Our Summer Social / AGM is coming up!
Our 2026 AGM takes place at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre on Thursday July 2nd. All TIA members are invited to attend with the meeting starting at 11.00 followed by a networking lunch. Papers for the AGM will be forwarded to members in early June.
Premier Sports Surfaces partners with TIA
Essex based contractor, Premier Sports Surfaces, is the latest TIA Partner Member. Formally known as Tennis 2000, the company was established in 1989 and 30 years later has expanded its services to encompass all manner of sports surfaces to enable communities, schools and clubs to thrive. The company specialises in creating high performance sports facilities for tennis, multi-sports and mini pitches, working closely with clients to help deliver their long-lasting vision.
The company is a Principal Contractor of SAPCA and is looking forward to working closely with the TIA to help promote its expertise and products into the wider tennis UK market
www.premiersportssurfaces.co.uk
LTA Tennis Foundation launches ‘Levelling the Court’ fund to support talented players
The LTA Tennis Foundation has launched Levelling the Court, a new funding stream designed to support talented and emerging players from low-income households to create more equal access to performance pathway development opportunities in tennis.
Levelling the Court will support initiatives that identify, develop, and elevate talent from underserved communities, alongside offering targeted grants to young players already on the LTA’s performance pathway who face financial barriers to training, travel, and competition. Funded by LTA Tennis Foundation, the programme will be delivered by the LTA’s Performance team, to deliver the greatest possible impact in opening up access to talented players.
The first grants of up to £2,500 will open in July for 10–14-year-olds who meet the eligibility criteria. Players included on the Regional Player Development Centre long list, or those participating in the Wheelchair Player Pathway NAGP 14U programme, will be eligible to apply. This initiative is supported by an initial investment of £100,000, with a commitment to grow this, and an ambition to expand access to more age groups over time.
Keep up to date with all the latest news from the LTA Tennis Foundation by joining their community, https://www.ltatennisfoundation.org.uk/newsletter/
Courtesy: LTA Tennis Foundation
The International Working Group on Women and Sport will hold its 9th Global Summit in Birmingham from July 9-11, gathering up to 1200 delegates from over 75 countries on advancing women and girls in sport. This event offers access to expertise, research and networking opportunities for leaders and policymakers in the sports sector.
The Summit draws together leaders, policymakers, and researchers from a range of organisations including National Olympic Committees, International and National Federations of Sports, Sports Councils and Ministries, Brands, Sports Franchises, Sector Suppliers and Academia.
The IWG Global Summit offers access to world-class expertise, effective strategies, and influential networks that have the potential to accelerate progress. It presents a distinctive opportunity to:
- Access global best practice in advancing women and girls sport.
- Network with leaders from across the sports systems around the globe.
- Access cutting-edge research, case studies and practical strategies.
If you are interested as a delegate or as a potential event sponsor further information can be found via: www.iwgglobalsummit2026.org.
LTA Annual Report and Accounts show growth of tennis and padel in 2025
The LTA has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025. With the launch of a new grass court calendar, record high participation figures and strong performances from British players on the professional tours, 2025 was a successful year for British tennis, despite ongoing financial uncertainty and competition from other sports and leisure activities.
Financial results
The LTA entered 2025 with uncertainty resulting from the new grass court calendar, including the staging of a new high-profile WTA 500 event at The Queen’s Club, and the expiry of a number of existing commercial deals.
Through prudent financial management, increased commercial returns (revenue up 37%) and strong performances from the LTA’s own events (revenue up 24%) the Group was able to make additional investment in participation, performance and marketing activities during the year, as well as donating £3m to the LTA Tennis Foundation in support of our aligned vision of Tennis Opened Up.
The Championships at Wimbledon, organised by a joint Committee of Management on behalf of both the LTA and AELTC, act as a showcase for British tennis and provides important funds for the British game, used to support the LTA’s initiatives from grassroots to professional tennis.
