TENNIS £20m BOOST FOR KIDS Lasting legacy of a golden era
New academy has Murrays to thank
COLIN FLEMING insists a new national tennis academy at Stirling University will be a “great legacy” for the Murray family.
The Team Scotland coach has backed a bumper £20million redevelopment of facilities as part of a 10-year performance strategy for British tennis.
Stirling and Loughborough have been named as the two UK-wide academies aimed at turning top youngsters into players ranked in the top 100.
And despite winning Wimbledon, Olympic and Davis Cup titles the Murray family have long lamented the lack of a lasting legacy for a golden era of Scottish tennis.
But a next generation of stars will now be produced at Stirling with more investment on regional centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Fleming said: “It is absolutely massive for Tennis Scotland. There’s huge interest in the sport in Scotland and increased participation across the board. What the Murray family have done through Andy, Jamie and Judy is unprecedented.
“It’s unbelievable. We’re really passionate to capitalise on that. It’s a Scottish thing but also a British thing. We’re really excited to have a complete performance pathway.
“For that facility five minutes down the road from Dunblane to be going from the place where we all started indoor training to becoming a world-class national academy is a continuation of an incredible journey.”
Starting in September 2019, 16 players aged 13-18 will be based at the full-time academies and attend local schools. The cost will be £5000 a year.
Tennis Scotland chief Blane Dodds said: “We’re working to deliver that legacy. Judy and the Murrays are passionate about that legacy being in Scotland but on behalf of Britain.
“It’s fair to say we don’t have that quality at the top of the game in terms of world-class performance over the age of 14 but we’ll now have the resources to deliver that in Scotland.
“We will also have a budget to send the kids on the programme abroad for competition and training. We have the best of both worlds. It’s fantastic and a great legacy.”
Davis Cup captain Leon Smith said: “The thirst for tennis in Scotland’s there. We have the Davis Cup coming to the Emirates, Andy Murray Live sold out within minutes and the Glasgow Trophy was a success.
“It all started with what Judy created as national coach. The Park of Keir development is going to be the bricks-andmortar of a real legacy.”