The Stevenage tennis player who is Taiwan's No.1

As the build-up to Wimbledon intensifies, inevitably a lot of the focus will fall on British players.

Joanna Garland could have been one of them.

But the 23-year-old from Stevenage has chosen to play for Taiwan and is now the country's number one female tennis player.

Her family moved there during her childhood before returning to Hertfordshire, and her mother is from the east Asian country.

It is no surprise then that Garland feels "a very strong connection" to Taiwan, a country that has supported her throughout her career.

"There was a period when I was questioning it," she told BBC Look East. "I was getting close to Grand Slam qualifiers, a potential wildcard for Wimbledon and I was torn about what to do.

"I saw Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal going to Wimbledon as British players thinking it doesn't get any better. So, I was questioning it.

"But playing for Taiwan is why I have had success. It was my childhood and some of the most important years of my life were in Taiwan.

"I have a strong connection to the people, the coaches, and they were a big part of my life. I owe it to them."

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