In 2025, there was a fall in the surplus received from the Wimbledon Championships of 4% compared to the previous year. The surplus income received from the Championships makes up 46.5% of the LTA’s income this year down from nearly 60% in 2018 as the LTA’s other revenues have grown at a faster rate.
Overall, the LTA Group reported an operating profit of £0.3m at year end, compared to a loss of £6.7m in 2024. The LTA is a not-for-profit organisation and each year aims to invest as much of its revenue back into its operations as possible, in order to drive the biggest impact and growth in tennis and padel. Nevertheless, there remain challenges for 2026 and beyond including; increasing costs in staging major events, inflation risks in the wider economic environment, and a strong need to continue to invest in facilities, participation initiatives and the player pathway.
The percentage of the LTA’s income derived from the Wimbledon Championships remains critical to its ability to support British Tennis. In the year ahead the LTA remains committed to actively and successfully exploring opportunities for revenue growth from new sources, including investment opportunities, to ensure that tennis in Britain can continue to compete with other sports domestically and other leading tennis nations.
To read the full report: https://www.lta.org.uk/siteassets/about-lta/file/lta-finance-and-governance-report-2025.pdf
Courtesy: LTA
PADEL AND PICKLEBALL NEWS
Lyndhurst
A golf club faces having to demolish padel courts after planning chiefs refused a retrospective application for the unauthorised development. Hamptworth Golf and Country Club had already completed construction of a 37-metre-wide building housing indoor padel courts, along with four outdoor courts, before submitting the planning application to the New Forest National Park Authority. Work started on the padel courts at the site in Hamptworth on June 14 last year.
The authority has now refused permission, only three months after an enforcement notice was issued to the New Forest golf club concerning the courts. Planning officers ruled the building would cause “detrimental and harmful” damage to the “protected landscape’s character and tranquillity”, introducing excessive development into the National Park.
The club argued the facility was needed to secure its long-term viability, explaining that it employs 24 people and serves as an important local amenity. However, Landford Parish Council pushed for refusal, stating the development did not require a countryside location and would have “adverse impacts on the special qualities of the National Park”.
Neighbouring residents complained about light pollution from the 6.2-metre high floodlights and noise from the courts. Those using the courts can be heard from properties more than 140 metres away, the decision notice said.
Planning officers concluded the development could not be considered a “limited extension” of the golf club as the padel and tennis courts offered a “completely unrelated, diversified provision” that could operate independently of the golf course. The plans were refused on May 15. The club has six months to appeal the decision to the Planning Inspectorate. If an appeal fails or is not lodged, the enforcement notice – issued on February 10 – will require removal of all structures to restore the site to its former condition.
Stoke on Trent
An ‘underused’ skateboard park at a recreation ground is set to be replaced with padel courts. Pointon Park has submitted plans to remove the skate park at the Felthouse Lane site and construct two outdoor padel courts in its place. Objectors and leisure officers have raised concerns over the loss of a free facility for young people and its replacement with a paid-for facility aimed primarily at adults. But the Pointon Park charitable company, which runs the site, says there has been ‘relatively little interest’ in the skate park since it opened 12 years ago, and that recently it has become a magnet for graffiti and anti-social behaviour.
Planning officers believe the application complies with policy and that the new padel courts will help sustain the park as a whole.
Leeds
Padel courts could be built on top of a city centre multi-storey car park in Leeds if plans are agreed. Developers behind the Merrion Centre have submitted proposals to the council for eight rooftop courts at the shopping complex. Applicant Town Centre Securities said the scheme would support the rapid growth of the sport in the city.
The development would result in the loss of 128 spaces at the car park, which currently has room for around 960 vehicles.
According to the plans, the courts would be created on the eighth floor of the 1960s car park, close to student accommodation, restaurants and shops. Seven indoor courts would be housed in a detached aluminium-framed structure at the site, with one outdoor court, a reception area, bar and shower facilities also included
The planning report said the scheme would promote healthier lifestyles and represented “a sustainable and appropriate form of development within a highly accessible city centre location”. Leeds City Council is considering a full planning application which is out for consultation until 3 June.