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For Rhian Wilkinson, managing Wales felt like destiny.

After years of sliding doors moments for Wales’ women, the arrival of a world-class coach has led to a first major tournament qualification.

On the eve of their first competitive match at Euro 2025 against formidable foes in the Netherlands, Wilkinson says leading out Wales in Lucerne will be “right up there” as one of the proudest moments of her life, despite a glittering playing and coaching career.

“This is a wonderful team, great people, fantastic footballers, and we’re going to be tested against some of the best in the world,” she told BBC Sport Wales.

“And that’s exactly what we’ve been wanting, to showcase Wales as a country and this team and their talent.

“It will be right up there in the greatest moments of my career to stand there and watch these women take the field. “

Despite only being appointed weeks before the start of Wales’ qualifying campaign, Wilkinson’s connection to Cymru runs far deeper.

Born in Canada, Wilkinson has a deep-rooted links to Wales having lived in Cowbridge for 18 months as a child.

With a Welsh mother (Shan) and an English father (Keith), Wilkinson says she has a big connection to the country.

Born in Quebec, Wilkinson lived in Cowbridge in south Wales and attended Bont Faen Primary School from 1989-1991.

Finally returning to Wales as the women’s head coach in February 2024, Wilkinson admits it is a job that was on her mind for years.

“When the job came up after Jayne Ludlow stepped down, I was sorely tempted to apply,” she said.

“I thought what an amazing opportunity it would be, but I had already verbally agreed to another job, it wasn’t great timing for me.

“I was on holiday in Rome when I saw the news that Gemma Grainger had left. She and her staff had done such a wonderful job with the team, and I had followed the team closely. When it came up that she departed, I couldn’t sleep that night.

“It was something that definitely interested me straight away and I thought this could be a very exciting move for me. “

Wilkinson still has plenty of family members in Wales – her grandmother lives in Cowbridge and her aunt, uncle and cousins live in Cardiff – and she speaks glowingly of family holidays spent scaling Wales’ highest peak – Yr Wyddfa.

Indeed, Wilkinson was instrumental in the decision to announce Wales’ Euro 2025 squad at Yr Wyddfa – also known as Snowdon – a destination with huge meaning for her, having been the place where her parents enjoyed their honeymoon.

Six months before she became Wales manager, it was also the place where the Wilkinson family held a ceremony for her father after his death.

It was no surprise when Wilkinson opted to walk up the mountain – all 1,085 metres – rather than take the train on the day of the Wales squad announcement.

Wilkinson was a tough and formidable defender for Canada, though equally capable in midfield, and represented her country on the international stage from 2003 until 2017.

Her 183 caps make her one of the 50 most-capped female footballers in history and she played in four Olympic Games, winning bronze medals in 2012 and 2016.

In her club career, she starred in the National Women’s Soccer League and played in Norway.

A college graduate with a major in communication and English from the University of Tennessee, Wilkinson’s playing career and natural leadership always made a coaching career a likely calling.

Wilkinson worked her way up, starting as an assistant and age-grade coach with Canada before working as an assistant for both the England national team and Team GB at the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.

It was only a matter of time before a head coach role arrived and Wilkinson was appointed Portland Thorns coach in 2021, winning the NWSL Championship in her first season.

However, Wilkinson was asked to stand down after an investigation into a relationship with a player – there was no suggestion Wilkinson did anything wrong, and the couple have subsequently married – with Wilkinson admitting that it was “a painful time” for her.

Wilkinson was out of football at the highest level for a year after her departure from Portland, before Grainger’s shock resignation and move to Norway opened a vacancy she had always thought about. She was appointed Wales boss in February 2024.

Unquestionably, it was not easy to hit the ground running as Wales boss, with the players angry and frustrated by Grainger’s departure and wary of Wilkinson’s appointment.

Initially there were certainly some issues in winning over the players who had hoped Grainger’s assistant, Jon Grey, would be given the role.

Had it not been for the circumstances of Wilkinson’s departure from Portland, it might have been the case that Wales would have always remained a place where Wilkinson felt affinity, but not somewhere she was particularly minded to work.

