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British number one wheelchair tennis player nets Honorary Degree

20/09/2016

A West Midlands Paralympic medal winner has received an Honorary Degree from the University of Wolverhampton.

Jordanne Whiley MBE, 24 who lives in London, received her award from the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing at a graduation ceremony recently held at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

The Honorary Doctor of Letters was presented in recognition of her achievements as a wheelchair tennis player. She is currently ranked number one in Great Britain and number three in the World.

Jordanne, who recently won a bronze medal in the Paralympics in Rio, said:  “I can't thank the University of Wolverhampton enough for presenting me with this Honorary Degree. It is something that I never expected and I am extremely humbled by it.”

Jordanne is a Paralympic wheelchair tennis player who was born with brittle bone disease which means she has broken her legs over 26 times. At 14 she became the youngest ever national champion and at 16 she qualified for the Beijing Paralympics.

In 2012 she became the first woman, alongside her doubles partner, to win a Paralympic bronze medal in wheelchair tennis and since then her career has really taken off.  In 2014 she and her Japanese doubles partner netted their first ever grand slam title winning the Australian open, and making history by winning all four grand slams in one year – the first time a British player has won all titles in grand slam competitions.

In 2015 Jordanne won her first ever grand slam singles title at the US Open, beating her doubles partner and defending champion in the final. A month later she was awarded an MBE for her services to wheelchair tennis. Now 24 years old and ranked number three in the world, she has nine grand slam titles to her name which makes her the most decorated British tennis player of all time.

ENDS

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