Top British tennis players urge Prime Minister to continue Government investment in facilities
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Britain’s top tennis players have united in a call to action, urging the Prime Minister to provide UK Government investment in a nationwide network of covered tennis, padel and multi-sport hubs.
British No.1s Jack Draper and Katie Boulter, alongside wheelchair tennis champions Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid, and Lucy Shuker, are leading the charge to secure investment to open up access to year-round tennis, padel and other court-based sports for communities across the country.
With Britain experiencing an average of 150 days of rain each year, outdoor tennis and padel is often disrupted, limiting participation and access. Compared to European neighbours, the UK lags significantly behind: Germany has nearly three times as many covered tennis facilities, and France boasts over five times more.
This shortage not only affects recreational players but also hampers the development of future talent. Access to covered courts ensure consistent training, coaching, and competition opportunities—crucial for nurturing the next generation of British champions.
The players are backing a proposal to develop 40 community covered tennis, padel and multi-sport hubs across Britain by 2030. These hubs would feature covered tennis and padel courts, as well as a multi-sport court suitable for basketball, netball, and other court-based sports—all under one roof. The innovative design uses lightweight, all-weather canopy structures, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional indoor centres.
This initiative builds on the momentum of the successful Parks Tennis Project – a joint investment of over £30m from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation. This has allowed the LTA to transform over 3,000 public tennis courts across Britain, bringing them back to life for the benefit of their local community.
These community covered tennis, padel and multi-sport ubs would be strategically located in some of the 96 areas which the LTA have identified as currently lacking access to covered tennis facilities, based on national mapping of population and demand, and local engagement with councils and other partners. The majority of these locations are in areas of higher social deprivation, which have poorer health outcomes, high levels of obesity and inactivity amongst underserved communities.
Aligning with Government ambitions to get Britain moving, the community covered tennis, padel and multi-sport hubs would offer free community sessions and targeted programmes for inactive groups, including women-only and sessions for those with a disability or long-term health condition, as well as being available for public booking. Partnerships with local schools would support youth engagement and links with the local healthcare system would develop social prescribing—helping to reduce long-term NHS costs.
As the letter from Britain’s tennis elite makes clear, this is a national opportunity to build healthier, more active communities.