However, it quickly became apparent this was an ideal match, with Wilkinson succeeding in winning over the squad over a 15-month period during which results spoke for themselves.

Wilkinson steered Wales to Nations League B promotion, before helping to mastermind their Euro 2025 play-off success, firstly with a hard-fought play-off semi-final win over Slovakia.

Wales were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the play-off final by the Republic of Ireland but then recorded a stunning 2-1 win in Dublin to reach a major finals for the first time.

The 43-year-old especially showed her credentials in the Republic of Ireland matches, steering Wales past formidable foes despite being without Sophie Ingle and with star performer Jess Fishlock far from full fitness after returning from a calf tear.

Wilkinson seemed to successfully utilise mind games against then Ireland boss Eileen Gleeson, who got increasingly annoyed with comments made about her side.

“The only time I think about Rhian Wilkinson is when I get asked about her by you,” she told journalists before the match in Dublin.

Ireland seemed agitated and on the edge in the final, Wales kept their cool and finally, are to play in a major tournament.

“When she speaks, it makes me want to run through a brick wall for her,” said Wales defender Rhiannon Roberts.

“Rhian Wilkinson is one of the key reasons why we are where we are,” defender Josie Green wrote in her BBC column.

“I have found Rhian absolutely fantastic to work with. I sit in some of her meetings and she delivers the messages and I think, ‘wow, that is such an impassioned and empowered speech’.

“That is what you want as a player – a coach that inspires you, who motivates you and who pushes you on and also makes you feel valued as a member of the group. Rhian has had a massive impact in the 15 months she has been our manager, we have a lot of belief in her. “

Wales’ most-capped player, Fishlock believes Wilkinson has given them better squad depth than they have ever had.

“What I love about her is she loves to rotate and give opportunities,” said Fishlock.

“The depth of our squad is going to be our secret weapon. But also, I don’t think we get the depth without her. She’s the first manager who has given those opportunities.

Estevao Willian could hardly have introduced himself to Chelsea in a better way.

When the 18-year-old Brazilian smashed home an equaliser for Palmeiras against the Blues from an almost impossible angle on Saturday – Chelsea fans could have been forgiven for feeling a little bit excited.

Yes, he had just equalised against their side in the Club World Cup quarter-final but it was also a thrilling glimpse of the talent Chelsea have signed in a deal that could eventually be worth £52m.

A late Palmeiras own goal meant it was ultimately Chelsea looking forward to a semi-final against Fluminense, but Estevao’s last game for the Brazilians was certainly a memorable one.

The Blues beat the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Manchester City to sign the Palmeiras wonderkid last summer – before allowing him to stay in Brazil last season and to play for the Brazilians in this summer’s Club World Cup.

And, while they may have been regretting that decision as his direct running and silky skills tormented them in Philadelphia, anyone connected with Chelsea can’t fail but to be excited by what they saw.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “Happy because we won and also happy because Estevao scored, the perfect night.

“He is very good, a huge talent, fantastic player. The only thing is when you come from South America or another part of the world is that you need to adapt.

“We are going to help him to adapt, be happy and enjoy football. We have no doubt he will be an important player for Chelsea. “

The forward was a constant threat down Palmeiras’s right, had the most touches in Chelsea’s box for his side (8), and was awarded man of the match for his display.

Blues midfielder Cole Palmer, who was pictured talking to him after the final whistle, added: “You can see he is a top player, so it is very exciting.

“I just said we are excited for you to join, but he didn’t understand a single word I said. “

Estevao and Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira were tearful at the post-match press conference as they reflected on their time together.

Ferreira said: “I spoke before with Maresca and told him ‘you bought an amazing player but more than this you bought an amazing person’.

“You need to take care of him. You need to embrace him and in the beginning for sure he will make mistakes. Like you saw today he is an amazing player with a lot of skill. He is a player who can win a game alone. “

Estevao, said: “Palmeiras opened the door for me. I was deeply happy in Palmeiras and my family knows how happy I was.

