Novak Djokovic is the most influential tennis player at Wimbledon 2023 but who else makes the top ten?
Novak Djokovic is the most influential tennis player competing at Wimbledon this year, generating up to £54,700 per sponsored Instagram post
Nick Kyrgios is the second highest earning on Instagram, earning potentially up to £22,700 on each sponsored post
Andy Murray is the third most influential, earning up to £12,800 on each post, whilst Stefanos Tsitsipas is fourth and earning up to £12,200
A new study names Novak Djokovic as the most influential tennis player competing at Wimbledon in 2023, earning potentially £54,700 per sponsored Instagram post.
The research, conducted by CasinoAlpha.co.nz used an Instagram pricing calculator to create a list of the most influential Wimbledon tennis stars competing in this year’s tournament and established how much they can earn per sponsored Instagram post.
Novak Djokovic, the current men’s singles Wimbledon champion, is the most influential tennis player at Wimbledon this year. He could earn up to £54,700 from each sponsored post on Instagram.
He has the highest following of any Wimbledon tennis player at 13 million and an engagement rate of 2.7%. Djokovic earned his following through winning seven Wimbledon titles throughout the years and 94 single titles all together throughout his tennis career at various competitions.
Nick Kyrgios has been named as the second most influential tennis player at Wimbledon this year, earning up to £22,700 per Instagram post. Although never having won Wimbledon before, Kyrgios is a favourite to win in 2023. He has the second highest follower count at 4.1 million and a high engagement rate of 3.7%.
The third most influential competitor is Andy Murray who can earn up to £12,800 on each sponsored post on Instagram.
Another men’s singles champion, Andy Murray has won the Wimbledon championship twice and holds 46 single titles leading to him becoming one of the favourites to win for the third time at Wimbledon this year. He has a following of 2 million and a large engagement rate of 6.1%.
The fourth most influential tennis player at Wimbledon this year is Stefanos Tsitsipas, potentially earning up to £12,200 per sponsored Instagram post. The tennis star, currently living in Monte Carlo, has a large following of 1.8 million and a 3.3% engagement rate.
Matteo Berrettini is the fifth most influential player at Wimbledon on Instagram. His following of 1.6 million and an engagement rate of 7.1% can earn him up to £11,100 on each sponsored post.
Iga Swiatek is the sixth most influential tennis player at Wimbledon and the most influential female tennis player at Wimbledon this year.
Her combination of a follower count of 1.3 million and a high engagement rate of 9% could potentially earn her up to £9,300 on each sponsored Instagram post.
Commenting on the findings, Tudor Turiceanu, CEO of CasinoAlpha.co.nz said: “Overall, Wimbledon is accepted as one of the greatest tennis tournaments in the tennis calendar and is the oldest tennis tournament in the world dating back to 1877.
“The players at Wimbledon are considered to be the best in the world and the Wimbledon title can allow a tennis player to become more influential on social media, reaping rewards both on the court and off.”
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How much they can earn per sponsored Instagram post
Children who received Mary’s Meals at school in Malawi win a gold medal at the Special Olympic World Games
A boy and girl who received Mary’s Meals at school in Malawi have won the gold medal in mixed doubles tennis at the Special Olympic World Games.
Hannah Winesi and Patrick Sichamba, who both have additional needs, are celebrating after lifting the coveted award in a match against a team from Bulgaria.
Patrick, 16, also hopes to make it to the final of the singles competition on Sunday, after winning three qualifying matches.
Mary’s Meals, which was founded in a shed in Dalmally in the Highlands, feeds children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of a nutritious school meal attracts hungry children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope for a better future.
In Malawi, where a third of all primary school-age children eat Mary’s Meals, the charity serves a maize and soya porridge, fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. This is known locally as ‘likuni phala’.
Patrick says: “I was able to train relentlessly because the phala I received every day from Mary’s Meals gave me energy.
“My dad passed away when I was really little. But I think my mum is pretty proud of me, and so is my teacher. I played tennis with him for the first time.
