Wimbledon men’s doubles champion Jonny Marray celebrated his success at the allplay tennis park yesterday and became one of over 10,000 people to pick up a racket on Clapham Common this week.
The allplay tennis park, which ran from Wednesday July 4 until Sunday July 8 gave people of all ages and abilities the chance to enjoy different kinds of tennis programmes, as well as watch all the action from The Championships, Wimbledon.
Marray, who took time out to meet fans and have a hit with a number of local children, said: “It’s been great to come here and see the work going on in the community to get people playing the sport.
“I’m very grateful for the support I’ve had throughout the tournament so it’s brilliant to meet the fans and give something back. If I can be an inspiration to any of these kids then that’s great but becoming a Wimbledon Champion hasn’t really hit me yet.”
The allplay tennis park is part of allplay, a campaign to help people play tennis, developed by the Lawn Tennis Association to increase participation, working closely with the Tennis Foundation.
Located on the tennis courts of Clapham Common, the allplay tennis park included a number of areas offering people a range of opportunities to get involved in the sport such as, LTA Mini Tennis, Cardio Tennis, tennis for disabled people and coaching.
Roger Draper, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Chief Executive, added: “The British success at Wimbledon has got everyone talking about tennis. It’s our job to get people playing the sport and British Tennis is ready.
“We’ve got more than 20,000 courts across the country, have thousands of coaches, volunteers and officials who are make tennis happen locally, we’ve got great programmes for all ages like Mini Tennis and Cardio Tennis and most importantly, we’ve got a sport that’s fun, affordable and keeps you fit.
“The allplay tennis park has provided the ideal opportunity for people to get involved and we hope that everyone who visited the park will continue to play tennis.”
To find out how and where you can pick up a racket near you please visit www.allplaytennis.com