Britain not a 'tennis nation'

Coach says tennis "is part of a social scene"

Last updated: 11th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Britain not a 'tennis nation'

Bollettieri: Blame game

The blame game won't work because British tennis has shortcomings with deep cultural and historical roots.

Nick Bollettieri
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Top tennis coach Nick Bollettieri has refused to blame the Lawn Tennis Association's hierarchy for last weekend's Davis Cup embarrassment, insisting instead the problem is down to Great Britain not being a "tennis nation".

There have been widespread calls for both LTA chief Roger Draper and captain John Lloyd to step down in the wake of the defeat to Lithuania, a result that leaves Great Britain one play-off away from relegation into the competition's lowest tier.

However, Bollettieri, who has coached the likes of Boris Becker, Andre Agassi and the Williams sisters in his career and who currently has Lithuanian number one Ricardas Berankis working in his Florida academy, believes the problem is rather more fundamental.

Writing in his column on www.sportingintelligence.com, the American said: "To pick one or two people and start calling for them to be removed isn't a cure-all solution.

"The blame game won't work because British tennis has shortcomings with deep cultural and historical roots. There's even an argument that Britain is not a "tennis nation".

"Sure, you stage the most prestigious event in the world - Wimbledon. But your national sports are soccer and cricket, and your Olympic resources go to cycling, rowing, sailing, swimming, all sports at which you excel at or are improving in. Tennis is part of a social scene.

"So to argue that Roger Draper, the chief executive of the LTA, is responsible for British tennis's ills is to misidentify the problem. If you'd had generations of Grand Slam winners and then they'd disappeared, then seek blame. But those generations of British tennis winners never existed, not this side of the black-and-white movie era."

Improvement

Outlining how he might improve the situation, Bollettieri suggested: "I guess in a Utopia I'd say build an academy in England and open it to the world. Put your best and the best of the rest together. But that's not a small ambition, that's a long way off, if at all.

"(In the short term) I'd say take your best young players and help them to spend time in other, more testing environments, even just for a few weeks here and there.

"You need to make your athletes central to your planning, and find a way so the best work together. You need consistently to push your players, to provide them with the best coaches. Those coaches also need exposure to the best methods from elsewhere.

"I'm talking now about the players below (British number one Andy) Murray, the young players like Daniel Evans and James Ward who played against Lithuania. At their age - 19 and upwards - it should no longer be about techniques, it should be about building physical strength, about conditioning, mentality, strategy, and of course day-in, day-out improvement against players as good and better than you."

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Comments (8)

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Claret Isabirye says...

There is alot of obscession from the British Public on their players winning Grandslams. The LTA shhould go back to the basics of grass roots development of the sport.

Posted 22:20 2nd June 2010

J K says...

Tennis is definitely a sport for the priveleged in this country. There are youngsters at grass roots level in inner city areas who have massive potential but because their parents cannot afford the ridiculous costs associated with coaching, travelling and tournaments, there is only so far they can go. The LTA do not understand that some families struggle to put food on the table let alone pay for their kids to further their sporting potential. It's a vicious circle that will never change until someone in the LTA who actually lives in the real world understands the real issues. The reason the privileged in the UK don't generally do well in world tennis is because they don't have the hunger and desire after being brought up with everything else handed to them on a plate. And the ones who do have the burning hunger and desire can't afford to play. Wake up LTA, stop filling your own pockets and give real people a chance.

Posted 11:12 11th May 2010

Leonora Ashley says...

I agree with NIck B comments too much press and tv coverage is given to football. If it were not for sky I wouldn't enjoy watching as much tennis as I do. The BBC cover Wimbledon but are not interested in tennis at any other time of the year, unless say a Brit is in the final like Murray or Tim Henman. The papers are not interested in any of the other three grand slams in the tennis year. They will give a few lines to what is happening at the French, Australian and US tournaments again unless a Brit is doing well. Of course the main problem is tennis is still a middle class sport in this country. If your child shows any talent in this sport you are going to have to invest a lot of money to further their talent. Thats not the case with football for obvious reasons. Tennis comes a long way down the pecking order even in schools. Adults dont even know the scoring system.We need to bring the game to the people. Kids have to pay to use local tennis courts when it should be free, especially in the Summer holidays.

Posted 13:56 19th March 2010

Sabz Babz says...

i think what you have to understand is that if your not middle class or not living down south you might as well say goodbye. im from up north i play regularly but without money(being a student) without support at the grassroots level there's no point. i think what you have to understand is that the LTA sees money and investment down south, when what you need is ability and belief, as well as the fear of loss and the determination to succeed. what you need is to support those of us who wake up at 6.00 with the motivation to travel and work on our own backs, not to be pampered by the LTA. WAKE UP MAN!!!

Posted 14:35 18th March 2010

Alan Bratherton says...

its quite right that britain is not a tennis nation, its the same with cricket and lots of other sports clubs, this is simply because, when i was growing up, tennis and cricket were both sports ran by old men that were strict traditionalists, players had to turn up to play tennis an cricket with shirt an tie and trousers, look at australia america south africa etc they all play these sports in the street or in centres in normal attire, without the risk of policemen turning up an taking the equipment off the budding talent. its the old stick in the muds with their "when i was a lad i used to show some respect blah blah blah" thats costing this country the chance of having great sportsmen and women, the sooner people realise that the quicker we might move forward as a sporting nation

Posted 15:01 14th March 2010

Patrick Smalley says...

How right he is. It is a social sport in the UK and our better players have never had the power, determination or fight to get to the top, Tim was a pin-up and little else, Perhaps Murray can be the one to change it, a couple of grand slams and thousands of young players would emerge. I live in a town with less than 30 000 inhabitants boasting 4 clubs with around 900 members, 21 clay courts 5 indoor courts with a further 20 indoor courts within 15 miles. Facilities doubled after the success of Becker and Graf and despite a slip back since they retired it is still a huge youth sport and there are competitive leagues for 6+year olds to 70+year olds. I compare that to the conditions in a Leicester club where only doubles are played in the evening to get more people on the few courts and where the sport hibernates each winter.

Posted 10:00 12th March 2010

Leighton Matchett says...

I agree with NB UK isn't a tennis country, because most of the focus has gone to Football, Rugby and now Golf. In High school I think I spent 2 weeks a year doing tennis in PE and the rest football. I actually spent summer months playing tennis and I was half decent in amateur terms, but getting coaching for it was too expensive, so no point when you can go and play football and train for nothing. There is a lot of pontential though at local tennis clubs, but there no push beyond that. There does need to be a academy and growth for pro circuit. Having said that there is a lot of good youngsters coming through and that could of not been possible without any drive for the sport.

Posted 09:11 12th March 2010

Andrew Lintner says...

I AGREE. Have a look at Wimbledon. Every year it's strawberries and cream. Tennis is not seen as a game for everbody in the UK. It has a bit of a posh persons image and that MUST change if the british are to get more people playing the game and have more players on the ATP and WTA circuit.

Posted 23:42 11th March 2010
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