“Tennis has changed my life. Without tennis, I would never have known that I could do anything really well. And I probably never would have gotten on an airplane in my life!”
Mary’s Meals began by feeding just 200 children in Malawi in 2002. The charity now reaches more than 2.4 million children every school day in 18 of the world’s poorest countries.
Karen Gray, Director of Communications at Mary’s Meals, says: “Our life-changing meals attract desperately hungry children into the classroom where they can gain an education and – in the case of Hannah and Patrick – discover an Olympic talent for tennis!
“We are only able to feed 2.4 million little ones every school day because of the kindness of people across the UK who support our work.
“On behalf of the Mary’s Meals family, I would like to say a huge congratulations to these inspirational young people – and good luck to Patrick for Sunday!”
The Special Olympic World Games, currently taking place in Berlin, is the world’s largest inclusive sports event, with around 7,000 athletes from 190 countries competing in 26 sports.
Enid Mauluka, National Director Special Olympics Malawi, says: “For Patrick, if he can’t be in the classroom, then he can’t be on the playing field.
“Children are not motivated in sports or even in school unless there is a meal, because if you’re hungry you have no energy to participate. So, for that reason the Mary’s Meals school feeding programme has made a big difference.”
It costs just £19.15 to feed a hungry child with Mary’s Meals every day for a school year. To find out more, please visit marysmeals.org.uk
Tennis Scotland has today announced a significant new prize for players on Scotland’s national tennis tour.
In addition to increased prize money being invested into the TS Open Tour, the men’s and women’s players who finish top of the leaderboards following the 19-event circuit will each be rewarded with a £1000 bonus ahead of the end-of-season TS Open Tour Finals.
This prize will reward players for commitment to the tour and consistent performances throughout the year.
The TS Open Tour was created by Tennis Scotland, in partnership with clubs and organisers, to encourage player development and raise levels of play.
The 2023 circuit has been enhanced with significant investment, via sponsorship, with increased prize pots of up to £7600 at some events.
Players take part in men’s and women’s singles tournaments across the country throughout the year, earning ranking points based on their performances, which are then collated into leaderboards.
After the final tour event – the Scottish National Championships in November – the men’s and women’s players with the most ranking points will each be awarded £1000.
The top 16 players on each leaderboard will then take part in the two-day TS Open Tour Finals in December, where they will compete for a prize pot of £10,000 and the coveted Sword trophies, named in memory of former Scottish internationalists Derek and Allan Sword.
Tennis Scotland Chief Executive Blane Dodds said: “We are delighted to offer a bonus cash prize for the men’s and women’s players who finish top of the TS Open Tour leaderboards.
“Thanks to sponsorship, which we are most grateful for, increased prize pots at some events are helping to attract more players to compete in Scotland’s national tennis tour, and also helping our young pro players earn much-needed income to support their competition schedule.
“This bonus will reward the players who show commitment to the tour and consistency in their performances throughout the year.”
A Ukrainian teenage refugee, Arsenii Opryshko, is showing his prowess on the tennis courts with support from Edinburgh Leisure.
Every day, all over the world, people leave their own countries in search of a better life. While some choose to leave for work, study or play, others feel that the threat of persecution or conflict means they have no choice but to leave.
We watched in horror earlier this year as families just like our own were forced to flee warn-torn Ukraine with nothing but a suitcase in tow. Since then, more than 9,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Scotland.
Edinburgh Leisure is a charity committed to creating opportunities for people in Edinburgh to keep active and well.
Each year our Active Communities programme uses the power of physical activity and sport to support around 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty to improve their health and wellbeing.
A combination of our Active Communities programme, city-wide venues and dedicated staff mean that we are uniquely placed to make relocated people feel welcome in our capital city.
While physical activity is by no means a magic wand that will make their problems disappear, Edinburgh Leisure believes that getting active can have a hugely positive impact on their lives.
