Alicia Dudeney, 23, has earned a wildcard entry into the women’s singles draw after climbing from outside the top 1,000 to world No. 246 in a year.
Since finishing her studies, Ms Dudeney has won seven lower-tier titles and is one of six British women given wildcards into the Wimbledon main draw.
She said: “I had the best time out there. It was definitely a very valuable experience for me.
“The tennis out there is amazing. You have really high-level players now that are transitioning on to the tour, but just the experience helps you grow so much as a person.
“When I finished last May, I was ready to travel on my own and the daily grind of what the tour consists of, which I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do at 18, so it was an invaluable experience for me.
“I definitely think in the last few years it’s become a lot more popular, a lot of Brits now are going out there.
“It’s such a good route. I definitely would recommend it to anyone.”
Ms Dudeney took the US college tennis route, which is common among British men but less so among women.
Her only previous Wimbledon experience came in 2021, when she reached the quarter-finals of the girls’ singles.
Earlier this month, she earned her first senior win on grass at the WTA 125 event in Ilkley.
Ms Dudeney is no stranger to the All England Club, having visited as a child and in recent years to support friends, including fellow British player Sonay Kartal and American McCartney Kessler.
Ms Kessler, a former college teammate, has reached the top 30, while Ms Kartal, who trained with Ms Dudeney at the Pavilion and Avenue Tennis Club in Hove, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
Ms Dudeney said: “I’ve been at college a lot of the time but I’ve always followed everything she’s done.
“It’s so amazing. Ben (Reeves), her coach, I also grew up with as well so to see them doing so incredibly well feels so close to home for me.
“It’s especially motivating – ‘I can do that’ – but also, as a friend, it’s just really heartwarming to see her do so well because she really does deserve it so much.”
She described Wimbledon as “every British player’s dream” and recalled childhood visits to the Eastbourne tournaments.
Ms Dudeney believes her recent results have shown she is ready for the big stage.
She said: “When you haven’t played the bigger tournaments and you go in not knowing what it’s like, you can think the level is so much higher than it actually is.
“But then, once you actually get here and play it, you’re like, ‘Oh, these girls are really good but it’s not a crazy different level to what you’re used to,’ which is great to see.”