By reaching the final of last week's second-tier Challenger tournament in St Tropez, Liam Broady will rise to No 93 in the rankings on Wednesday Head to the Sky Sports website and app, for live scores, reports, analysis and features
Tuesday 26 September 2023 17:43, UK
Britain's Liam Broady admits to a huge sense of "relief" at having achieved a decade-long goal of breaking into the top 100 when the rankings are updated on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old from Stockport, who reached the boys' final at Wimbledon and the US Open over 10 years ago, is guaranteed to rise to 93 in the rankings when they are updated after reaching the final of last week's second-tier Challenger tournament in St Tropez.
He said: "The thing that's been the goal that's kept me going for 10 years has been 'I will be top 100 one day'.
"It's funny, with this stuff you never feel as good as you think, once you do it you're like, 'Oh is that it'? Now I'm already thinking about how can we finish the year strong, how can I go to Australia and maximise at the start of next year? But it is a big weight off my shoulders.
"I don't know why but you always see a player who's been in the top 100 differently. Even if someone's made 99 and someone's been 101, there's a different sort of aura about that and I've been conscious of that for years.
"There have been plenty of British players that have been fantastic but never managed to cross that final hurdle. I didn't want the same thing for myself, I wanted to be within that holy grail."
It has been a rollercoaster of a career for Broady, who hit such a low a few years ago that he came close to quitting the sport.
This season he has performed consistently at Challenger level, while he achieved a career-best victory over then-world No 4 Casper Ruud to reach the third round at Wimbledon.
With the top 100 ticked off, Broady is spending a few days back home for the first time since May and his priority over the remaining weeks of the year is to ensure he makes it into the main draw of a Grand Slam on ranking for the first time at the Australian Open.
So how high could he go?
"I don't know," he said. "I'm interested to see. Ask me in a year's time. Once you're in the top 100, I think it all comes down to runs you can go on.
"If you play well at the right tournaments then you can go as high as anyone. I've got no experience of knowing what that feels like so I'm just excited."
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