Local tennis player Liam Broady is quietly rising back up the ranks on the ITF Tour, and here’s why we think you should watch out for him come Wimbledon 2026 this summer.
He is physical proof that the ATP Tour ranking means so much to a player’s career.
The Stockport-born tennis player has suffered many injury setbacks since turning pro in 2014. With a host of ankle and back injuries plaguing his playing career, he has had to turn to the ITF (International Tennis Federation) Tour to climb the rankings once again.
He is currently placed at 283* on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour after reaching two semi-finals in the space of a month.
With wins on two of Portugal’s hard courts in Faro and Santo António, the 32-year-old has climbed from rank 303 at the start of the year to under the threshold in less than three months.
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His hard work on outdoor courts is paying off as his seeding is slowly improving, and his opponents are becoming less of a challenge.
For the unititated, the ATP ranking is decided by a points system that determines your playing level, and therefore who you can possibly draw, with lower seeds getting tougher games as they need more points, and vice versa.
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These point tallies factor into every win, loss, serve, and shot as it propels you up or down the table.
With an injury over Christmas, the Stopfordian Team GB player came back stronger for the start of the annual tournament calendar and now looks to be in fighting form on the ITF Tour.
He’s definitely had to tackle some obstacles over the years, both on and off the court…
Competing solely on outdoor hard courts to gain his fitness levels back is necessary, but the grass courts – his speciality – will come around with time and consistent form, with Wimbledon being his home tournament and his highlight of the competitive calendar.
His career best ranking was 93, after becoming the first British wildcard entry to beat an ATP top five player in 2023 when defeating Casper Rudd on Wimbledon’s centre court.
His win against the Norwegian in round two sent him into the top 100 rankings for the first time, and into the shining spotlight alongside British tennis stars.
The adverse effects of time away from the tour are clear to see with Broady’s peaks and dips in the table below; this means taking a hit to player motivation, game-to-game momentum and teamworking within doubles pairs.
Liam Broady’s career rankings progression chart. (Credit: ATP Tour)
It is a likely situation for players to neglect their doubles career without the added stress of injury, so if they are to arise, it does not just impact individual physicality levels but also communication between doubles pairs.
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A fellow British player with similar injury problems is Emma Raducanu, who rose to fame with a shocking US Open grand slam win as a qualifier. Since her win, she has had multiple surgeries, which saw her plummet down WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) standings due to time spent off court.
The issues that come with injury upsets can make a career really difficult to reclaim, even at a young age; tour rankings can be brutal on game time and match opponents, such as Broady’s Wimbledon draw against Holland’s Van De Zandschulp and Raducanu’s recent draw against American no.3 Anisimova.
We hope to see Team GB’s athletes fit and ready to fight on tour, and we have a strong feeling we’ll see native talent Broady back in the spotlight where he belongs.
Why so many are excited by the Irish teenager being monitored by Man City, United and more
Danny Jones
The next generation of Irish football is looking brighter, and there’s one particular young striker currently playing in the Republic of Ireland’s Premier Men’s Division that’s reportedly attracting interest from the likes of Manchester City, Man United, Chelsea and more.
Still just a teenager and having barely just broken into senior football, Michael Noonan is the youth player presently starring for Shamrock Rovers FC at just 18 years old.
Anyone who followed their recent run in the UEFA Conference League last year will know the kind of box office moments he’s already supplied fans of the South Dublin side, but he’s still a relatively new and somewhat unknown quantity to most, and one that’s already on the radar of some big clubs.
But just to put things into perspective, Irish football journalist Darryl Geraghty has gone so far as to dub him as “probably the hottest prospect in Irish football right now.” Here are just some of the reasons why…
Speaking to Betway (who have ironically just been announced as United’s new principal partner and official sponsor for their training gear), the sports writer said the increasing number of suitors floating in and around the youngster at such a crucial stage in his career comes as no surprise.
Turning 18 last month, the former St Patrick’s Athletic academy graduate is now free to entertain deals from other suitors, with the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Ajax and ‘several’ others claimed to be circling his signature; Noonan is already said to have visited the Dutch giants for talks.
