Almost a year has gone by since an entire country was celebrating Great Britain’s first Davis Cup title since 1936. It was a milestone that once again brought tennis back into the UK limelight, but keeping it in that position is proving to be a lot harder than many expected.
Entering my local sports centre earlier this year there was nothing out of the ordinary. It could be forgiven to think that it was a normal day, except for the Davis Cup trophy being displayed in the far corner of the car park next to the tennis courts. It wasn’t until I got nearer to the historic 105kg trophy that the mood changed. Members of the public, both young and old, surrounded the area taking photos of the spectacle whilst talking positively about British tennis. It was a picture perfect scenario for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), but not necessarily a true reflection.
The venue of the Davis Cup trophy Tour was Blackbrook Tennis centre in Taunton, the primary tennis centre in Somerset. Standing proudly next to the trophy was the chairman of Somerset LTA, Andrew Fay. He resembled a politician, well spoken and diplomatic in talking. The only difference was that he wasn’t afraid to discuss the problems that he is facing.
“In the county we have six indoor courts. They are all based in Taunton, Somerset.” Fay shockingly stated. “We are a geographically diverse country, it’s a big county with a relatively small population.”
Mr Fay’s ‘relatively small’ description in reality is over 500,000 people. The issues facing Somerset, is one that can be applied throughout the entire country. Fortunately, there are plenty of outdoor facilities, but in a country like Great Britain, there is no chance they can be used all year around.
Earlier this year, Sport England found that 428,600 people aged over the age of 16 participate in tennis once a week, a 16,600 decline on the previous year. It is a figure that the LTA doesn’t want to hear as their players currently shine on both the ATP and WTA Tours. Nevertheless, it is has done nothing to dent their spirits.
“I think that there is an issue across the board with all sports regarding participation numbers.” Fay swiftly pointed out.
“We need to encourage kids to come and have fun rather than play too seriously.”
The issue for the LTA isn’t that they haven’t been doing anything. Besides the Davis Cup legacy tour around the country, they have invested money in training 100 new level two club coaches with the hope that they can then teach 1000 children. The outcome of the tactic proved more successful than they anticipated.
“I think I’m right in saying that instead of 1000 kids, we got 1500 from that training program as well as other methods.” The LTA Somerset chairman proudly said.
Like many things in the world, a lot of the problem comes down to money. Even Fay admitted that only the best players in the world will make a good living from the sport. American player Jean-Yves Aubone, who ended 2014 at 484th in the world, published his finances for that season. Incredibly, after expenses he made $9260 in singles prize money, which is over $5000 below the American annual minimum wage. Is it for this reason why many players choose not to follow their tennis dreams.
Great Britain has a long and rich history in the world of tennis. It is a proud tradition that is being carried on by Andy Murray, Johanna Konta and a group of talented British players on the professional tour. There is no denying that the country has the capability of producing world class players, but as financial pressure mounts, converting that to inspire the general public is proving to be difficult.
The future of British tennis is bright for those who can afford to participate in it. As for the others, they still face an uphill battle to even play in their local area.
