A year of impact and inspiration for the LTA Tennis Foundation
• 4 minute read
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on another incredible year for the LTA Tennis Foundation.
From awarding over £1 million in grants to projects that improve lives through tennis, to launching our Annual Report at Parliament, and even seeing some of our funded partners step onto Centre Court to name the Andy Murray Arena at the HSBC Championships, this year has been one we’ll never forget.
Driving impact through the Grant Making Framework
This year marked our fourth funding round, welcoming 10 new partners and awarding scale grants to six existing partners to grow their proven programmes.
New partners included:
- Community Integrated Care - bringing tennis into social care settings.
- Arden Active - delivering tennis sessions for Ukrainian refugees.
- LUSU Sports - introducing tennis into care homes.
Louise Assioun, Director at LUSU Sports, shared: “We are thrilled to receive an LTA Tennis Foundation grant for our project taking tennis skills into Care and Residential Homes. Watching residents smile and laugh as they reconnect with tennis has been incredibly rewarding. With this support, we can reach many more homes and ensure tennis can be played to 99 years and beyond!”
Our Grant Making Framework is built on openness and honesty, always prioritising the impact on grantees. This year, we strengthened that commitment by formally adopting the Institute for Voluntary Action Research’s (IVAR) eight principles for open and trusting grant making. We also became a member of the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF), the UK’s leading network for foundations and independent grant-makers. This membership not only supports us as a grant maker but also provides valuable resources for our funded partners.
We also embedded our new learning and evaluation programme with Bean Research, helping us understand the impact of our funding and become the best funder we can be.
We are thrilled to receive an LTA Tennis Foundation grant for our project taking tennis skills into Care and Residential Homes. Watching residents smile and laugh as they reconnect with tennis has been incredibly rewarding.
Creating change through fundraising
2025 was a standout year for fundraising with more of the tennis community raising funds for the LTA Tennis Foundation than ever before.
Over £30,000 was raised from generous donations made by tennis fans when purchasing a ticket to an LTA event.
The Golden Shot prize competition at HSBC Championships gave one lucky fan the chance to win a brand-new Lexus on Centre Court during the ATP Finals week.
HerStory @ Tennis - a new experience for 2025 celebrating women in sport delivered by the LTA’s Official Hospitality Provider, Keith Prowse - raised over £10,000 for the LTA TF, with another event planned for WTA Week in 2026.
We launched Give.Set.Match, a Tennis Charity Challenge enabling venues to raise funds for both them and the LTA TF. Julia from Wickham Bishops tennis club said “We are an LTA Club and we wanted to give back. We ran a mixed tournament and held a raffle and raised £200 for the LTA Tennis Foundation. It was a great day, and we would love to get involved again”.
Other energetic supporters took on marathons and epic cycling challenges, all raising vital funds for the charity.
Support from players
This year, we were proud to see players continue to support the LTA Tennis Foundation by giving their time to help us make tennis more inclusive and inspiring, while championing causes, they are passionate about.
Katie Boulter welcomed a group from funded partner, Age UK Sutton, to the National Tennis Centre for a special Tea and Tennis event. Her warmth and enthusiasm created an unforgettable experience for older people, showing that tennis truly is a sport for all ages. Katie commented, “It is great to be able to support Age UK through the LTA Tennis Foundation.”
At the HSBC Championships, Jacob Fearnley spent time with a young coach, sharing insights on what makes a great coach and offering advice on building a successful career in tennis. These moments of mentorship highlight the power of role models in shaping the future of the sport.
Across the LTA’s grass court events, British and international players gave up time to meet our Charity Partners and take part in signings at the LTA Tennis Foundation stand. Players included Billy Harris, Francesca Jones, Harriet Dart, Maia Lumsden, Elena Rybakina, Roberto Bautista Agut, Luisa Stefani, Magda Linette, Ugo Humbert, and Marie Bouzková.
A special thank you to Jakub Mensik who spent time with a special educational needs school group at the Lexus Eastbourne Open answering questions from - what do you like to eat, to do you like to travel!
Our final event of the year, a tennis master class held at the National Tennis Centre, saw players Greg Slade, Lloyd Glasspool, Julian Cash, Olivia Nicholls, Amarni Banks and Laura Robson donate their time to support the LTA Tennis Foundation.
Facilities & Programme Support
This year, our Quick Access Loans continued to make a real difference for tennis venues across Britain, funding facility development projects that are delivering impactful results, a recent survey of supported venues found an average increase of:
- 104 new adult and 31 new junior members
- 58 more adults and 75 more juniors taking part in coaching programmes.
- 500 additional pay and play bookings per venue, per year.
In Scotland, we celebrated a major milestone as ground was broken on a new indoor tennis centre in Dumfries and Galloway. This project, supported by the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis fund - a collaboration between the LTA, LTA Tennis Foundation, sportscotland, and Tennis Scotland, will bring world-class facilities to the region.
Beyond facilities, our third funding stream continues to support LTA programmes that open up tennis to new audiences, and in 2025, we funded:
- 123 equipment bags and 180 VI tennis balls for LTA Open Court, enabling disabled people to enjoy tennis.
- 195 equipment bags for LTA SERVES, supporting community venues to deliver tennis in underserved areas.
- Over 10,000 vouchers for LTA Youth Schools, helping schools introduce tennis to thousands of children.
Building Connections Through Our Charity Network
The Charity Network continues to bring organisations together to collaborate, share knowledge, and create opportunities to improve lives through tennis.
Highlights from 2025 include:
- 500+ tickets gifted to LTA grass court events to create unforgettable experiences.
- Two young people played on court with Andy Murray and Laura Robson at the official opening of the Andy Murray Arena at the HSBC Championships.
- 14 Centre Court coin toss opportunities and four behind-the-scenes experiences across all the LTA’s grass court events
Looking Ahead
2025 was a year of growth, impact, and unforgettable moments. As the year comes to a close, we are looking forward to reviewing applications from our fifth grant round, with successful organisations being announced in the new year.
Tom Gibbins, Head of Foundation Development, said: "A huge thank you to our partners, donors, volunteers, and the entire tennis community for your incredible support. It’s been another busy year for the LTA Tennis Foundation. We’ve delivered more for our partners, deepened our commitment to open and honest grant making, and grown our fundraising. Together, we’re proving that tennis truly can improve lives."
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