Tennis Wales’ Post

Data from the International Tennis Federation's Global Tennis Report shows Great Britain is at the forefront of a global rise in participation.   We have the highest percentage of population playing tennis of any of the 199 nations who contributed to the ITF's report, above other Grand Slam nations - the USA, France and Australia - and major European tennis nations, such as Spain and Germany.   Over the five-year period from 2019-2023, LTA data showed adult annual participation (adults playing at least once a year) in Britain grew by 44% to around 5.6m people (10% of the population), with children’s annual participation growing to 3.6m, some 40% of the population, over the same period.   Ensuring the game remains healthy and popular at grass-roots level is an important part of the LTA’s role as the national governing body for tennis. The LTA’s vision is to open up tennis by making it welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring.   Scott Lloyd, LTA Chief Executive said: “We’ve worked very hard over the past few years to make tennis accessible to play. This includes introducing simple digital tools to allow people to find and book a local court easily, find coaches, and meet people of a similar level to play against, as well as supporting clubs to open their doors to their local community on a pay and play basis.   "Alongside the UK Government we are rolling out a huge refurbishment programme of over 3,000 park tennis courts across 1,000 park sites in Britain, as we know parks are often the first place that people pick up a racket to play. We’re now introducing Barclays Free Park Tennis sessions, that allow people to play for free at their local park, with all the equipment also provided for free.   “Tennis is a sport that has significant mental and physical health benefits, and it can be played by anyone whatever their age, ability, disability or background. We’re proud that Britain is leading the way at grassroots level.”

Unlocking Opportunities for Aspiring Padel Tennis Operators As the fastest-growing sport in the UK, Padel tennis is on the rise! Since 2019, the number of padel courts has grown by an incredible 600%, with over 350 courts now available nationwide. With 50,400 people playing at least once in the past year The Lawn Tennis Association(LTA) aims to further this growth, targeting 1,000 courts by the end of 2026. it’s clear that demand is booming. But as with any great match, success in the padel business starts with a strong opening serve—and that’s where a professional commercial surveyor can be your perfect doubles partner. Here’s how we can help you win the point when it comes to securing a warehouse lease: ✅Smash the location game: Finding the perfect space that meets operational and regulatory needs. ✅Serve up the best terms: Negotiating leases that include competitive rents and allowances for fit-outs. ✅Avoid unforced errors: Ensuring compliance with planning rules and lease conditions for smooth operations. ✅Rally for landlord agreements: Bridging gaps between operators and landlords for long-term success. Just like the padel court’s iconic back walls, we’re here to bounce ideas off and help you strategise your next move. Remember, in padel, points can be lost on details—but with the right guidance, you’ll always stay ahead in the game. Let’s rally together to bring your padel vision to life! #CommercialProperty #PadelTennis #lawntennisassociation #WarehouseLeasing #SurveyorInsights

Anyone for tennis? You've probably picked this one up already in the national media, but here's our piece on the newly approved expansion of Wimbledon's All England Tennis Club. In short, after considerable back and forth, the GLA's deputy mayor has resolved to allow the club to build an 8,000 seater stadium and 38 additional tennis courts on listed parkland (and Metropolitan Open Land) opposite the current complex in south west London. It's been locally controversial, with plenty of ins and outs, and the club's arguments in favour of expansion has been subject to considerable scrutiny. The deputy mayor appears to have gone for the economic argument, while pointing out that the park had been largely off limits to casual visitors for most of the last century because it's been leased by a local golf club (whose members have each received a sizeable slice of the sale of the land). Pimms on the lawn for some, no doubt. Thoughts? https://lnkd.in/eNNipYTV NB: This is currently behind a paywall, as are all of our news articles initially. To find about subscriptions to The Planner online, click here: https://lnkd.in/e5ieh38D #wimbledon #planningnews #theplanner #townplanning #urbanplanning #tennis

Racquets by the numbers: Stadium Tennis Court: Used 10 times a year with seating average attendance of say, 200 non-members. 2000 visits. Member play perhaps 8 members a day on the court for a total use of 4,920 visits to the court. Replaced By... Three Padel Courts: 12 members an hour, say over 6 hours per day. In just 68 days, the number of visits of playing members on the padel courts surpasses the number of non-member and member visits the to the Stadium Court. Our padel project at The Boulevard will leave the club with the only padel courts at the moment between USTA National Tennis Center in Orlando and Boynton Beach. I would wager the club bypasses the stadium's use in fewer than 60 days. When converting tennis courts to padel or pickleball courts, think outside the box and toward member use. How best can you offer the most to the membership in tight spaces, getting more out of the property while catering to the needs of the membership? #padel #pickleball #clubmanagement #racquets #clubleadership #landscapearchitecture #landscapes #privatemembersclub #privatemembersclubs #cmaa #clubmanagement1927

