully sidelined by injury.

In April, Swan underwent an epidural procedure after being plagued by back spasms since last year's grass court season. Despite taking time out after Wimbledon, the pain had kept getting worse.

'I didn't think there was an answer,' Swan admits to Mail Sport. 'At one point, I thought I might have to stop tennis. I just didn't really see a way out for it.'

Fate intervened at the start of the year when the 25-year-old met a specialist in Melbourne who helped diagnose the root of the nerve issue and in Swan's words, gave her 'hope' for the first time.

Katie Swan will not be taking part in Wimbledon this year as she continues to her recovery

The former British No1 contender has been keen to return to competition after struggling with persistent injury

In April, Swan underwent a procedure in a bid to allow her to compete pain-free in the future

'Going from having the emotional side of having a conversation with my coach and my parents that I was thinking of stopping, and to be in that place that was really quite dark, to then having some hope that there was another way out of these injury problems (was transformative),' she added. 

'Now I just feel so grateful that I'm still here, and having a chance to compete again, and hopefully with no pain or, at least, less pain. 

'I think because of how low I was, I think everything now feels like a bonus. And I just need to continue that mindset of 'it's great to be out there and playing tennis'. 

'It's been quite hard to deal with, but also positive in the sense that I feel that this is a new chapter for me.'

Swan is sponsored by ASICS, who on Monday announced world-first research into the mental health benefits of playing tennis, with their study finding that on average, those who play the game were 21 per cent more capable of dealing with stress, and felt 26 per cent more positive than non-players. 

Despite the sport being her livelihood for over 10 years, Swan can attest to the research's findings, admitting that she had struggled to find an outlet for the competitive streak honed through years of top-level tennis. 

Swan is sponsored by ASIC, who have launched world-first research into the connection between tennis and mental wellbeing

Along with fellow Briton Arthur Fery (far left), Swan has shared her belief in the importance of the sport in boosting her mental health

'Tennis players are adrenaline junkies,' Swan confesses. 'We look for ways to feel those kinds of emotions. I probably pissed a few people off in card games in the last six months because I was putting too much energy into that.

'There's nothing quite like competing on a tennis court.'

Competing lies at the heart of Swan's initial interest in tennis, the result of a casually suggested activity as part of a family holiday at a resort in Portugal when she was seven. 

From the off, Swan had competition in her sights, wanting to get the longest rally she possibly could - 'and also do better than (her) cousin'. After the coach suggested to her parents that she had promise, Swan was competing in junior events just two years later. 

Swan started on the senior tour in 2015, turning professional a year later, and rising to a career-high ranking of 118 by 2022 after picking up 12 career titles. But as well as successes, there have been the inevitable disappointments which stud the careers of all players - such as last year's heartbreaking Surbiton Trophy final, which saw Swan fall to Yanina Wickmayer in the third set tiebreaker, and narrowly miss out on the No1 ranking to Boulter. 

The 25-year-old achieved a career-high ranking of 118 before being sidelined by her injury

'I would say I am hard on myself, definitely,' Swan reflects when considering whether she is more motivated by her wins or her losses.  'I find it easier to find all the things I could have done better and matches than the positives, but I eventually get there to the positives and something that I think I have improved on.

'It's very easy to ride a wave of positive motion, like when things are going well, you see it all the time - players with confidence that just keep winning and winning, but it actually never lasts. So you have to be able to take the loss as well, too.

'I think the best players in the world, mentally are the ones that can respond the best from the downs, and you see it quite often, girls or guys that can go on quite a long streak of losing first round, but very quickly turn it around and win a tournament.

'There's tournaments every week. So if you can try and see positives, and you know, there's always something around the corner.'

While not preparing to do battle in SW19, where Swan has featured six times in her career, the feeling of playing in front of a home crowd is unforgettable - and requires enormous mental effort to circumnavigate itself.

'I've had matches here at Wimbledon, where  it's quite a big shock to the system to go out there in front of that many people and I've felt overwhelming nerves before competing,' Swan adds. 'Where I then haven't competed to the best of my ability due to nerves.

Swan has shared how competing in front of a home crowd at Wimbledon feels like a 'shock to the system' (pictured: Emma Raducanu on Centre Court in 2022)

The player is committed to proving her resilience and returning to the tour guns blazing in July

'But I also think you have to go through those times and gain the experience even if it doesn't feel very nice at the time, to then know that next time you go out there, you've done that.

'I do think that I learned from from that stuff well and it is so nice to have a crowd support you fully.'

But Wimbledon 2025 is likely the furthest thing from Swan's mind. Instead, she's focused on returning to competition in mid-July as she works on building up her time on court, with a renewed state of mind and desire to compete once again.

'It's been a long season for most people,' Swan notes with some relish. 'But I'm coming in fresh.'

Katie Swan was speaking to Mail Sport at ASICS House of Tennis.