“I’m very happy I could score a goal to help my club unfortunately this wasn’t the result we wanted but we gave our best on the pitch and now I am moving on. “

Other Brazilian teenagers such as Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo left for Europe at the same age for huge fees.

They’ve both proved themselves already on the big stages since then. But none of them were as hyped as Estevao when they first moved abroad.

There’s a feeling in Brazil that the boy from the countryside of Sao Paulo may be something else, the kind of player that comes along once a decade and seems destined to the very top.

“Estevao is the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar. You watch him and you fall in love,” the head of Palmeiras’ academy, Joao Paulo Sampaio, told BBC Sport.

Estevao is a member of the so-called “geracao do bilhao” – a generation of players that also includes Real Madrid’s Endrick and West Ham’s Luis Guilherme and with whom Palmeiras expected to make 1bn Brazilian Real (around £152m).

All three have been making waves since they were kids – Estevao himself was only 10 the first time Palmeiras tried to lure him to their academy, but failed to match an offer reportedly 10 times higher from Cruzeiro.

He then became the youngest Brazilian footballer to sign a contract with Nike, surpassing Neymar (13) and Rodrygo (11), and was dubbed ‘Messinho’ (little Messi) for his ability to change direction and dribble past opponents while running with the ball at speed.

It hardly came as a surprise to those who had been following him when Spanish newspaper AS said during the 2023 U-17 World Cup that “Brazil have a new genius”.

Despite the similarities with Lionel Messi, Estevao has stated he doesn’t want to be called ‘Messinho’ anymore.

It’s not only his left foot that leaves others fascinated, but also the mentality he already possesses. Sampaio recalls an episode that illustrated that.

“When we won the 2022 U-17 Brazilian Championship title, Estevao ended up breaking one of his toes during a decisive game,” he said.

A right winger who can also play as number 10, Estevao has always been treated differently.

He was still five months away from being able to sign his first senior contract at the age of 16 when Palmeiras, in an unusual move, announced they had agreed the terms of it.

His decision to choose Chelsea as the next step in his career has been questioned back home, due to the confusing situation of the English club and their recent record with young Brazilians such as Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington and Angelo Gabriel.

Estevao’s staff has told BBC Sport they have no concerns whatsoever about it and added they believe a transfer to West London will give him a chance to break into the team more quickly compared to other clubs.

With the 2026 World Cup as his main goal, the plan is to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge once he arrives.

The sense of disappointment on Emma Raducanu’s face as she exited Centre Court stemmed only from the knowledge that she had gone so close.

The British number one was under no illusion about her task as she stepped out under the roof to a raucous reception before facing the world’s best women’s player, Aryna Sabalenka, on Friday night.

After producing one of her best displays in recent times to sweep aside 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova in the previous round, Raducanu hit the heights she knew she must attain.

It was not enough on this occasion.

But the two hours which unfolded proved beyond doubt that Raducanu is ready to take the next step on her road back to the top, and begin challenging the biggest names for the biggest prizes.

“It’s hard to take a loss like that. At the same time, I’m playing Aryna, who is a great champion. I have to be proud of my effort today,” reflected a tearful Raducanu.

“It does give me confidence because I think the problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top. “

The former US Open champion went toe-to-toe with – and frequently outplayed – a three-time major winner who has held the number one ranking for the past nine months, and reached five finals in the past six Grand Slams she has contested.

In a captivating contest, Raducanu had the best part of 15,000 spectators gripped as she ensured the potential for a major shock never quite disappeared until the very end.

She said it herself before the match: she needs to bridge the gap to the very top.

This was a huge step towards achieving that goal.

Speaking in her on-court interview, Sabalenka said she expects Raducanu to return to the top 10 “soon”.

The Belarusian later added: “She’s fighting. She’s playing much better. She’s more consistent.

The sense that Raducanu could push Sabalenka was not founded solely in her impressive start at the All England Club, but also in her increasingly positive demeanour on the court.

The joy has returned to the 22-year-old’s game, and it is all the more complete for it.

