Tag: Tennis Scotland

Scotland’s national tennis tour announces £1000 bonus prize

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.”

Governing body serves up awards to Edinburgh tennis community

Tennis Scotland have announced the winners of 2023 Awards, celebrating the formidable achievements and contributions of individuals, clubs, programmes, and competitions in 2022.

Two players, a club, park venue, and competition also received prestigious awards on the evening.

The annual awards ceremony was hosted by comedian Josh Berry at the Stirling Court Hotel on Friday, 31 March in front of an audience of over 130 members of the Scottish tennis community. With membership figures exceeding 75,000, the ceremony was a fantastic way to acknowledge the success and diligence of the community, from club level to players competing on the international circuit.

Tennis Scotland Awards Pic Peter Devlin

Abercorn LTC, which was established in 1919 and currently boasts 310 members, was recognised as Club of the Year.

The club actively encouraged more women and girls to pick up a racquet, increasing their female membership by 83% in the last three years, and also developed a female-specific coaching programme led by Katie Hoch who was shortlisted for Development Coach of the Year.

Tennis Scotland Awards Pic Peter Devlin

Picking up the Park Venue of the Year was Rosewell Tennis Club in Midlothian, formed in 2021. The club strives to rejuvenate tennis in the community which previously had no facilities after they took over the lease of two derelict courts in March 2021 and secured funding to upgrade the courts and add floodlights.

The East Lothian Open won the Competition of the Year award, given to a competition with outstanding organisation and delivery. The East Lothian Open organised and hosted a week-long tournament on a voluntary basis which was open to all ages and abilities. The competition also hosted almost 40 different events with 420 participants in addition to hosting the first Open Grade 3 tournament for players with a learning disability in Scotland.

Edinburgh-born Sarah McFadyen, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the LTA Women’s 40s rankings, was awarded Senior Veteran Player of the Year. McFadyen reached No. 12 in the ITF Masters World ranking in August 2022, represented Scotland in the Senior Four Nations, and also represented Great Britain in the 2022 Young Cup at the ITF World Team Championships in Portugal.

Twenty-one-year-old Jacob Fearnley, who trained Craiglockhart Tennis Centre growing up, received the Senior Player of the Year award for his achievements over the past 12 months. Fearnley is currently a student-athlete at Texas-Christian University where he contributed to TCU’s first ITA National Indoor title in program history, helped the team achieve No.1 in the college rankings, as well as reaching No.1 in ITA National doubles ranking, and No. 8 in singles.

  Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to every winner at this year’s Tennis Scotland Awards, and thank all who do so much for Scottish tennis and who celebrated the Awards with us in person at the Stirling Court Hotel.

“As the Scottish governing body, we are grateful for the individuals and organisations that have played their part in growing and developing tennis across Scotland over the last year. With record numbers of members within our club network and record entries at many competitions, there is real momentum in Scottish tennis, and we look forward to further developments in 2023.  Best wishes to all our winners who go ahead to the LTA British Awards this year.”

The full list of winners can be viewed here: https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/tennis-scotland/news/tennis-scotland-announces-winners-of-coveted-2023-awards/

For learn more about the Tennis Scotland Awards, please visit www.tennisscotland.org or follow @TennisScotland on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Thriving Edinburgh tennis community recognised in 2023 Tennis Scotland Awards shortlist

Tennis Scotland has revealed the shortlist for its 2023 Awards with eight Edinburgh and Lothian based clubs, teams, and programmes shortlisted in seven of the most prestigious award categories.

Held at Stirling Court Hotel on Friday 31 March in front of an audience of over 100 members of the tennis community, the Tennis Scotland Awards are a key part of the tennis calendar in Scotland and celebrate the success and hard work within the community game all the way through to the world stage. This year, the awards will be marking an incredible year of growth in the sport with tennis memberships soaring to an all-time high of 75,000.

With last year’s award winners celebrated at the esteemed Davis Cup Finals in Glasgow, the Tennis Scotland Awards return as a stand-alone black-tie event hosted by special guest and comedian Josh Berry.

Twenty-four-year-old Finn McLean and twenty-eight-year-old Katie Hoch have been shortlisted for the Development Coach of the Year award, recognising their contributions to their clubs.

Finn McLean, a full-time coach at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre and Joppa Tennis Club, works to increase tennis participation in East Lothian by offering more local competitions for children embarking on their tennis journey. Hoch is recognised for her work at Abercorn Sports Club to get more women and girls involved in the sport.

Teresa Tait was born in Uphall West Lothian, and currently plays at Elgin Tennis Club and Rothes Tennis Club where she has been shortlisted for the Volunteer of the Year award.

