Wimbledon hopeful Harriet Dart says end of 'toxic relationship' has improved tennis

British tennis player Harriet Dart has credited the end of a ‘toxic relationship’ with improved results on court.

The 25-year-old is currently enjoying a breakthrough season, having broken into the world top 100 after reaching the fourth round of Indian Wells in March.

Dart has now slipped down to 106th in the rankings, but she continued to impress after reaching her first WTA quarter-final at the Nottingham Open last week.

Now, after reaching the second round of the Birmingham Classic, her next opponent is former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep.

The Romanian, who is playing her first grass-court event since winning Wimbledon in 2019, will be a tough test for Dart. But Halep revealed she was also expecting a tricky encounter.

“I saw [Dart] playing lately. She’s doing great so it’s going to be difficult,” she said.

“On grass it’s different, everything is different and she’s used to it, she’s from here, so it’s going to be a big challenge.”

With Dart receiving praise from one of the best tennis players on the WTA Tour, the star revealed how an improvement in her personal life has hoped her growing reputation.

“I went through a bad relationship, it was very toxic, and I do believe, if you’re happier off the court, you’re happier on the court,” she said.

“I’m a lot happier now, I have a nice boyfriend now, which is nice. I definitely feel like I belong a lot more.

“It’s not just about doing well here, it’s about doing well the whole year. I feel like I’ve made steps in that way.”

The Birmingham Classic is the penultimate WTA event before Wimbledon gets underway on June 27th.

The Grand Slam has already been mired in controversy after the ATP and WTA stripped the tournament of ranking points.

Thi