Hi, My name is Mia Wainwright I’m 18 years old from Nottingham, born and raised in a council house in Broxtowe.

I started my tennis journey at the age of 4 and it's been my life ever since then.

I’m fundraising to help cover the costs of travelling abroad to compete at international tournaments & give myself a real chance of becoming a professional tennis player.

Tennis has never been an easy or supported journey for me in terms of opportunity from the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), Tennis is not a cheap sport to get into and usually to suceed and make it to the very top of the game it requires investments, funding & sponsorships, I don’t come from a wealthy background and have always had to do everything the hard way, which drives the desire to suceed even more.

I haven't had a personal coach now for the last 5 years but in that time I’ve managed to through pure hard work, sacrifice, and belief:

• Gain valuable experience both on & off the court

• Qualified to become a level 3 tennis coach to earn money to fund my career.

• Achieved a professional tennis WTA ranking (I’m currently around 1150 in the world)

• Played at Wimbledon Doubles (Juniors)

• Competed in multiple international tournaments. 2025 I played in Tunisia, Turkey, Spain, Italy

• I won the Women's Scottish open

I currently fund my entire tennis career by working as a Level 3 tennis coach to inspire the next generation of young players coming up to show them its possible, my parents work normal jobs and do all they can to support me.

Every lesson I coach goes straight back into paying for tournaments, travel, accommodation, physio, and equipment. While many players my age are financially backed and fully supported, I juggle coaching and training just to stay in the game, but only so much can be achieved whilst trying to fund this way.

Despite all these challenges, I am:

• Top 50 in the UK

• Around top 1150 in the WTA women’s rankings

These results have been achieved with limited resources and without the opportunities others are often given. I’ve always been overlooked and never offered the same chances as some other girls, despite proving time and time again that I belong at this level.

Travelling abroad to compete is essential to progress in professional tennis as it’s based off a ranking system as tournaments get you the ranking points but it’s also incredibly expensive.

This fundraiser would help me cover flights, accommodation, and basic living costs while competing internationally — costs that currently hold me back far more than my ability ever has.

I’m not asking for a shortcut — just a fair chance. A chance to compete, to grow, and to see how far my talent and work ethic can really take me.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Any donation, share, or support means more than you could imagine and hopefully bring me one step closer to chasing my dreams.

❤️