Teresa is inspired by Sue Barker and Virginia Wade and aspires to organise more girls events at her club to increase club participation.

Abercorn LTC have been shortlisted for Club of the Year for their continued work to build a coaching programme to include specific activities for women and girls, with a focus on a pathway for progression from beginners to intermediate.

One of Tennis Scotland’s Development Apprentices, Luke Turnbull, is up for the Rising Star award.

Luke Turnbull has competed for Great Britain’s Learning Disability Tennis team in the past and is currently working towards obtaining his Level 2 qualification while coaching to help players of all ages and abilities reach new heights.

On the shortlist for the Park Venue of the Year award is the city centre’s Meadows Park, who host league games and deliver their junior and adult social coaching programmes at Edinburgh Leisure’s Meadows facility.

Open days, tournaments and events were hosted throughout the year to help support new member growth and reduce court-hire costs during the summer months. These initiatives saw over 23,000 players utilise the courts over the course of the year.

St Serfs Men’s First team are on the shortlist for Team of the Year. The team were undefeated in VMH East of Scotland Division 1 2022 season and went on to win the league.

The three-court club has also been recognised for cultivating a great social environment for all members, which has been reflected on the court through the team’s consistent results.

The East Lothian Open has been shortlisted for Competition of the Year which has been recognised for outstanding organisation and delivery as well as creating a welcoming and enjoyable environment for players and spectators.

The East Lothian Open comprises of almost 40 different events which cater to different abilities and were the first Open Grade 3 tournament in Scotland.

Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “It has been a very successful year for tennis in Scotland with record membership numbers and events like the Davis Cup Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals being hosted in Scotland.

“With record entries across many competitions, tennis is clearly thriving, and we have decided to return to an Awards dinner to celebrate, with our award nominees and winners, what has been another fantastic year for tennis in Scotland on Friday, 31 March.

We are proud to announce the shortlist for 2023 and recognise the individuals that played their part in growing and developing tennis over the last year. I would like to congratulate everyone who has been shortlisted and look forward to announcing the winners soon.” 

The shortlist for the Tennis Scotland Awards 2023 recognises the contributions of individuals, clubs, programmes, and competitions that played a key role in growing the game in 2022.

Twenty-six nominees have been announced across 10 categories, with the winners earning a place at the LTA British Tennis Awards.

The full shortlist of finalists can be viewed here: https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/tennis-scotland/news/tennis-scotland-awards-shortlist-2023/

For learn more about the Tennis Scotland Awards, please visit www.tennisscotland.org or follow @TennisScotland on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Tennis: US Open trophy drops in to Broughton Primary School

Children encouraged to give tennis a shot

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.

For more information, click HERE.

Tennis Scotland provides advantage to youngsters in deprived communities

New partnership programme with UK charity

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.”

Edinburgh locals net national tennis awards

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.”  

You can view the full list of winners here: https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/tennis-scotland/news/tennis-scotland-awards-2022/    

To learn more about the Tennis Scotland Awards, please visit www.tennisscotland.org or follow @TennisScotland on Twitter and Instagram.  

Edinburgh and the Lothians tennis community lauded as national tennis awards shortlist is revealed

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.

The full shortlist of finalists can be viewed here: https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/tennis-scotland/news/tennis-scotland-awards-shortlist-2022/

To learn more about the Tennis Scotland Awards, please visit www.tennisscotland.org or follow @TennisScotland on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Edinburgh University and Wimbledon umpire are among Tennis Scotland award winners

The winners of the Tennis Scotland Awards 2021 have been announced, recognising the exceptional contribution of individuals, clubs, programmes and competitions that helped tennis to thrive in 2020 as participation soared across the country.  

As a result of record-breaking year, the University of Edinburgh secured the Education Award which recognises establishments that displayed innovative attempts at ensuring students could continue to develop throughout lockdown in 2020.

Prior to welcoming a safe return of tennis activity, the university kept students engaged in the sport through online fitness challenges, coaching and virtual social events.

As tennis emerged as one of the first sports to return from lockdown, the university capitalised by training volunteers to ensure that they could run additional sessions to cope with growing demand.

The efforts of coaches and volunteers resulted in all-time high participation figures for the university, with around 360-400 individuals signing up for sessions each week.

Meanwhile, John Frame from Penicuik has been rewarded with a Special Recognition honour in acknowledgement of his many years of dedication to the sport.

Across a glistening career in tennis, John officiated more than 75 matches on Centre Court and Court 1 at Wimbledon between 1975 and 2007; including the mens’ singles final between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in 1999 when he became the first person to chair 3 mens’ finals at the Grand Slam.

As one of a select group of people to have held Gold Badge status as chair umpire, chief umpire and referee, John’s career highlights include officiating in 47 countries at events ranging from the Olympics to Davis Cup ties.