Improving health and mental wellbeing, incorporating some routine into their week in a period of instability, boosting confidence and self-esteem, reducing loneliness and isolation, and helping them to integrate into their new communities are just some of the benefits that being active can bring them.
Since 2016 Edinburgh Leisure has delivered our Relocated People Access programme in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council’s Migration and Refugee Team.
Through the project, we give relocated people access cards, which allows them free use of our facilities for six months while they are settling into their new city. We are now supporting around 2,000 people from countries around the world including Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria.
More recently we have also started providing children who are new to the city with free use of our facilities, places on our children’s sports coaching programmes and places on our holiday sports camps over the summer to help them enjoy the active childhood they deserve.
One such child who is benefitting from support, is a young teenage Ukrainian refugee, Arsenii Opryshko, who only arrived in Edinburgh in July 2022, but is already being recognised for his tennis skills.
Recently he has beaten other talented junior tennis players by winning the LTA Scotland Tour, Grade 5, Boys U16 event – coming first, which took place in Broughty Ferry and also came second in a similar event at Dalgety Bay on 14 October and more recently won the U16 boys event at Kelso (6 November 2022).
Arsenii Opryshko, 13 years, a displaced refugee from Kharkiv, an eastern region of Ukraine, a region that borders Russia, arrived in Scotland under the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme, along with his parents, Vadym and Olga. They are being hosted by a retired police sergeant, Mark McCool and his husband in Broomhouse, Edinburgh.
Arsenii was a pupil at Gymnasium Number 13, a secondary school in Kharkiv. He holds a national ranking in his chosen sport of tennis and as a talented tennis player undertook three hours of tennis coaching per day.
Realising his tennis talent, Mark McCool, along with the support of Mandy Fairnie, Operations Manager at Edinburgh Leisure’s Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, has managed to secure coaching from various sources, including coaches at the Edinburgh flagship tennis centre, and East of Scotland tennis clubs and through Tennis Scotland.
Arsenii is currently a member at Hatton Sports Club, which has tennis, padel tennis, squash and racketball facilities and is situated on the A71 near Kirknewton.
Caroline Newton, one of the committee members at Hatton, and a fellow Ukrainian host, secured free membership of the club, with the cooperation of her fellow committee members.
Mark McCool, host to the family said: “There’s no doubting the tennis talent of this young lad, especially in taking the overall trophy for the Under 16 Boys Singles competition, when he is only 13 years. Yet it shouldn’t be underestimated the hoops this family have had to through just to get to this stage.
“Like many of their fellow countrymen, none of them have chosen the journey they have all been on, but they are making the best of a bad situation. I’m so grateful to everyone that has supported the family so far to help progress their son’s talent.
“But then again, participating in tennis doesn’t come cheaply. And while everyone has given of their time freely until now, there are always the hidden costs associated at competing at such a level, including rackets, balls, shoes, entry costs etc.”
The family had left Ukraine to go on their first family holiday in three years to Egypt, a country they had been longing to visit for 10 years. It was a holiday that would combine rest and relaxation with a business opportunity that Vadym was developing and a business meeting with a new partner – not knowing that this would be the same week that Russia would invade Ukraine.
After the skies around their country were closed to all air traffic, the family were stranded in an Egyptian hotel with three suitcases full of summer clothes, sandals, and flip flops.
The family’s circumstance was very quickly recognised by other guests in the hotel and those guests, all of whom were on holiday, clubbed together and funded one of the German families to take Vadym, Olga and Arsenii home with them to southern Germany.
Before long Vadym, Olga and Arsenii found themselves surrounded by many Ukrainian refugee families who had themselves fled the regions worst hit by the Russian invasion.
In Germany, Vadym and Olga’s personal and professional experience was quickly recognised by the German authorities and Vadym, a fluent English speaker was recruited into a refugee support position by the Mayor’s office in the German village of Bad Schonborn, 80km from the city of Stuttgart.
Olga meanwhile found herself working in, and ultimately running, an already established kitchen that was now feeding a wave of refugees, over and above their normal duties in providing for the existing community.
