‘Astroturf or grass’ is the only joke still doing the rounds
“Britain’s best tennis player, still cr**” was the clue in the name game on the long-forgotten 90s comedy panel show They Think It’s All Over. “Cliff Richard” was the (still) hilarious reply. The correct answer was, of course, Tim Henman. A little harsh on the nation’s then number one, but he’d yet to reach the first of four Wimbledon semis, plus we’d never even heard of Henman Hill.
Once all that had happened, tennis in this country was never the same again. In the two decades beforehand, the likes of Jeremy Bates, Jo Durie and Mark Petchey were the flagbearers, all of whom etched a mere scratch on the game, rather than making a real mark.
But since Henman’s gallant tilts at glory there’s been plenty to get excited about. The stellar career of Andy Murray, that Davis Cup triumph of 2015, and Emma Radacanu‘s earth-shattering maiden Grand Slam title last year are all proof of this. Unless you’ve been wrapped up in sports programmes like Ned’s History of Irish Cycling over the last fortnight, you’ll be very much aware of Cameron Norrie‘s exploits at SW19 – well done to him.
Okay, the rest of this year’s Britpack didn’t really play tennis that got Novak Djokovic or Simona Halep hot under the collar, but almost all of them gave the home crowds a lift and brought joy to our living rooms in abundance. Long gone are the days where the sport in this country was the butt of many a joke (no matter how funny some of them were).
But why? Well, success undoubtedly breeds success. Many a wise man or woman would point out that when Murray was at his peak, he was the sole decent British player out there (British/Scottish/whatever – let’s leave it). Coupled with that, he only really got good when he moved abroad, so these were not necessarily signs that the system over here was improving. However, as long as there’s someone to carry the baton, then that’s surely only going to inspire the stars of tomorrow.
Sarah Patton, manager of Grantham Tennis Club, knows a thing or two about that, as ‘GTC‘ was recently crowned LTA Club of the Year. “When Emma won the US Open it was crazy here for a few weeks at the club, particularly with young girls,” she said. “It’s the same with any sport that gets decent broadcast coverage. Kids see it on TV or the Internet and think ‘I want to do that’.”
And GTC is proof that facilities in the UK have been on the up for a while now, as before it’s grand opening in 2014 there were only a couple of courts down local parks in the town. Weekly tournaments? Forget it. Yet regular competitive play from a young age is undoubtedly key to grassroots success. “The LTA awards are all about increasing participation and giving the local community a chance to learn tennis and participate in competitions,” said Sarah. “Our membership went up by 44% despite the pandemic.” No longer is tennis the preserve of the priveleged, which sadly was very much the case at one time. It seems that once you drop elitism, the standard goes through the roof.
But some would argue that British tennis hasn’t ever really been as bad as it’s been made out to be in the past. Granted, it’s pretty much always been light years behind the likes of Australia, USA and even the Czech Republic, but there’s been moments to savour nontheless. In the 60s and 70s, Ann Jones, Virginia Wade and Sue Barker won seven majors between them, whilst John Lloyd made the final of the Australian Open. Maybe it’s just that train of thought that says if we’re not world-beaters at something then it’s a complete disaster. You can’t be good at everything, though.
It looks like the summertime will be that much brighter for years to come; so much so that dear old Sir Cliff probably won’t even get a mention. Oh, and if you’re wondering about the references in the title and subheading, then you need to brush up on your Only Fools and Horses!
The Early Whistle 