Friday Pride Days back at LTA major events to mark LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Friday Pride Day celebrations, first launched in 2022 in collaboration with Pride in Tennis, the LGBTQ+ network for tennis in Britain, sees Pride-inspired branding on umpires’ chairs thanks to agreements with the ATP and WTA Tours; officials, ball crews and staff given rainbow laces and wristbands to wear; and the LGBTQ+ Progress flag flying above centre courts across the summer. Members of LGBTQ+ communities also have the chance to speak on-court at the events, helping the wider tennis population to understand their lived experiences of being an LGBTQ+ person in sport.

The days also mark opportunities to celebrate work that has been done to drive LGBTQ+ participation in tennis, with initiatives including the Pride in Tennis Cup, which this year was hosted in South Wales, and the Rally Allies programme, helping tennis clubs and venues across Britain to understand what they can do to help foster more inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ people.

The LTA is calling on fans to join in the festivities, dressing up in bright colours and accessories, reflective of the LGBTQ+ Progress flag, to show their support and be part of the celebrations. At the Lexus Nottingham Open, the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in London, and the Lexus Eastbourne Open, fans will be able to purchase LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise, with representatives from the Pride in Tennis Network working with the LTA Tennis Foundation to raise funds that will go back into improving lives through tennis.

The LTA is proud to continue its work with Pride in Tennis, the LGBTQ+ network for tennis in Britain. Representatives and members from the network will be at every LTA summer event, raising awareness and answering any questions fans have about LGBTQ+ Pride month, how to engage with local LGBTQ+ tennis groups and venues, and what they can do to show their support as allies. The LTA is also working with the network to tell stories of the positive impact of tennis in LGBTQ+ communities in Britain.

James Swanson, Chair of the Pride in Tennis Network, said, “Friday Pride Days have helped to foster safe, celebratory spaces for LGBTQ+ tennis communities at the LTA’s major events, as well as promoting the vital work of LGBTQ+ allies at venues across the country, since they began in 2022. By continuing to hold Friday Pride Days, the LTA and Pride in Tennis are both recognising the progress that has been made, but also continuing their intentional commitment to the ongoing work around holistic LGBTQ+ inclusion in tennis.”

Dave Hardman, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy Manager at the LTA, said, “Since we launched Friday Pride Days three years ago, they have become an integral part of our major events, raising the visibility that our events are open for all. We know that how tennis is perceived and experienced, especially through our events, significantly impacts whether people will want to access our sport, and so it is great that, through Friday Pride Days, the LTA is continuing to show that its events and spaces across our sport are safe, welcoming and inclusive where people from LGBTQ+ communities can attend and be their authentic selves.”