Britain is finally good at tennis – thanks to Andy Murray

Telegraph

01-07-2025

Britain has long comforted itself with staging the best tennis tournament in the world. But the best players? Well, aside from the weather, there has probably been no more persistent Wimbledon debate than the absence of a cohort to match the magnificent surroundings.
It was only in 2010, after all, that the sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe was openly threatening to cut tennis's funding in direct response to what he called their 'embarrassing' results. The only British man in the world's top 200 back then was Sir Andy Murray. Now there are seven. There are also seven women. Wimbledon 2025 began with the most Brits this century. Monday had the most home wins on any single day at SW19. And, following victories on a rather more mixed Tuesday for Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Jack Pinnington Jones, Britain has 10 players in the second round for only the second time since 1984.
Explanations for what now looks like a genuinely sustained uptick are myriad but, speak to most people around Wimbledon, and three explanations constantly crop up. Firstly, the delayed impact of Murray's inspirational two decades at the top of world tennis. Secondly, a generation of British players benefiting from the fabulously resourced US collegiate system. Finally, improved competitive structures that have helped build that most priceless commodity of all – a sense of momentum and elevated ambition.
'Andy has been one of the biggest reasons – setting standards around him,' said Leon Smith, the Davis Cup captain when Britain regained that crown in 2015 for the first time since 1936. 'Evo [Dan Evans], Cam [Norrie] and now Jack: people start to feed off that, they see the standards, they get to practice with them… be around them. When there is more of them it helps. You are seeing that it's possible.'
Hopes this year are that Draper can fill the void left by Murray and become only the second British man to win the Wimbledon singles title in 89 years, since Fred Perry claimed his third title.
'I think it's really positive,' said Draper. 'Andy has had a huge effect on a lot of the younger generation, watching his success over the years, major success on the big stage. When we were younger, we were watching it on Sky Sports, watching him lift those big trophies.
'It's really exciting both on the men's and women's side. On the men's, you've got guys like Johannus Monday, [George] Loffhagen, Pinnington Jones, [Arthur] Fery. There's so many young guys that have done that college route because maybe they weren't ready to fully go pro. They can come out and play incredibly well. It's just their journey. They are obviously coming out a bit later.
'On the women's side, you have got Emma, the younger girls like Mimi Xu, [Hannah] Klugman, [Ranah] Stoiber. I think it's really exciting, British tennis. We're in a good spot. It's really exciting what we're going to have in the next 10 years for me. It's cool to be a part of that.'
Having created the shock of these Wimbledon Championships, Oliver Tarvet, the 21-year-old world No 733, pinpointed the influence of moving to the United States, where his game has developed enormously while on a scholarship at the University of San Diego. 'I would recommend any top-level junior to go through the collegiate system,' said Tarvet. 'Because of how great the coaches are, the set-up. Everything is so organised, so professional. I'm a lot further ahead than I was. That's based on the team-mates, and the culture we have.'
Of the 13 British men in the main Wimbledon draw, seven have had experience of the US college system and, to a man, they highlight an environment that sounds more like team sport. The contrast with going on the Futures tennis tour at the age of 18 – generally a mixture of teenagers on their way up and old pros on their way down – certainly feels significant. 'If you go through Futures, which are the small $15,000 events which barely cover your plane fare, you can quickly pick up unprofessional habits and find yourself in the bar at all hours of the evening,' said Dave Miley, an experienced tennis administrator from Ireland who now works for the well funded Kazakh system. 'US College has a lot going for it, and it's only becoming more attractive now that they are relaxing the rules on how much money or sponsorship income you can earn.
'You get a long summer holiday when you can try your hand at the pro tour, and if you win a couple of titles – like Cameron Norrie [who studied at the Texas Christian University] – you can just quit your degree and focus on the tour full-time. Most men don't break the top 100 until they're at least 23, so it's a long road.'
Monday, who spent four years at the University of Tennessee after growing up near Hull, was among the British contingent making his Wimbledon debut this year. He believes that a time will come in the next five years when alumni and students from the American collegiate system will make up the majority of the Wimbledon main draw. British players, with no language barrier, are particularly well placed to benefit. 'If I didn't go, I wouldn't be here today,' said Monday.
'I had a great coaching environment, great resources around me. I was part of a team – I just got told, 'We are flying at this time, the bus is picking you up at this time, make sure you have your rackets and your shoes'. Everything was taken care of. All you had to do was go and win the match.
'The pro tour can get lonely at times – it was really nice having nine, 10 guys who have your back. You are fighting for something bigger than yourself. If I could go back to one point in my life, it would be then. Unless you are like Carlos Alcaraz, I recommend everyone goes. It's a great stepping stone. [And] you get everything for free.' While hearing Monday reflect on that support structure, it was hard not to think back to Alex Ward, who spoke in 2017 about running up debts of around £12,000 while chasing his Wimbledon dream on the Futures tour.
The LTA have encouraged those who have thrived in the US and a formal part of their Player Pathway is to create transition routes onto the professional tour once those collegiate years have finished. 'Doing so gives more GB players an opportunity to pursue professional tennis,' says Michael Bourne, the LTA's performance director. The National Tennis Centre in Roehampton was awarded gold-level status by the International Tennis Federation four years ago and, with genuinely world-class facilities, has also become a go-to for British elite players who are either based in England or returning home.
'We've got a lot of good sparring partners when we're back home and we're all pushing each other,' said Sonay Kartal, one of three British women in the world's top 50, whose own journey based largely in Brighton had been aided by an improved domestic competition calendar. Bourne believes that these opportunities have been an important factor but also again refers back to Murray, who lives in Surrey, only 20 minutes from the Roehampton base.
'Andy has been a beacon of what it takes to play at the elite level and has been excellent in sharing his time, advice and example to the emerging players,' he said. 'Seeing some be successful at the highest level and getting to witness the work they do to get there cannot be underestimated. ⁠The current LTA performance strategy was launched in 2018. Italy began theirs in 2001. We believe we still have much headroom for growth.'