Ellie Tomkinson didn’t get too much time to savour the thrill of being crowned English Nationals Singles women’s champion – it’s back to earth with a bump as she returned to school to contemplate her remaining A-level exams.
“It’s sunk in a bit more, but the exhaustion has hit me!” she grins. “I’ve been smiling away to myself, which must make me look weird!”
She says she had no expectations going into the Nationals weekend – but ultimately beat multiple-time champion Thaddea Lock in the final 11-4, 4-11, 11-9.
“Thaddea is such an amazing player,” she says. “If you asked me a year ago, ‘Do you think you’ll be there?’ I’d have said no, and if you’d asked me the day before, or said the result, I’d have said no. You’ve just got to keep your mind in each point and see how it goes.
“Someone said to me before the match, ‘Thaddea is on another level,’ so I thought, ‘Oh, all right then, let’s have some fun and see how it goes.’ The first set started going quite well, which surprised me quite a bit. I tried to not think too much about the outcome and focus on the process.”
Ellie has some tournaments lined up later this year as she considers full-time pickleball in conjunction with a degree in sports psychology – but first she has to finish her exams.
The gold medal is tucked safely away in her drawer – a memento of the progress she’s made in the last two years since she began playing pickleball, opting to sideline tennis last year and concentrate on just the one racquet sport, a decision that’s clearly paid off.
“It’s been a massive change, but I’ve loved it,” she says.
