Cornelia Oosthuizen, an Army veteran and Invictus Games medalist, has reached a significant milestone by becoming the British No.1 female wheelchair tennis player for the first time in her career. Oosthuizen, 47, secured this position after surpassing Paralympic silver medalist Lucy Shuker in the singles rankings, moving up to world No.20 following a first-round victory at the French Riviera Open WC1000 last week.
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Oosthuizen's journey in tennis began at age four, but her path to elite wheelchair tennis was shaped by a decade of service in the Adjutant General's Corps, including tours in Afghanistan. In 2014, while representing the Army, she sustained a severe right leg injury that led to a below-the-knee amputation and her medical discharge from the Army in 2016.
Transitioning to wheelchair tennis, she gained immediate recognition by winning a bronze medal at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto. She remains the only British No.1 player to have medaled at the Invictus Games.
Speaking with the LTA, Oosthuizen expressed her pride in achieving the top ranking, stating, "It's incredibly special to step into the position of GB No.1. It's an honour to follow in the footsteps of some great players who have held this position before me, and I'll give everything I have to represent GB with courage on court. I'm excited to embrace the challenge and see what lies ahead."
Throughout her career, Oosthuizen has secured 10 singles titles and 12 doubles trophies. Her most notable victory came at the 2025 Bolton Indoor ITF2 Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, where she triumphed alongside doubles partner Lucy Shuker. Following this win, she made her Wimbledon debut and achieved a career-high world ranking of No.18. Oosthuizen is also noteworthy for being the only British female player to have defeated Shuker since 2022.