The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has marked the 25th anniversary of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) – its programme which introduces children across Merton and Wandsworth to tennis – with a celebratory event on Saturday 5 September. Children, families, coaches and members of the local community came together at the AELTC Community Tennis Centre at Raynes Park to celebrate the milestone, with an afternoon of tennis, activities and celebrations.
Since it began in 2001, the WJTI has given around 280,000 local children the chance to try tennis through free coaching in state primary schools. The programme sees experienced WJTI coaches visit schools for six-week periods, delivering free tennis lessons to pupils during the school day. A number of children are then invited to continue their tennis journey through the year-round WJTI programme at the Community Tennis Centre, receiving free weekly coaching and the opportunity to play and progress until the age of 18.
Deborah Jevans CBE, Chair of the All England Club, said: “For 25 years, the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative has helped children in our local schools and communities pick up a racket, get on court and discover tennis, often for the very first time.
“The All England Club’s Community Tennis Centre in Raynes Park is home to the WJTI and is central to the opportunities we can offer local children. It gives young people a place to play, free coaching to develop their skills, and the chance to feel part of the Wimbledon tennis community.
“To have introduced more than 280,000 children to tennis over the past 25 years is something we are incredibly proud of. It was wonderful to celebrate that milestone today with the people who have made the WJTI what it is and continue this important programme for years to come.”
Funded by the Wimbledon Foundation, the official charity of the AELTC and The Championships, the programme delivered six-week visits to 33 schools across Merton and Wandsworth last year, alongside one-off taster sessions at a further 21 schools. Following the programme, 91% of pupils said they would like to play tennis again.
Saturday’s anniversary celebration brought together generations of the WJTI community, including coaches who first joined the programme as children and later went on to build careers in tennis.
Throughout the afternoon, young players took part in coaching and tennis sessions before joining their families and coaches for the anniversary celebration. The event included interviews with WJTI coaches Missy Cooper and Darren Stanford, both of whom came through the programme.
When asked what her biggest achievement is, Missy said, “Giving back. I was invited to join the WJTI at my primary school and now I’m a WJTI coach delivering tennis in schools in Merton and Wandsworth.” Darren spoke about the confidence and passion he has gained from being part of the programme saying, “I love what I do.’”
The event was part of a series of celebrations to mark the WJTI’s 25th anniversary this year:
In April, Jamie Murray OBE joined pupils, teachers and coaches at Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Battersea to celebrate the programme’s impact. (Images from the event can be found here – mandatory photo credit: AELTC/Felix Diemer).
During The Championships, 19 children from the WJTI programme were delighted to receive a coaching clinic by eight-time Wimbledon singles champion Roger Federer, as part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s “Be Legendary” programme. (Images can be found here – mandatory photo credit AELTC/Charlie Raymond Kent).
The WJTI was also celebrated during the ladies’ singles final and the men’s singles final at The Championships, with Shirley Rodriguez Yugsi, aged 11, and Orion Byfield, aged 11, chosen to conduct the coin toss ceremonies on Centre Court. (Images can be found here – mandatory photo credit AELTC/Andrew Baker).
The WJTI is based at the AELTC Community Tennis Centre at Raynes Park, which sits at the heart of Wimbledon’s year-round community activity. Open to everyone, the Centre welcomes an average of 4,000 people each month for sport, coaching and community events.
The 22-acre site is home to 25 tennis courts, including nine hard courts used year-round and 16 Championships-specification grass courts used from May to September. It also includes junior football pitches used by local clubs and studio spaces hosting activities including yoga, Pilates and table tennis. Find out more about the Community Tennis Centre here.
The site has also been designed with nature in mind. Swales, a mini-wetland, native hedgerows and wildflower meadows provide habitat for local wildlife, while reduced mowing and pollinator-friendly planting support bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Hedgehogs have recently returned to the site, alongside a greater variety of bird species.
