WJTI Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Champion Jamie Murray 

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On 29th April we caught up with now-retired doubles star Jamie Murray at Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Battersea, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative.  

The WJTI is the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s flagship community tennis programme, focused on outreach to schools across the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth, and has introduced almost 330,000 local children to tennis. It is funded by the Wimbledon Foundation, the official charity of the AELTC and The Championships. The Foundation’s focus is on creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds, and it distributes more than £4 million each year to charities in local communities, across the UK and internationally. 

The day opened with an assembly for Reception pupils, explaining the history and traditions of Wimbledon, from its humble beginnings to what tennis whites used to look like for men and women. Seven-time Wimbledon champion Jamie Murray was then brought onstage to meet the children. 

Proceedings then moved outside to the school’s tennis courts, where tennis sessions with several year groups took place, led by Murray himself. 

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Said Jamie Murray: “The Wimbledon Foundation and WJTI are taking tennis to kids and to schools who wouldn’t otherwise have that opportunity. They’ve done a lot of great work and have gone from strength to strength over the years. They’re reaching a lot of kids and I’m excited to see where else it goes. If you want more champions, this is the opportunity to bring kids through to the top of the game.” 

“There’s a lot of kids who are getting racquets in their hands and learning how to play the game. Whether it takes them to Wimbledon or just to enjoying it as a hobby, something they can do with their friends or family. It’s fun to see them out there enjoying it and getting the experience.” 

“We want tennis to be accessible to all. It might always be seen as an elitist sport, but it’s up to the governing bodies to make it as accessible to as many people as possible. Because it’s an amazing sport and it gives you a lot.” 

As for advice he’d give a young person looking to get into the sport, he says joining your local club is important. “A lot of it depends on your parents, and the facilities that are around you. Parks have been redeveloped a lot in recent years to make them more accessible.”