Former British number one Johanna Konta plus British stars Harriet Dart and Heather Watson took part in a community tennis event encouraging young girls to pick up a racket.
The event – called Come Play – was part of the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) efforts to inspire more young women, including a number of Londoners, into tennis.
Former world number four and 2017 Wimbledon semi-finalist Konta joined forces with Watson and Dart to meet with budding tennis stars in a bid to inspire the next generation of players.
Tennis coach Judy Murray also attended the event a the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton on Thursday – one of a series of events held to honour the 50th anniversary of the WTA.
Some of the young players were from Turnham Academy in Lewisham, south London.
Legendary player Billie Jean King and American tennis star Sloane Stephens were also in attendance at a later event, held at the Gloucester Hotel on Friday.
At the event, Caroline Styant from Morgan Stanley presented a donation of almost £40,000 to be equally shared by the Elena Baltacha Foundation and Murray Play Foundation – both of which provide access and opportunity for children from all backgrounds to play tennis.
She said: “Initiatives like Come Play not only help foster the next generation of diverse tennis players, but ultimately help to nurture the next generation of healthy, happy, and diverse students, professionals, and community leaders.“
Ms Styant said: “Earlier this year, we teamed up with the Women’s Tennis Association on a new global partnership meant to inspire the next generation of female leaders by championing inclusivity and access within the sport of tennis.
The girls from @TurnhamPrimary were among the school pupils invited to the @wta #ComePlay tennis day with @morganstanley. Tennis, fitness + nutrition sessions + selfies with @heatherwatson @harrietdart + @JohannaKonta. pic.twitter.com/T6ze5mvvLb
— judy murray (@JudyMurray) June 30, 2023
“As part of this collaboration, we are the exclusive presenting partner of the WTA’s Come Play initiative, which utilizes tennis to positively impact communities and encourages girls of all ages and abilities to lead healthy and productive lives on and off the court.”
To learn more about the WTA Foundation visit wtacharities.wtatennis.com
