Founded in 1872 Leamington Lawn Tennis Club is officially recognised as the World’s first Lawn Tennis Club.
“It is great that Ann Jones agreed to open our new facility, we are proud of the club’s history and proud of what the club has achieved and there is no better person who has achieved so much in tennis to open the new facility,” says Chairman Jon Evison.
Ann’s has won 3 Grand Slam singles titles, the French Open in 1961 and 1966, and Wimbledon in 1969, and was the beaten finalist in 1967 at Wimbledon and twice at the US Open. In partnership with Fred Stolle she also won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title in 1969.
The club is now based at Guys Cliffe road, its third site, where it has been for 60 years. The club is a successful well organised tennis and squash club boasting 12 tennis courts, 8 with floodlights, and 5 squash courts. The club house social area was adequate but separate from the main building and in a state of disrepair. The new development has totally revitalised the club including an enlarged bar area and new changing facilities whilst joining the club to the main fitness and squash court block.
Ann congratulated the work of the volunteers and unveiled the plaque in memory of June Lindsay who managed the bar since 1990 but sadly lost her battle with cancer last year.
Ann then answered questions from the audience about the new roof at Wimbledon and about her career. She started playing table tennis aged 5 or 6 mainly because her parents where national players, but due to illness was unable to do any sport for a year when she was 11. Rather than this being a hindrance to her career it shaped it as before the illness she was playing for her parents after she was playing because she wanted to.
When asked who she felt the best player of all time was Ann answered that there were many great players each from different era’s who had moved the game on a level, but she felt that Billy Jean King had done the most for Women’s tennis by working to get the WTA tour off the ground.
Ann was pleased to see the minis hitting when she arrived and met with the junior boys team who were getting ready for a National Junior Club league match.
For more information on getting involved at Leamington Tennis Club vitis:
Leamington Tennis Club Website