MURRAY’S THRILLING WIMBLEDON WIN INSPIRES A GENERATION AT DUKES MEADOWS

Commitment to grass-roots tennis will be more important than ever after the long-awaited Wimbledon triumph by British No.1 Andy Murray and the home of one of Britain’s most prestigious training academies believes his victory will only help the sport to progress.

James Lenton, Director of the FC** Tennis Academy at Dukes Meadows and former coach to British Tennis No.1 Laura Robson said:

“Andy joined us earlier this year to practice on the courts and his mere visit alone had all the kids talking and showing more encouragement to take to the court so I have no doubt his win will inspire even more youngsters to pick up a racket. At Dukes Meadows we believe in encouraging all ages and abilities to be involved in our programmes and I’m really excited for what this new era of British tennis will offer.”

Dukes Meadows in Chiswick has been helping to support elite and grassroots tennis since it opened in 2008. The coaches at the FC** Tennis Academy have trained tennis stars Donna Vekic, Anne Keothavong, James Ward and Elena Baltacha to name a few.

Dukes Meadows is able to provide first-class tennis facilities to the local area all year round thanks to its incredible inflatable dome, which covers five courts. The dome has been a welcomed addition by London-based tennis fans and Lord Sebastian Coe paid tribute to the ongoing investment Dukes Meadows makes to facilitate the Olympic sporting legacy when he visited last yet. 

Lord Coe commented:

“The true legacy of the Olympics will be if more Londoners participate in more sport in the years to come and become fitter and healthier as a result.  Stephen Marks at Dukes Meadows has shown real leadership in London by creating an Academy, here in my local area of Chiswick and is giving 3,000 school children every year the opportunity to get involved in sport for free. 

“Stephen and his team at Dukes Meadows have worked so hard to bring to life their vision of a top class sporting environment that is open to everyone. They are hoping to expand their tennis programme over the summer holiday, with free tennis courses for primary schoolchildren across the borough in a scheme that will rival the best in the country. What better legacy could we have locally in this exciting Olympic year?”

Dukes Meadows has a unique offering to British tennis through its dedicated team of coaches; not only does it offer expert advice to their elite players in the academy but it continues to deliver free in-curriculum tennis to over 4,000 primary school children in its surrounding Hounslow area each year through the Schools Delivery Programme.

See video here on Success of Dukes Meadows Schools Delivery Programme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiHRT_EHndY

Dukes Meadows’ tennis coach Joe Morris who leads the Schools Delivery programme said:

“The Wimbledon final certainly provided a buzz about tennis and we are already hearing people saying that their children want to give tennis a go. The club has seen an increase in enquiries about tennis already and although there may be a Wimbledon star amongst our kids we are just happy to be giving them some key skills for their development and most of all a love for tennis.”

Tennis participation at Dukes Meadows is a focus for all ages and the recent win by Murray has already motivated success with the Dukes Meadows Men’s team emulating the win at the Middlesex Cup, Division 3 and AEGON Middlesex Division 4 League. The centre will continue to encourage kids to try tennis and this summer will see tennis camps being held, allowing kids to follow in the steps of Andy Murray.

Annabel Graham, General Manager at Dukes Meadows added:

“Murray’s win can have a huge impact for tennis, it raises the profile of the sport in this country to another level. Having a Grand Slam champion, an Olympic champion and now a Wimbledon champion is fantastic and it makes it easier for us at a grassroots level because it gives players a role model and someone to look up to.”

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