More Retirements ?

Strongbow · All-time great

More Retirements ?

indiana · Tennis legend

"No amount of funding will guarantee another Andy".

But fund so that you continue to at least ensure that you have a core of players over different levels, and you provide more realistic aspirations for others - I could be him, I could be ranked 300 or 400 in the world - and from the more players that seriously give it a go some will turn out to be better than they themselves or anyone elae expected. Maybe top 100, maybe higher echelons of the top 100.

As is, with prize money as it is ( though changing to arguable effect ), the domestic tournament structure as it is, the LTA leaning much more towards 'tough love' and focussing on potential 'stars' and it being a financial struggle for your 300 / 400 ranked players, that 300 / 400 ranked aspirant ( who might turn out to be much better ) is liable just to say "**** it, I'll get a proper job".

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

20 James Ward would arguably be better than one Andy.

We've had one Andy (with Wimbledon and Olympic glory) and still participation rates are dropping - maybe 20 Jameses would spread the net better.

And I think the word is 'system' , not 'funding'.

If you have the right system, you can get 20 james Ward - it's not about direct funding, as such.

Strongbow · All-time great

indiana wrote:
"No amount of funding will guarantee another Andy".

But fund so that you continue to at least ensure that you have a core of players over different levels, and you provide more realistic aspirations for others - I could be him, I could be ranked 300 or 400 in the world - and from the more players that seriously give it a go some will turn out to be better than they themselves or anyone elae expected. Maybe top 100, maybe higher echelons of the top 100.

As is, with prize money as it is ( though changing to arguable effect ), the domestic tournament structure as it is, the LTA leaning much more towards 'tough love' and focussing on potential 'stars' and it being a financial struggle for your 300 / 400 ranked players, that 300 / 400 ranked aspirant ( who might turn out to be much better ) is liable just to say "**** it, I'll get a proper job".

I fully agree. What I meant was that if the sport was properly funded you would get "good" players - you can only hope that one or two will develop into top 10 players.

However, there doesn't seem any enthusiasm at the LTA to do this. The increases in prize money will help a bit - but not much - and the LTA "Bonus" fund is a complete joke. I don't see the Ferrari dealers rubbing their hands anytime soon.

Wakey · Junior player

Happycynic wrote:
I've been to tennis in the parks, with small daughter. I'm well off, but live in one of the uk's most deprived postcodes, ch42. Titp works in that the people going wouldn't go to a club. They do go to their parks, and titp gets a good number of local kids, and quite a lot of 40-60s who have never picked up a racket/put it down years ago, and are doing exercise and enjoying it. It may not generate future stars, but is professionally done with a smile and inclusiveness, and is getting kids and adults active. Good job being done imho.

I agree with you. The LTA aren't just there to produce professional players but to improve the participation of in general. In this country we see courts empty all year round until Wimbledon where you can't get a court to save your life and that's not a good situation.

When I was a kid a local coach booked the courts of a local park every saturday afternoon and then put on a tennis clinic. He would charge £2 and you would get an hour (well usually a bit more) of group coaching where there would be some focus on specific shots, tennis drills and some fun tennis games. Every week you would have a good number of kids of all ages and genders attending, at least 25 of them every week. Many of those taking part would turn up atleast an hour early to warm up ano many would stay for a few hours after to keep playing so these courts were full of kids playing tennis for most of the afternoon all year round where as other parks in the area barely had anyone using them.

Later when I joined the local club I was shocked by how little club members actually used the courts, they used the club as a social gathering rather than a place to go play tennis and these are supposed to be the people who enjoy tennis enough to justify the Expense of joining a club.

Simplg put For participation levels outside of wimbledon it's the parks where can happen not the clubs and the more people we have playing tennis for fun from all backgrounds the more likely we are down the line to have more talented sports people choose tennis. Yes better support is needed when they take that route but you need the grass routes of the game in place to get them there in the first place.

It Also so needs to be remembered some of the funding comes from getting general particitation numbers up so it is important also from that point of view

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I see that Sean Thornley has re-tweeted this message:

British Tennis ‏@BritishTennis 21h21 hours ago

Good luck @seanthornley31 who recently retired from the game. We wish you all the best for the future & good luck with the new job!

Not sure when it quite happened but all the best Sean. and good luck with your new projects.

Spectator · All-time great

Indeed! A fine doubles record and always came across as a class act. Congratulations on the career - and all the best for whatever follows.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Not a new retirement but just to wish Slabbers good luck with his Top Tennis Traning venture.

I think he's been doing it for while but I only saw the website recently:

www.top-tennis-training.com/

www.top-tennis-training.com/about/

All the best

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Not a new retirement but just to wish Slabbers good luck with his Top Tennis Traning venture.

I think he's been doing it for while but I only saw the website recently:

www.top-tennis-training.com/

www.top-tennis-training.com/about/

All the best

First saw the website several months back so he has been doing this for a while. But his "Ferrer" training course has been getting a lot of publicity for him recently.

DWH · Club Coach

Did Andy Bettles retire? Seems he's working with Ana Ivanovic in Beijing to some degree. Came on court for coaching. Is that a new thing? Following in Fitzy's footsteps?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I know that he's not British as such (or at all, indeed) but as many here follow Irish tennis too, and have seen the Irish players a lot at british events etc. etc., here's best wishes to James Cluskey who announced his retirement a couple of days ago.

He's a successful product of US College tennis, starting in Parks tennis, he says, with a CH of 145 (doubles) and lots of doubles titles, including two challengers.

Good luck to him in his new ventures.

Vandenburg · Futures level

I always though slabba had big potential, good serve, what happened? Did he get injured?

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Vandenburg wrote:
I always though slabba had big potential, good serve, what happened? Did he get injured?

Yes. Got to the 200s in the ranking. Had serious knee problems and dropped back. Because he didn't hit his ranking target that year, the LTA cut his funding and he never really made it back. When I spoke to him about it, he was "disappointed" at the way he had been treated.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I see that Josh Ward-Hibbert has officially retired from tennis and moved over to basketball. Which was always his other string to his bow.

www.ubitennis.net/blog/2016/09/27/former-junior-grand-slam-champion-ditches-tennis-for-basketball/

It's a real shame for tennis, but no real surprise as everything started going a bit wrong as soon as he moved over to the NTC. A team game will probably suit him more (similar to why he was always better on a doubles court than a singles one, although his tennis was perfect for singles too).

Good luck to him, and his basketball team.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

What a talented guy, good luck to him. Now a U.S. College programme as a duel sport athlete would have really suited him.