It was evident at the Miami Open in March, where former British number one Mark Petchey first joined her coaching team on an informal basis, as she showed immense fight against Emma Navarro to record only her third win over a top-10 player.

She has praised Petchey’s influence – this week giving him an “11 out of 10” for his work – and said a conversation about their future relationship will take place once “the dust settles” before the start of the hard court swing.

More recently, in her own words, a “free and expressive” Raducanu competed with a near-permanent smile on her face as she joined forces with Katie Boulter in the doubles at Queen’s.

There was another reminder of her new outlook when she raised the microphone to the crowd during her post-match interview on Wednesday, as they serenaded her with encouragement as she discussed the prospect of taking on Sabalenka.

It was clear in the intensity and determination with which she continued to compete despite the setbacks that came against the top seed.

And again when, teary-eyed in her news conference, she joked that her way of dealing with the defeat was to eat a chocolate bar in the locker room.

“It’s going to take me a few days to process. But at the same time it really motivates me,” Raducanu said.

It is the positive manner of her defeat that sets Raducanu up for what comes next in her career.

The qualifier who stunned the world with her triumph in New York four years ago has proven that she thrives on the biggest stages.

She was not overawed by this occasion, carrying the weight of the British number one tag at Wimbledon amid an electric atmosphere, with the crowd eager to celebrate her every success.

She did not shrink when the tough moments inevitably arrived, withstanding seven set points in the first set and showing the resolve to go again in the second, each further proof that she is moving in the right direction.

In the years since her fairytale US Open triumph, she has had wrist and ankle operations, endured injury setbacks, contended with increased expectations and tried to compete despite consistent changes to her coaching set up.

This time last year, she was ranked 135th as she continued to rebuild her career, climbing back from outside the top 300 to return to the top 50.

Ultimately, the next step on her road back to the top of the sport is competing with, and overcoming, opponents like Sabalenka.

Raducanu fell to former world number one Iga Swiatek at both the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year – winning just four games across as many sets – to highlight the gulf that exists.

But this was the acid test of Raducanu 2. 0’s progress – and the results were encouraging.

“I think when I look back at my career, I’m really going to remember that match because you play for those moments, to really be competing toe-to-toe with anyone, but especially with the very best,” Raducanu said.

“I think I did make good progress in the last few months, 100%, with the consistency and the work I’ve been doing.

For world number 14 Andrey Rublev, success at Wimbledon looks like one of two things.

Win – or “lose it in a mature, adult way”.

Mature is perhaps not always the word that has been associated with Rublev. Prone to outbursts and temper tantrums, the eccentric character has often found himself in the headlines for his volatile behaviour rather than his on-court talent.

But the 27-year-old has been working on controlling his emotions.

Bringing two-time major champion Marat Safin, no stranger to an on-court outburst himself, on board has helped Rublev address those problems.

Rublev has never gone beyond a quarter-final of a Grand Slam, losing 10 times at this stage.

But in the context of his mental battles, this time last year at the All England Club marked a particular low point. He went out in the first round and made headlines for repeatedly smashing his racquet into his leg in frustration.

That was just one incident of many like it.

Last year he was disqualified from the Dubai Tennis Championships for screaming in the face of a line judge following a disputed call in the semi-final against Alexander Bublik, losing all his prize money and ranking points for the week.

That decision was later overturned with points and money reinstated, but the persistent outbursts sparked concern among peers and fans.

At the Paris Masters he drew blood again from smashing his racquet into his knee.

Rublev has cited last year’s SW19 moment when he knew things needed to change and has since opened up about his mental health struggles.

“I would say it was not dealing with the issue of losing or not losing, it was not the issue even of tennis,” he revealed.

“I was just dealing with myself, just to face myself, to stop running away from myself and I was just dealing with that. What’s happening inside of me, why I feel this, why I feel that, why I am doing this? “

Away from the court, Rublev is a popular character on the Tour. He has frequently expressed his opposition to the war in Ukraine, while he also set up a clothing brand, which he wears for his matches, where all profits are used to help children with critical illnesses.

