When the Laver Cup arrived at The O2 in London for the first time in 2022, the focus was naturally on the tennis.
Roger Federer was preparing for the final tournament of his career, while Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were reunited on Team Europe in front of more than 20,000 fans on the opening night.
But away from the spotlight, the tournament was also laying the foundations for a different kind of legacy.
Money raised through the Laver Cup Open Practice Day was donated to the LTA Tennis Foundation, helping fund 50 new LTA SERVES programmes for children in some of the UK’s most deprived areas, including communities close to The O2.
Four years on, the Laver Cup returned to London. But what has that initial investment left behind?
One answer is Level Up London, a programme funded by the LTA Tennis Foundation that gave young people at LTA SERVES venues the opportunity to become tennis activators and deliver introductory sessions in their communities.
“We were able to train them as activators, giving them the confidence and skills to deliver basic introductory tennis as part of those programmes,” said John Golding, the LTA’s head of delivery for London and the South East.
The programme supported 25 activators, with festivals bringing together more than 100 young people.
For Golding, the impact of that work is about creating a connection between major tennis events and the communities around them.
“The more connection there is between the local community and tennis, particularly among young people, the more likely they are to become interested and actually pick up a racket and play the sport,” he said.
The lessons from Level Up London have since helped shape Rally Together London, a three-year partnership between the Mayor of London and the LTA Tennis Foundation.
The programme aims to give 5,500 young Londoners the opportunity to play tennis, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, while training and deploying 250 people from underrepresented backgrounds into the tennis workforce.
It includes community activator training, a paid coach traineeship and further opportunities through the LTA SERVES programme.
The coach traineeship is designed to bring people into tennis who may not previously have had a connection with the sport.
“Many of the trainees don’t come from tennis backgrounds, but they are representative of their local communities,” Golding said.
“They have the opportunity to earn while they learn.”
Thirteen trainees have already achieved their Level 1 coaching qualification, with the group attending the Laver Cup as part of their major-event experience.
There is also a focus on creating a more representative workforce, with an ambition for 50% of the workforce, and ideally participants, to be female.
“Whilst tennis is generally recognised as one of the most gender-balanced sports, we still have challenges when it comes to our coaching workforce and particularly more senior positions,” Golding added.
“So getting greater female representation is a key focus of the programme.”
The return of the Laver Cup provides another opportunity to connect elite tennis with grassroots participation.
More than 2,000 complimentary tickets were distributed to schools and youth organisations for this year’s Open Practice Day, while public tickets cost £20, with proceeds again going to the LTA Tennis Foundation.
Golding believes giving young people exposure to major events can be an important first step towards playing the sport themselves.
“In all our wider work, it’s really important to give people exposure to and raise awareness of tennis,” he said.
“I think the more connection there is between the local community and tennis, particularly among young people, the more likely they are to become interested and actually pick up a racket and play the sport.”
The LTA will also monitor court bookings to see whether increased exposure translates into increased participation.
That is ultimately the measure of the Laver Cup’s London legacy.
As Golding said: “If we can directly utilise some of the money that comes to the LTA Tennis Foundation as the charity partner of the event to run and support schemes like Rally Together London, then we can see more rackets in more hands and make tennis feel like a sport that is accessible and relevant for as many people across London as possible.”
So whilst the Laver Cup may be about the world’s best players, its lasting impact on London will be measured by the opportunities it creates for the next generation.
Feature image courtesy Tom Lorencin
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