As Mark McCool explained: “Despite the magnitude of the developing situation, Vadym and Olga’s main desire was to provide as normal a life as possible for their teenage son, which was made possible by the German community who quickly offered Arsenii a place in a school and who they also enrolled in a local tennis programme.”
Unfortunately for the family though, their time in Germany was short-lived.
As Vadym’s family had come to Germany from Egypt, a country seen by the German Government as a safe country, they refused to identify Vadym’s family as a refugee family. The German Government assessed Vadym’s family position as that of a non-EU family entering their country as tourists on a tourist visa which only gave the family a limited period of stay.
Their visa application was therefore rejected, and the family were given until 31st May 2022 to leave Germany, although an extension was granted until November, as they had not secured anywhere to go by the initial date. During this time Vadym discovered the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme and arrived in Scotland on 15th July after Mark McCool and his partner agreed to sponsor the family’s application to come to Edinburgh.
Vadym Opryshko, father to Arsenii said: “As a family, we couldn’t have asked for a more supportive welcome from so many different people in Edinburgh.
“Like any parents, we just want the best for our child and for Arsenii, it’s to continue developing his natural tennis ability, despite the challenges we have experienced since leaving our homeland.”
Concluding, Mark McCool said: “My partner and I, along with so many other members of the local and tennis community have welcomed this displaced family into our hearts.
“Arsenii is one talented individual when it comes to playing tennis, and we couldn’t be prouder of his achievements over the weekend.
“We just hope we can continue to find support to nurture his talent while he is a guest in Scotland.”
The next generation of tennis fans in Edinburgh were served a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a unique piece of the sport’s history as the famous Davis Cup by Rakuten trophy dropped into Craiglockhart Tennis Centre and The Meadows as part of a national tour to celebrate Scotland’s hosting of the illustrious competition.
Selected as one of four venues to host the Group Stage of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, Glasgow’s Emirates Arena will stage Great Britain’s blockbuster Group D ties against USA, Kazakhstan and Netherlands between 13-18 September. Tickets for the event, priced from £10, will go on sale this Thursday (30th June) at 10am and can be purchased here.
Across an 11-stage tour, the trophy will drop-in at several inspirational locations that are continuing to play a pivotal role in broadening the accessibility of tennis in Scotland, helping to open up the sport to more people and building on record participation figures that have been recorded in recent years, with a 12% increase in players playing once or more a year over the past 12 months.
The trophy tour started in the Scottish Borders on Monday (27th June) at Earlston High School, one of Britain’s many educational establishments which are championing the school element of the LTA Youth programme, designed to attract and retain more children aged 4-18 in tennis.
Moving across Scotland, the trophy visited Craiglockhart Tennis Centre on Tuesday as the venue played host to the Scottish Junior Open, one of the largest Grade 2 tournaments in the country which is catering for 515 participating players who are aiming to follow in the footsteps of the tournament’s former 9 & Under champion, Emma Raducanu.
On Wednesday, the trophy then made the short trip to The Meadows which is the setting for the busiest park tennis site in Scotland, featuring 16 courts and a programme which boats excellent links with the community, local schools and The University of Edinburgh.
The tour aims to shine a spotlight on some of the programmes that are encouraging children to pick up a racket for the very first time, including the LTA Youth programme as well as LTA SERVES which is focussed on making tennis more accessible to children from underserved communities, and the Open Court Programme which enables disabled players to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of tennis.
Tennis Scotland and the LTA have coordinated the trophy tour to build momentum for September’s group stage matches whilst interest in the sport is heightened by the Wimbledon fortnight.
The trophy will now visit several inclusive schools, clubs, and venues as it travels the length of the country to Moray Sports Centre in Elgin; the first venue to benefit from the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis Fund (TSIT).