“A who’s who of European football are vying for his signature and it’s easy to see why”, says Geraghty. “Natural goalscorers are incredibly difficult to find, and Michael has that instinctive ability that elite clubs are always searching for.
“He doesn’t need five chances to score one goal. He has that natural striker’s knack of arriving in the right place at the right time, while his movement and pace off the shoulder constantly ask questions of defenders.”
“What’s impressed me most is how much his all-round game has developed. He’s become more involved in build-up play and is learning how to affect games even when he’s not scoring, which is essential for modern forwards.”
He also reiterated to Betway that “perhaps the most impressive thing is how unfazed he seems by the attention and expectation around him”, adding that “talent gets you noticed, but mentality is what convinces clubs to invest in a young player.”
Having helped ‘The Hoops’ to lift another title and a domestic cup, as well as growing an even wider experience base by representing his country in the national team’s youth ranks – most recently at the highly competitive under-21s level – this year could be a big turning point in his career.
Naturally, comparisons to the likes of Robbie Keane have already been drummed up, especially given how much talent he’s already shown at such an early age.
It’s “not because they’re identical players”, clarifies, “but because of the intelligence of his movement, his instinct for goals and his ability to fit into almost any attacking system.”
You only have to see some of his highlights for the resurgent Rovers to see his neat footwork in tight spaces and ability to drive into the right areas with conviction.
According to Geraghty, it’s merely “a matter of when rather than if“, and whoever snaps him up (more likely in the January window, it has been suggested) will be signing “one of the most exciting young strikers Ireland has produced in years.”
You can see his thrilling European debut performances against Norwegian side Molde FK down below.
At only 16, he became the youngest scorer in the competition’s history.
Former Man United coach under Sir Alex Ferguson joins Stockport County in director role
Danny Jones
Former Manchester United coach René Meulensteen, who famously worked under Sir Alex Ferguson, has been appointed to a new role at Stockport County FC.
Joining the club in an unprecedented position – the terminology for which has definitely sparked some speculation – the Dutch coach arrives at Edgeley Park during a period of big changes across the board.
Not only serving under Sir Alex, but also having managed Fulham for a spell and helping steer Iraq to their first World Cup since 1986 this summer as assistant, he brings a varied pedigree to SK3.
Announcing the news on Monday evening, Meulensteen has already set about his introductions to the squad and the rest of the coaching staff this week.
Starting out as a Skills Development Coach in Man United‘s youth academy, helping develop reserve players on their way into the senior setup, he then went on to work at Danish side Brøndby, over in Russia, as part of the Australian national team, and, of course, a second stint at Old Trafford.
With this being a brand-new role not only for Stockport County but one boasting a unique title which presents plenty of questions, it will be interesting to see just how much of an imprint he can have on the first team.
Sporting Director Damien Allen said in a statement: “This appointment represents another important step in delivering our long-term vision, reinforcing our commitment to creating an elite football department, developing players and coaches capable of competing at the highest levels of the game.”
Writing on his own X account, the 62-year-old is clearly relishing the opportunity to carve out a path through this unique new role.
Moreover, the reaction to his name being now tied to the club has been one of excitement and optimism given his CV and well-documented career history.
Just shows the ambition at this club, you've worked with some of the worlds best & can't imagine the wealth of knowledge & experience you're bringing with you, its a pleasure to have you on board
Speaking on his arrival, new Hatters boss Jimmy McNulty – who is set to embark on his debut season as manager of the club after leaving Rochdale AFC this summer – added: “It is a genuine pleasure to be adding a coach of René Meulensteen’s calibre to our coaching team.
“Having operated at the very highest level, guided elite players, and gained invaluable experience across diverse footballing cultures in both domestic leagues and major international tournaments, he brings a tremendous breadth of wisdom and perspective to our coaching team.
“This brilliant addition adds another layer of strength to our coaching collective, and I am delighted René has decided to join our County team.”
What do you make of the appointment, County fans? We’ll admit, we particularly enjoyed the reaction by club legend Ben Hinchliffe fresh from his testimonial match…
🗣️ "I have no idea what that job title means!" 🤣
Ben Hinchliffe on Stockport County's new Director of Football Methodology Rene Meulensteen.
The Manc -
13th March 2026 
