I’m a former Wimbledon star who scared Eugenie Bouchard and was in ‘poison’ scandal… now I have new career as an artist
GABRIELLA TAYLOR swapped courts for canvases in her new career as an artist.
The former British tennis star was one of the hottest young prospects as a teenager.
And she even made her Wimbledon debut against former runner-up Eugenie Bouchard.
But as she struggled with her mental health amid the pressures and demands of professional sport, she packed up her tennis bags, deciding to hang up her racquets… and hang up her paintings instead.
Born in Southampton in 1998 to a Geordie dad and Bulgarian mum, Taylor followed in the footsteps of Andy Murray by moving to Spain aged 13 to pursue tennis.
Despite being based in Spain, Taylor beat Katie Swan to be crowned Under-14 British Junior National Champion in 2012.
She backed that up by reaching the final of the prestigious junior tournament, the Orange Bowl, and subsequently turned professional aged 16.
Taylor hit the headlines during her Junior Wimbledon campaign of 2016 when she was forced to retire during the quarter-finals.
The Hampshire hitter contracted bacterial infection leptospirosis which can be transmitted through rat’s urine.
The infection saw her admitted into intensive care for four days and sidelined her for a month – and she thought she had been poisoned.
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However, doctors declared this highly unlikely while the police found no evidence to suggest her food was tampered with.
Two years later – after a run of ITF titles and breaking into the world’s top 200 – Taylor was called up to the British Fed Cup team and received a wildcard into Wimbledon.
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In her one and only main-draw Grand Slam match, the star took a set off Bouchard but lost in three.
Sadly, that was the peak of her career – still aged only 20 – as her mental health challenges and the coronavirus pandemic led to her premature retirement two years later.
Former world No162 Taylor, who won six of her 12 ITF singles finals and earned £167,000, praised Naomi Osaka for raising awareness for the psychological strains of a life in tennis.
Reflecting on the final year of her career, Taylor, 26, said: “Naomi has really led the way.
“It’s a very lonely sport and if you don’t have the right team environment around you, it’s a very difficult place to be on your own.
“I’d definitely advise players to get the right help and to speak openly about how they feel. Mental health is a top priority for any sport and any individual, which is something I’ve learnt a lot over the years.
“I’d actually been suffering for a few years and hadn’t realised.
“When the pandemic hit, it was a real struggle mentally for me, like it was for a lot of people.
Tennis stars’ new careers
PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring.
But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best…
- I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun
- I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B
- I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer
- I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend
- I’m last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I’m singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts
- I’m former world No1 but quit aged 29 – instead I went on to play professional poker and golf
- I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist
“When I first stopped playing it was really hard to know what to do, but slowly I got a lot of help and support from family, friends, my team and the LTA, which I’m totally grateful for.”
However, she soon found a new career path, by tapping into another special skill of hers – requiring a steady hand, creative flair and focused concentration for a very different kind of pressure.
Taylor is now a self-taught, freelance artist producing commissioned work including for the likes of fellow tennis stars Jack Draper and Kyle Edmund while studying an advertising degree at the University of the Arts London.
She added to the BBC in 2022: “I still wonder myself how I got into this and where I’ve got to now.
“I thought I would just start painting and did a few pieces here and there.
“But then I had the idea I could potentially start a bit of a business out of it with part of the profits going towards animal charities.
“There’s a lot on my plate, but I’m really enjoying life at the moment and really grateful for the opportunities – it wouldn’t have even crossed my mind to be doing what I am now such a short time ago.
“A couple of my paintings have been hung in a gallery in Winchester, which has made me super happy and is also really exciting.
“It’s been an awesome experience and such a life-changer. I’m still learning.”
Tennis stars following in parents' footsteps
TALK about pressure…
These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.
But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.
So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?
- My dad is one of the greatest tennis players ever… but he’s not my idol
- My mum won US Open aged 16 then Wimbledon… but you won’t know it from my surname
- My Czech dad won Australian Open and my sisters are elite golfers… but I’m playing for different country
- My millionaire dad played with Federer… but I’ve reached three Grand Slam finals
- My dad earned £1m and got to French Open final… but I’ve already surpassed his career
- My record-breaking dad is in tennis Hall of Fame and won Wimbledon… but I’m aiming to emulate his achievements
