The 30-year-old has been announced as Great Britain's only singles representative for this summer's Paris Games. She previously competed for the team in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo three years ago.

"Three-time Olympian has a nice ring to it, doesn't it," Gilmour told the BBC. "The first one in Rio was something pretty special. Then Tokyo happened under such strange circumstances. This third one feels really hard-earned. It never stops feeling cool - and it never gets old."

Gilmour, currently just outside the world's top 20, understands that improving her ranking to earn a seeding will be vital for her chances in France. After being eliminated in the group stages in her first two Olympics, her goal this time is to reach the quarter-finals.

"For me to get to a quarter-final of an Olympic Games, I'd be happy to say that I've done that," she added. "It's all the same players, it's the same court, it's the same rackets, it's the same net. The only thing that really changes is the prestige of it, but that's such an outcome way to think of it. I need to remember that this is supposed to be fun. That will kind of take the edge off of those little big pressurised moments."

Three-time Olympian Gilmour, who secured a silver medal at the European Championships last month, will be accompanied in the squad by the men's doubles pair Sean Vendy and Ben Lane.

“Selection never gets old," she explained to Team GB.com. "It’s maybe a bit cliche but it’s just as special as the first one. I’m maybe a bit better versed in what’s going on and all the build-up and pageantry around it, but it’s still super exciting. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’m better at managing that last-minute cramming session at the very end of preparation. I’m learning to be a bit more calm in the build-up rather than getting infinitely more stressed out. I’ve seen enough times how the forward thinking and the spiralling is useless. To have that trust in myself and all the years of training that have gone into this preparation period. I’m really trying to enjoy it, that’s a factor.

“With the first one, you want to squeeze everything out of it. Tokyo was a bit strange circumstances so for this one, I’m just trying to be super confident in all my preparations to be able to play with some freedom and a relatively relaxed outlook.

“It seems counterintuitive to relax on the biggest stage of your life. I’ve worked pretty closely with a psychologist and the conversation we’ve had was about reflecting on Europeans and the unique set of circumstances that big Championships bring.

“The key thing for me in that week of Europeans was that I was unafraid to lose. I know it sounds counterintuitive because you step on court and want to win but I was just so unafraid to have that feeling. It unlocked freedom in my play and a fearlessness. In major championships, people can get really bogged down in what might happen or what might not happen. You could have the best week of your life so allowing for the possibility of that is super important.”

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