Students experience elite sport at Lexus Tennis Tour in Wrexham

Date: Monday, October 27, 2025

More than 170 college students were given an opportunity to watch Welsh and international tennis stars in the Lexus Wrexham Open as part of a Sports discovery day, held at Wrexham University.

The taster event aimed to inspire young people by offering firsthand insight into university life and the world of professional sport.

As part of the day, students took part in a range of sessions including assessment of oxygen kinetics – the rate at which the body's oxygen consumption increases during exercise, muscle and fat mass, strength and muscle symmetry tests, football coaching practicals, performance analysis, sport psychology, tactical analysis and more.

During the tennis tour, students watched British Mimi Xu progress to the second round of the Wrexham Open with a win over Justina Mikulskyte.

Dr Chelsea Batty, Principal Lead for Sport and Exercise Sciences and Applied Sciences at Wrexham University, said: “Our Sports discovery days are always a great success and well received by students, however this time being able to tie it to the Lexus Wrexham Open tennis tour was fantastic.

“We were also delighted to be one of the sponsors of the tournament – and for students who were with us for the day, it was an extremely exciting experience for them to be spectating the biggest event in women’s tennis to be staged in the UK this year. The feedback we received from students was overwhelmingly positive – and that part of the day was a real standout.”

Erin Van Tonder, a Year 13 student at Cheshire College – South and West, said: “I’m thinking about a career in either Sport Physiology or Physiotherapy, so I’ve found the discovery day extremely insightful. The VO2max testing was really interesting, in particular for me.

“It was also brilliant to watch some elite tennis at the Lexus Wrexham Open, literally next door to the University.”

Iwan Williams, Lecturer in Sport at Cheshire College – South and West, added: “Our students had a really brilliant experience at the University’s Sports discovery day, from their feedback, main highlights included seeing the Sports and Exercise Physiology Lab, where they heard all about the practical skills required for a career in sport science, health, and fitness, as well as a session on Psychology.

“We were also delighted to have had the opportunity to watch the Lexus Wrexham Open tournament, our students having that exposure to world-class tennis was a brilliant experience for them.”

• The University has this week announced two new tennis short courses – Working in the Tennis Environment aimed at those looking to start a career working in tennis, as it includes the nationally recognised Level 1 Assistant Tennis Coaching Award – and Business and Event Management in Tennis, which will combine expert-led instruction with applied learning, providing real-world experience in both tennis-specific and broader sports event management. More information about the courses via the above links.