But being kinder to himself has been an issue and working more frequently with a psychologist, combined with the addition of Safin to his coaching set-up, proved crucial.

“Marat is a huge help to me. He has given some advice and said some things, but he does it not in a soft way,” explained Rublev.

“He’s super strict – he gives you the heavy truth. “

Safin, a former world number one and winner of the US Open and Australian Open, was notorious for his temper, estimating he smashed 700 racquets in his career.

That level of passion, and sheer yearning to succeed, which the two share is never going to be stamped out all together.

But while Rublev has yet to win a Tour title this season, he showed improved control over his emotions at the Doha Open by winning three consecutive three-set matches, despite dropping the second set in all three and winning dramatic final-set tie-breaks in two of them.

“I know that everything is connected. If you feel some problems with yourself, it will affect everything,” he added.

“Sooner or later you will have problems with your family, with relationships, with work, everywhere. When you have peace with yourself, then the rest takes cares of itself. “

But Rublev has learned to understand it doesn’t have to all be about winning. For now at least, that is enough.

“There are two options,” he said. “Try to go deeper. Or if I lose, to lose it in a mature, adult way.

For world number 14 Andrey Rublev, success at Wimbledon looks like one of two things.

Win – or “lose it in a mature, adult way”.

Mature is perhaps not always the word that has been associated with Rublev. Prone to outbursts and temper tantrums, the eccentric character has often found himself in the headlines for his volatile behaviour rather than his on-court talent.

But the 27-year-old has been working on controlling his emotions.

Bringing two-time major champion Marat Safin, no stranger to an on-court outburst himself, on board has helped Rublev address those problems.

Rublev has never gone beyond a quarter-final of a Grand Slam, losing 10 times at this stage.

But in the context of his mental battles, this time last year at the All England Club marked a particular low point. He went out in the first round and made headlines for repeatedly smashing his racquet into his leg in frustration.

That was just one incident of many like it.

Last year he was disqualified from the Dubai Tennis Championships for screaming in the face of a line judge following a disputed call in the semi-final against Alexander Bublik, losing all his prize money and ranking points for the week.

That decision was later overturned with points and money reinstated, but the persistent outbursts sparked concern among peers and fans.

At the Paris Masters he drew blood again from smashing his racquet into his knee.

Rublev has cited last year’s SW19 moment when he knew things needed to change and has since opened up about his mental health struggles.

“I would say it was not dealing with the issue of losing or not losing, it was not the issue even of tennis,” he revealed.

“I was just dealing with myself, just to face myself, to stop running away from myself and I was just dealing with that. What’s happening inside of me, why I feel this, why I feel that, why I am doing this? “

Away from the court, Rublev is a popular character on the Tour. He has frequently expressed his opposition to the war in Ukraine, while he also set up a clothing brand, which he wears for his matches, where all profits are used to help children with critical illnesses.

But being kinder to himself has been an issue and working more frequently with a psychologist, combined with the addition of Safin to his coaching set-up, proved crucial.

“Marat is a huge help to me. He has given some advice and said some things, but he does it not in a soft way,” explained Rublev.

“He’s super strict – he gives you the heavy truth. “

Safin, a former world number one and winner of the US Open and Australian Open, was notorious for his temper, estimating he smashed 700 racquets in his career.

That level of passion, and sheer yearning to succeed, which the two share is never going to be stamped out all together.

But while Rublev has yet to win a Tour title this season, he showed improved control over his emotions at the Doha Open by winning three consecutive three-set matches, despite dropping the second set in all three and winning dramatic final-set tie-breaks in two of them.

“I know that everything is connected. If you feel some problems with yourself, it will affect everything,” he added.

“Sooner or later you will have problems with your family, with relationships, with work, everywhere. When you have peace with yourself, then the rest takes cares of itself. “

But Rublev has learned to understand it doesn’t have to all be about winning. For now at least, that is enough.

“There are two options,” he said. “Try to go deeper. Or if I lose, to lose it in a mature, adult way.