Harmony Tan celebrates after winning match point against Serena Williams. (Photo: Getty Images)
Cover Harmony Tan celebrates after winning match point against Serena Williams. (Photo: Getty Images)

Beating a 23-time Grand Slam champion at your first time at Wimbledon is certainly a flex. Here's everything you need to know about this rookie tennis champ

Tennis player Harmony Tan has never qualified for Wimbledon throughout her tennis career—until this year. And it was indeed a shock when she managed to beat seven-time Wimbledon champion, Serena Williams, in the first round at Wimbledon this week.

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In an epic match that lasted three hours and 10 minutes, the 24-year-old manoeuvred her way to a win with some impressive strokes. 

“When I saw the draw I was really scared,” Tan said to reporters after the match. “Because it’s Serena Williams, she’s a legend. I thought if I could win one or two games, it was really good for me.”

As the world looked on after the shocking win, the question on everyone’s mind was: who on earth is Harmony Tan? The young tennis player is relatively unknown and is a fresh face at Wimbledon. 

Below, find out everything you need to know about the new star in the tennis world.

1. She trained in the Val-de-Marne League

While many French tennis stars opt to begin their training in the French Tennis Federation, Tan chose to train in the Val-de-Marne League and has continued to train privately at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida.

She also trains at the home of Melanie Molitorova, the mother of five-time Grand Slam singles winner Martina Hingis, in Switzerland.

Her parents reportedly helped her to pay for this high level of training by selling a house. 

2. She has been coached by the greats

Aside from that, Tan has also been coached by 1998 Wimbledon runner-up Nathalie Tauziat as well as Sam Sumyk.

Sumyk is a French tennis coach who coached the likes of Donna Vekic, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Victoria Azarenka and Garbiñe Muguruza.

3. She has eight ITF titles to her name

At the beginning of her stint as a professional tennis player, Tan spent several years on the ITF Women’s Circuit.

She went on to win her first ITF title in September 2015 in Algiers and then won seven more singles titles and one doubles title.

4. She made her first Grand Slam appearance in 2017

In 2017, Tan made her Grand Slam debut in the French Open. Unfortunately, she was eliminated in the first round. She next appeared in a Grand Slam singles tournament in 2018 where she was again eliminated in the first round. 

After that, Tan appeared at each of the next four French Opens. She earned her first Grand Slam singles victory in the 2021 French Open after the athlete beat Alizé Cornet in the first round.

5. She reached a career-high WTA ranking this year

In April this year, Tan achieved a career-high Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking of World No. 90 in singles and World No. 302 in doubles.

As of June 27 though, her current ranking is number 611. For reference, Williams is ranked 411 as of June 27 and her highest ranking was number one on June 21, 2010.

6. She is a pianist

While she is excellent on the green, did you know that Tan is also an accomplished piano player?

Tan played the piano at a conservatory for eight years and focused on the works of Mozart and Beethoven.

She is also a talented surfer and has been riding the waves for 15 years. 

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