Upcoming trophy tour events and locations:
1st July – Clarkston Bowling and Tennis Club, Glasgow (10am-12 noon)
3rd July – Bridge of Allan Tournament, Stirling (10am-1pm)
4th July – Achieve More Scotland, Haghill Park Primary School, Glasgow (10am-12noon)
5th July – Scotstoun Community Tennis Centre, Glasgow (10am-1pm)
7th July – Elgin Tennis Club, Highlands (10am-12noon)
7th July – Moray Sports Centre, Moray (2pm-5pm)
8th July – West End Club, Dundee (12-4pm)
Standing at 110cm tall, the Davis Cup is one of the most recognisable trophies within the sporting world. Following in the lead of past winners including Scotland’s Andy Murray, Jamie Murray and current team captain Leon Smith, individuals across the nation are being handed the opportunity to witness the trophy up close before the ‘men’s world cup of tennis’ heads for Glasgow’s East End.
Following the Davis Cup Group Stage matches, the Emirates Arena will also host the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November after the International Tennis Federation announced that the ‘women’s world cup of tennis’ will return to Great Britain for the fourth time in its six-decade history.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Glasgow’s hosting of Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup matches is a massive boost for tennis in Scotland and comes at a time when interest in the sport has never been greater.
“We’re thrilled to bring two of the most coveted competitions to Scotland with the LTA, which will provide future players and fans of the game with the chance to experience top level tennis on their doorstep.
“The Davis Cup trophy tour provides the perfect opportunity to build momentum for the tournament and showcase the passion for tennis here in Scotland, whilst inspiring the next generation to follow their dreams of representing the nation on the international stage.”
Olly Scadgell, LTA Participation Director, said: “This is the perfect time for young people to pick up a racquet and get on court. We want to use the fact we are hosting the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King cups to bring more children into the sport and boost participation across the country.
“Our LTA Youth programme is designed to be easily accessible for all children, whatever their background or level of experience. Anyone interested in playing for the first time should go online and search for LTA Youth to find a course near them.”
The US Open trophy made a special appearance at a school in Edinburgh as part of a UK-wide trophy tour to celebrate Britain’s No.1 women’s singles player Emma Raducanu’s success at last year’s tournament.
Tennis Scotland is working alongside the LTA to deliver the US Open Trophy Tour as they aim to increase tennis participation and inspire young players to take to court across the United Kingdom and children at Broughton Primary School welcomed the trophy to their school for the Scotland leg of the tour yesterday (Friday, 13 May).
The morning’s activities included a special message for the pupils from Raducanu, followed by an on-court session delivered by an LTA Youth coach. During the trophy presentation, there were also opportunities for pupils and staff to have their pictures taken with the famous piece of silverware.
Emma is currently an ambassador for LTA Youth Schools and all the participating schools have signed up to deliver LTA Youth Schools for current pupils.
At just 18-years-old, Raducanu became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in 44 years and made tennis history when she became the first ever player to come through qualifying to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in New York.
Speaking about the tour, Emma Raducanu said, “I’m really excited to be teaming up with the LTA to take my US Open trophy on a tour of the country.
“All the schools we are taking the trophy to have played tennis as part of the LTA Youth Schools programme and my hope is that the trophy will inspire them to continue their tennis journey both inside and outside of school.”
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, added, “The US Open trophy tour is the perfect opportunity to highlight Emma Raducanu’s incredible success and showcase the opportunities in tennis. We hope this tour will inspire younger players to keep working hard and follow in Emma’s footsteps.”
The schools part of the programme is delivered in Primary and Secondary Schools across the country, and offers free teacher training and content that has been specifically created to help address the nation’s challenge of declining physical literacy and activity among children.
The programme offers free teacher training and content that has been specifically created to help address the nation’s challenge of declining physical literacy and activity among children.
LTA Youth Schools is designed specifically for schools to support the curriculum and wider school outcomes. The programme brings together inclusive PE lesson plans, personal development resources, teacher training and much more. It’s all been designed by teachers, for teachers, and it’s all free.
Tennis Scotland has partnered with ‘Rackets Cubed’ to enhance the lives of school children in deprived areas of the nation through an innovative tennis programme which aims to support fulfilment of academic potential whilst improving physical and mental wellbeing.
