HALESOWEN wheelchair tennis star Jordanne Whiley has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list

Whiley has been recognised for services to sport after winning five Grand Slam doubles titles with her Japanese partner Yui Kamiji.

The 23-year-old has raised the profile of wheelchair tennis and tasted success across the world after being born with a brittle bone disease, the same condition as her father Keith.

She said: "It’s great that wheelchair tennis has been recognised in this way and I’ve been recognised for my achievements.

"Hopefully it will help raise the profile of the sport and also generate more media coverage for us which then translates to more people seeing the sport, coming to tournaments, bigger crowds and the sport growing.

"I meet a lot of people who have a disability, sometimes the same disability as me, and they think they can’t play tennis or are restricted in life because of their disability, but hopefully I can show them that they can live their life how they want to."