Unless people have been living under a rock they will know that tomorrow evening Netherlands face England for a place in the Euro 2024 final. However, big days for the Dutch are not the reserve of football.

The wheelchair tennis event was set to begin at The Championships, Wimbledon today and Dutch prowess within the sport is legendary and reinforced by Esther Vergeer receiving the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award on Sunday.

At the Junior Championships also, the Netherlands are well represented with Rose Marie Nijkamp set to face Great Britain’s Hephzibah Oluwadare for a place in round three when the rain abates.

With Mees Rottgering also in the mix for a place in the third round – he is scheduled to face Hayden Jones of Australia – there could be an impressive stat in the offing.

If both players win their second-round matches, it will be the first time that a Dutch boy and girl have reached the third round at a Junior Grand Slam since 2005. On that occasion, Antal Van Der Duim reached the final and Bibiane Schoofs the quarters.

For now, however, the tennis chat can wait. Nijkamp is a big football fan and has half an eye on Netherlands taking on England as they bid to book a date with either France or Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.

“At home when there is football, we always watch it as a family,” Ajax fan Nijkamp told itftennis.com. “My brother, Thomas, was on the books of Vitesse Arnhem and, at home, I grew up with tennis and football. I am really looking forward to the match tomorrow.

“It will be a hard match for us as England are strong as well but, of course, I hope we win. I was watching the match with Türkiye with Mees – he’s a big fan also – in the dining room at the hotel and it was a lot of fun.

“When I started watching football the likes of Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie were playing for Netherlands. I remember Van Persie scoring that amazing header against Spain at the 2014 World Cup.

“In terms of the modern-day players, I just love Virgil van Dijk. He is big, has good communication with the team and always looks confident with a good atmosphere around him. I cannot wait to see him, and the rest of the team play tomorrow night.”

Nijkamp, who is currently ranked No. 38 in the ITF World Tennis Tour girls’ rankings, made her Junior Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon in 2022 when she won the girls’ doubles alongside Kenya’s Angella Okutoyi.

She also reached the third round of the singles before succumbing to Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia. The 18-year-old is determined to better that record this time around and follow the example of the Netherlands national football team and reach the tournament's business end.

“Wimbledon was my first Grand Slam and it is my favourite Grand Slam,” added Nijkamp, who reached the last eight at the Roland Garros Junior Championships in June. “It will always have a special place in my heart.

“I love the surface. Grass is my favourite surface as I like to play at a high tempo. I’m back here after two years having finally finishing school. I am so glad to be back.

“In 2022, I got to the third round so I want to do better this year. I won the doubles then but now I want to win singles. It will also be great for the development of Dutch tennis if Mees and I can continue doing well.

“Personally, I am proud of myself for finishing school – it was hard at times – and being in a position where I can focus solely on tennis. That is what I have wanted to do all my life. I am proud but now I want to achieve bigger goals.”

An apt final line given her love of football.

A full list of results from the 2024 Junior Championships, Wimbledon is available here.