Rackets Cubed, a UK-registered charity currently operating South of the border, delivers integrated programmes comprising of racket sports, STEM education and nutritious meals as part of its weekly activities.
Founded in 2016, the organisation has a vision of ensuring that primary pupils perform to the best of their ability by benefiting from participation in sport, enhanced extracurricular lessons and an introduction to healthy eating: driven by evidence that active children perform better in school, whilst a healthy diet has been proven to have a positive impact on classroom behaviour.
Research suggests that children in disadvantaged areas are less likely to participate in physical activity outside of school, subsequently leading to issues such as low self-esteem and obesity which can impact their academic achievements and overall wellbeing.
Designed to provide stability and project sport as a positive vehicle for change in communities, Tennis Scotland launched pilot sessions of the Rackets Cubed programme in Glasgow yesterday, with pupils at St Paul’s Primary School in Shettleston alongside students at Antonine and Camstradden primary schools in Drumchapel, the first to benefit from the initiative.
The Drumchapel programme will see students continue their development outside of official school hours at Drumchapel Tennis Club; a facility that has been selected as an ‘aspirational’ venue to host the sessions, aiming to increase youngsters’ confidence in joining and participating in activities at local community clubs.
Capitalising on increased interest in tennis and substantial growth of club memberships in recent years, the governing body also plans to roll out the programme over the next 12 months to continue increasing the provision of tennis activities to underrepresented groups, having already engaged around 350 youngsters from socially deprived areas last year through the LTA SERVES initiative.
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, said: “Tennis Scotland’s mission is to Open tennis up, and this exciting programme will enable us to take tennis to more disadvantaged communities and use tennis the vehicle to raise wellbeing and attainment of young people.
“Over the last couple of years during the covid pandemic, many children have been less active and missed out on education. This exciting programme is a great opportunity to increase children’s physical activity, wellbeing and support extra education and nutrition resulting in a positive impact on the children.”
Geoff Newton CEO of Rackets Cubed: “Rackets Cubed is delighted to be partnering with Tennis Scotland to offer opportunities to young children from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn a new skill, and help open up tennis to a wider audience.
“Combined with additional tuition in a STEM subject, and a nutritious meal, all in an ‘aspirational’ location, we are delighted to launch the first programmes in Glasgow and look forward to working closely with Tennis Scotland to develop many more.”
The winners of the Tennis Scotland Awards 2022 have been announced, celebrating the outstanding individuals, clubs, programmes and competitions that made a significant contribution to tennis in 2021 by helping to create an accessible and welcoming environment which supported 8000 incoming club members across the nation.
Former ITF circuit player Karen Lamb has been named as Performance Coach of the Year, an award given to an individual that has delivered a successful coaching programme in an inclusive, diverse, and safe environment, acknowledging her contributions to East of Scotland tennis and the East Wee Aces programme.
Mary Byrne-Leitch (above) has earned the title of Senior Veteran Player of the Year as a result of her outstanding accomplishments as a member of Thistle Tennis Club, with honours including becoming a Scottish 65s ladies doubles champion.
Meanwhile, former Merchiston Castle School pupil Matt Rankin has been awarded the Junior Player of the Year after a breakthrough year on the Junior ITF tour which saw him climb to World No. 68 in the rankings and qualify for his first Junior Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open in January.
Elsewhere, Musselburgh Tennis Club has earned the Communities and Park award, having innovatively engaged local groups of players, both new and returning, to play tennis in a welcoming community venue setting.
Finally, Scotland’s nominee for the LTA President Award,reserved for individuals that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve the tennis community, is Graeme Soutar in recognition of his services to Craigmillar Tennis Club.
The category winners were announced on Friday (29 April), with an awards ceremony to be held for recent winners at the Davis Cup in September, as part of the celebrations marking the Emirates Arena’s role as a host of group stage matches.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “I would like to congratulate each of the winners of this year’s Tennis Scotland Awards, alongside everyone who stepped up and played their part in continuing to grow our sport by facilitating welcoming tennis environments all over the country.”