The former school teacher at Penicuik High School has also operated on Tennis Scotland’s board as Tennis Operations Director since 2014.

In total, 13 category winners have been selected to receive awards, in addition to three Special Recognition awards which have been handed to John Stevenson, Rick Gardner and John Frame as an honour for serving the tennis community over a prolonged period.

The award winners were announced yesterday (Friday 23rd April), with an awards ceremony to be held at a later date.

Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, said: “The Tennis Scotland Awards provide the opportune platform to celebrate the hard work and commitment which was the driving force behind our sport’s progression in 2020, in face of the challenges posed by lockdown.

“We were privileged to witness such an outstanding standard of nominations and we are extremely proud of the contributions of the winners and nominees, alongside each individual who played a role in providing a safe and welcoming environment to play our sport last year.

“Following the barriers we faced, it feels more important than ever to acknowledge the drive and passion within our community which resulted in the continued growth of tennis in Scotland.”

Tennis Scotland Awards 2021 winners

Lifetime Achievement – Jan Collins

Volunteer of the Year – Amanda Barclay (West End LTC)

Young Person of the Year – Katie McKay (Wormit & Newport TC)

Coach of the Year: Development – Steven Birrell (Wormit & Newport TC)

Coach of the Year: Performance – Mark Openshaw (Giffnock Tennis Squash and Hockey Club)

Club of the Year – Giffnock Tennis Squash and Hockey Club

Education Award: University – The University of Edinburgh

Disability Award – Chrysalis Tennis

Official of the Year – Olwyn Roy

Competition of the Year – Western Health and Racquets Club: Club Championships 2020

Junior Player of the Year – Ben Hudson

Senior Player of the Year – Hamish Stewart

International Player of the Year – Gordon Reid

Special Recognition – John Frame

Special Recognition – John Stevenson

Special Recognition – Rick Gardner

To learn more about the Tennis Scotland Awards, please visit www.tennisscotland.org or follow @TennisScotland on Twitter and Instagram.

Edinburgh prominent on prestigious National Tennis Awards shortlist

The hard work and commitment of Edinburgh’s tennis community has been acknowledged by the sport’s national governing body which has selected a local university, club and residents as finalists for four of the most coveted awards in Scottish tennis.

Heather Hooker has been shortlisted for the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award which honours individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to tennis for more than 30 years.

Heather’s (above, right) involvement in tennis began at secondary school and continued when she joined the WRAF aged 17 where she played in inter-station competitions.

Heather subsequently joined Craigmillar Park TC in 1983 and has since become an asset to the club. Throughout 2020, she took the opportunity to revamp the clubhouse and surrounding grounds to provide a welcoming environment as tennis returned to the community.

Meanwhile, Heather’s club Craigmillar Park TC has earned a place on the Club of the Year shortlist as a result of demonstrating outstanding community links and growth in 2020.

Clive Minshull, member of fellow Edinburgh club Meadows City TC, has been shortlisted for the Volunteer of the Year Award which recognises an outstanding voluntary contribution made to inspire others to participate in the sport.

Acknowledging innovative attempts to ensure students of all abilities could continue to develop throughout lockdown in 2020, the University of Edinburgh received shortlisting for the highly desired Education Award.

The shortlist for the Tennis Scotland Awards 2021 has been unveiled to recognise the contribution of individuals, clubs, programmes and competitions which played a key role in helping tennis to thrive last year as participation continued to grow across the nation.

Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, said: “The response of the tennis community played a pivotal role in enabling the safe resumption of tennis in 2020. This year, more than ever before, it feels important to acknowledge exceptional contributions which are being made within our sport.”

“The Tennis Scotland Awards provide the perfect platform to celebrate the success stories of the year. With nominations of a particularly high standard, each shortlisted nominee should be very proud of their achievement.”

In total, 27 nominees have been announced across 10 separate categories, with the eventual winners subsequently securing a place at the LTA British Tennis Awards. Winners of the Tennis Scotland Awards will be announced online on the 23rd of April, with a ceremony to be held at a later date.

Among the winners last year was Yvonne Birnie who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding services to Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Tennis Club.

Elsewhere, Scotland’s number-one ranked women’s player, Maia Lumsden, earned the International Player of the Year Award, whilst the 12U Boys North County Cup Team received recognition for magnificent performances and team spirit which secured their title of Team of the Year.

The full shortlist of finalists can be viewed here: 

https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/tennis-scotland/news/2021/march-2021/tennis-scotland-award-shortlist-2021/

For learn more about the Tennis Scotland Awards, please visit 

www.tennisscotland.org 

or follow @TennisScotland on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.