Great Britain’s top women’s doubles ace is set to be her playing partner’s bridesmaid soon – but first they are targeting success at Wimbledon.
Olivia Nicholls, from Acle, Norfolk, is celebrating one of the biggest successes of her career after winning the Queen’s women’s doubles title with Tereza Mihalikova.
The 31-year-old has been playing with Slovak star Mihalikova for the last two years. They won the Berlin Open in 2025, but are yet to make it beyond the third round of a Grand Slam tournament.
But they are feeling positive about their prospects. Nicholls said: “I’m actually going to be a bridesmaid at her wedding in a few weeks’ time. To have that nice relationship off the court, it makes a huge difference to the whole experience.”
Norwich-born Nicholls honed her skills at Acle Tennis Club as a youngster and is currently 22nd in the women’s doubles world rankings.
In Sunday’s final at Queen’s, the pair played a nail-biting match against Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund, eventually winning 6-3 6-7 9-5.
Nicholls said: “It still feels surreal.
“Growing up I used to watch that tournament and I would come home from school and put it on the TV.
“Just to be playing that event with it being the second year there’s a women’s event there, it is just incredible.
“To go all the way and win the doubles title was beyond anything I could have imagined.
“After the match I tried to go and sign all the balls and autographs and some of the girls were saying to me ‘I’m from Norwich’.
“You could just see the buzz they were getting from seeing me play.
“If I can help the younger generation, particularly girls, to play tennis and have similar aspirations that’s just incredible.”
The London tournament marked two years of Nicholls’ doubles partnership with Mihalikova, 28.
This week, they are defending their Berlin Open title.
Nicholls continued: “From a tennis point of view, we gel really well.
“Her strengths and my strengths combine really well and I would say both of our weaknesses we are able to hide for each other.”
The pair spend about 30 weeks of the year away from home and had not met before they were paired together.
Nicholls is thrilled with her role in Mihalikova’s upcoming nuptials, once they have taken on Wimbledon.
She added: “I didn’t actually know her at all until we started playing doubles together two years ago.
“We have been a huge part of each other’s lives since and formed an incredible friendship… I’m really excited to share their special day together.”
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