“As the governing body, it gave us great pleasure to witness a plethora of Scottish success stories across the year, on a national and international level. I wish the very best of luck to our winners and LTA President Award nominee as they aim to pick up more accolades at the LTA Awards later this year.”
Edinburgh and the Lothian’s tennis community has been recognised by the sport’s national governing body, which named a local club, competition and three coaches as finalists in some of the most coveted annual tennis award categories, rewarding the region’s outstanding contribution to the sport in 2021.
Musselburgh Tennis Club (above) received special acknowledgement from Tennis Scotland, having been shortlisted in both the Club of the Year and Communities and Park categories.
This highlights the club’s ongoing commitment to providing excellent opportunities for players of all levels to participate in a welcoming and accessible environment.
Both Nathan Lundy (above) and Karen Lamb have earned their place on the Performance Coach of the Year shortlist, having provided an outstanding performance programme that supported the continued development of players at Merchiston Castle School and East of Scotland respectively, throughout 2021.
Eoin Swan (above) finds himself on the shortlist for the Development Coach of the Year for his contributions at Hatton Sports Club.
The East Lothian Open has made the shortlist for the Competition of the Year after hosting a successful summer event in 2021.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “As the governing body, we are really proud of the efforts made to grow our sport in 2021, with every member of the Scottish tennis community playing their part in the progression.
“The Tennis Scotland Awards provide the opportune platform to celebrate a small selection of the nation’s many success stories and I would like to personally congratulate each of our shortlisted nominees on receiving national recognition.”
The shortlist for the Tennis Scotland Awards 2022 recognises the contributions of individuals, clubs, programmes, and competitions that played a key role in growing the game as club memberships increased by over 8000 across Scotland in 2021.
In total, 24 nominees have been announced across 9 separate categories, with the winners scheduled to be revealed online on 29 April, prior to an awards ceremony at the Davis Cup taking place at the Emirates Arena in September. The eventual winners will also secure a place at the LTA British Tennis Awards later this year.
Amongst last year’s winners was Giffnock Tennis Squash and Hockey Club and the ‘Western Health and Racquets Club: Club Championships’, with both winners also named the UK’s top club and competition of the year at the LTA Awards.
Meanwhile, 2021 calendar-year Grand Slam winner Gordon Reid also scooped Tennis Scotland’s International Player of the Year award.
Thanks to funding from the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Leisure were able to bring back a summer of fun safely to their venues across this city and supported 126 children and families living on low incomes to get active and enjoy their summer.
The Scottish Government released funding to local authorities across Scotland to help address the negative impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the health and wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland.
The priority for this funding was to provide opportunities that allowed children and young people to socialise and reconnect with peers, get active and most importantly have fun, during the summer.
Edinburgh Leisure offered parents or guardians, living on a low income and wanted their child to have the opportunity to take part in fun, engaging and exciting sports this summer to apply for funded places.
Spaces were available on Edinburgh Leisure’s swimming, gymnastics, dance, and tennis programmes, with no cost to the family applying. The coaching programmes took place in a variety of venues across the city, at various dates, with some one-day sessions and some full-week activity programmes.
Edinburgh Leisure also offered 320 spaces for families to attend their AquaDash Extreme and Clip n Climb sessions.
Families who were eligible for the programme included children who receive school uniform and meal grants, care experienced children, young carers, children whose families are in receipt of Universal Credit and children supported by a child’s plan.
Tommy George, Community Development Manager at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “For many families, finances are really tight and getting involved in activities during the holidays can be prohibitive due to cost.
“Thanks to funding from the City of Edinburgh Council, however, we were able to support families living on low incomes to ‘Get Into Summer’ by getting active, learn key skills, build confidence and esteem, as well as having fun, in a safe environment.”
Edinburgh Leisure also provided a free football programme for young people from S1 to S6 to take part in and a weekly free ‘Sport on the Beach’ session at Portobello for primary school-aged children.
