“I think I was really nervous for this match, even last night,” said an emotional Jodie Burrage after making it to the second round of the 2025 Australian Open. The Brit defeated France’s Leolia Jeanjean, on Monday, with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-4. This year’s first-round victory holds a huge significance for the 25-year-old. It was her first Grand Slam match since she lost her maiden encounter at the Australian Open a year ago. While the 156-ranked player has been making gradual strides in the racket sport, not many are aware of her background, especially her family. Do you know that Jodie’s love for tennis comes from the deep sporting legacy attached to her parents? Let’s find out more!
Jodie Burrage was born in 1998, in London, to Chris and Yvonne Burrage. She has three brothers as well, named Zach, Ben, and Seb. Speaking more of her parents, her father Chris Burrage has been a semi-professional rugby player in his younger days. On the other hand, her mother Yvonne has been a professional tennis player in her yesteryears. Considering her parents’ heavy inclination in sports, how could Jodie stay away from this field?
“We are a very sporty family. There is a lot of competitive energy. Me and my brothers and my parents – the table tennis matches, card games…Anything that happens, it gets very competitive,” she once said, as reported by The London Standard back in July 2023. It was the year when she witnessed her Wimbledon breakthrough moment, making it to the second round. While growing up, her mother Yvonne motivated her to become a sportsperson. In fact, she was the one who encouraged Jodie to take up tennis professionally. “I started playing because my mum played when I was young. I probably picked up a racket at age five,” she revealed.
After her first-round win at the 2025 Australian Open, her parents, especially her mother, must be feeling proud of her right now. But her big Grand Slam journey has just begun. While Burrage made her dominant presence felt in the last encounter, she will have to give all she’s got in the next. Why? Because she’s going to face none other than World No.3 and 2024 WTA Finals winner Coco Gauff. However, Jodie seems to be unfazed by her opponent’s popularity. And she’s made it very clear ahead of their anticipated face-off.
Jodie Burrage is focused on giving a tough fight to Coco Gauff
For the last two months, the 20-year-old American has been slaying it on the court. After finishing her last season by clinching the WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh, in November, she also reached the No.3 spot in the WTA rankings. Not only that, she led Team USA to an emphatic victory over Poland in a one-sided final, nearly two weeks ago down under. Speaking of her Australian Open campaign, the 2023 US Open winner beat Australia’s Sofia Kennin 6-3, 6-3 very easily in the first round.
However, Jodie Burrage is only focused on delivering her best on Wednesday when she steps on the court against Gauff. She’s not intimidated by the American’s recent, near-indomitable form. “I’m going to take it to her, see if I can get more games than last time, which wasn’t very many. But, again, I feel like I’m in a different spot to the last time I played her,” she said during an official press conference after clearing the first round.
The first and last time they met was in 2023 during the Eastbourne International. In that encounter, Gauff completely dominated Burrage and won with a solid scoreline of 6-1, 6-1. Still, the British player is pretty much clear about how she would like to fight it out against the young American sensation. “I feel like she’s quite an intimidating person when you are at the ball toss and stuff,” she revealed. “But I feel the more I’ve had those bigger matches with those people and when I played Sabalenka at the US Open, I fell in a lot calmer state. At the end of the day, you’re just playing the ball. Try to take the person out of it and play the ball that comes to you…” she concluded.
It will be intriguing to see who will conquer this awaited match on Wednesday in the ongoing Major down under. What are your thoughts on Jodie’s chances going into this face-off at the Rod Laver Arena Let us know in the comments below.
The post Who Are Jodie Burrage’s Parents Chris and Yvonne? All You Need to Know About Her Family and Their Sporting Legacy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