Welcome to the ActiveXchange network Tennis Canada - a really exciting collaboration around our Movement Data service to inform the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program. The $5.6 million program is making year-round tennis a reality for Canadians and helping foster increased participation amongst youth with the aim of building 160 year-round courts by 2029. ActiveXchange Canada & USA Movement Data service will track the ongoing visits to these facilities (before and after) and importantly the equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) profile of use - giving all partners an objective and consistent birds-eye view on what’s working, what’s not, so what next. This will ultimately help to focus resources, drive collaboration, and continue to open up tennis for all types of residents, nationwide. #MovementData #TennisCanada #CommunityImpacts #DataReady

Queensland Tennis Centre’s Role in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics The Queensland Tennis Centre is set to play a key role in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, particularly for the tennis competition. Its main venue, Pat Rafter Arena, with a 5,000-seat capacity, is expected to host Olympic tennis events. Ahead of the Games, the Centre may undergo upgrades to improve seating, athlete facilities, and broadcasting infrastructure. It could also serve as a training base for international teams before the Olympics. Beyond 2032, the Centre is likely to remain a hub for tennis development, supporting both elite players and grassroots programs. The Olympics will elevate its status and contribute to long-term community engagement and tourism growth.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝❓ Ever wondered how USA Team Handball, the governing body for #handball in the United States, is funded? The reality is, compared to other national governing bodies for sports in the U.S., handball receives relatively low funding, and here’s why: 𝟏. 𝑼.𝑺. 𝑶𝒍𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒄 & 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒆 (𝑼𝑺𝑶𝑷𝑪) Historically, USA Team Handball’s primary funding has come from an annual grant provided by the USOPC, around $225,000 per year in recent years. However, this funding has been decreasing over time due to our team's lack of Olympic success. 𝟐. 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 (𝑰𝑯𝑭) Recently, the #IHF has begun providing some grant funding to support #college development efforts in the U.S., although the specific amounts are not publicly disclosed. 𝟑. 𝑼.𝑺. 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 Established with leftover funds from the 1984 #Olympic Games in Los Angeles, this foundation has contributed around $34,000 per year in recent years to support national team competitions. 𝟒. 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 Charitable donations from individuals have been a source of revenue, averaging about $88,000 per year over a recent four-year period. Every bit helps, but it’s still a relatively small part of the overall budget. 𝟓. 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔 One of the most significant revenue boosts has come from our partnership with #Verizon. While the exact amount isn't publicly disclosed, Verizon's support is substantial for our federation's current situation. 𝟔. 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 In most instances, national team trips for competition have been 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳. This speaks to the dedication of our teams, which are willing to invest in their passion for the sport. Currently, the average total annual revenue for USA Team Handball has been roughly $540,000 in recent years. This is a significant constraint when compared to the budgets of other national sports governing bodies in the U.S. The limited funding is partly a reflection of handball's low popularity in the United States and the resulting minimal support from the USOPC. However, change could be on the horizon. With growing interest and new initiatives, there's hope that more funding and support could be directed towards handball in the future. It’s a challenging landscape, but one that we’re ready to tackle head-on.

Should grassroots tennis be protected from padel and pickleball expansion? This was the argument put forward by Novak Djokovic at the weekend. It would be interesting to know what the question was that prompted this answer, which has made headlines everywhere. Padel is growing and private clubs are investing in padel courts because there is demand and it makes commercial sense, but is that really to the detriment of tennis? Djokovic wants to see tennis protected and made accessible and affordable for kids - the same is true of padel. At the moment, it's predominantly an 'adult' sport, with efforts being made to get more kids on a padel court. The summer holidays are an ideal time to do this and I know that Soul Padel are running kids camps for kids of all ages to achieve just that. On the flip side, the LTA has been unable to send to a GB team to the Junior European Padel championships because there just isn't enough young talented players to fill all the age groups. So there are challenges for both racket sports, but I don't feel tennis should feel threatened and should look at padel and pickleball as opportunities for all three to promote racket sports. What do you think? #padel #tennis #monday #wimbledon

I’m wondering why there hasn’t been more tennis courts converted to multi-purpose courts for pickleball in Melbourne? For a lot of operators, you’d think this is a good investment and opens up more business. I haven’t seen any multi-purpose courts anywhere. Maybe they don’t work? Is it an eyesore to have pickleball lines running through a tennis court? I’ve been playing a bit of pickleball (I know, I know) and it can be hard to book a court at my local place. Too much demand at peak times in particular. Paddle courts even harder to book. The AusPlay survey found that 1.4m people play tennis in Australia every year. I found that astounding, especially because I seem to see empty tennis courts all the time. https://lnkd.in/g98K3QRz

Sorry to say, Tennis is a dying game...remember The Post Office? Well, club players are getting older, young players are not always embraced and most clubs are doing financially poor. Padel may be an alternative, but eho can afford it? Young upcoming people, upper middle class maybe? Why do we not embrace Pickle ball? Let me give a few good reasons why we can embrace Pickle ball: 1. It is good for you. 2. It is extreme fun. 3. Financially affordable. 4. Easy access. 5. Will benefit your club financially. 6. Bring new blood in your club. 7. One can re-purpose old tennis courts. 8. Injured tennis players can ease into Pickle ball. 9. Make new friends. So, take the leap, go play!