JUDY MURRAY GIVES HER WIMBLEDON PREDICTIONS
17th May 2019
Tennis ace Judy Murray OBE predicts Canadian success at Wimbledon this year whilst touring UK to share tennis knowledge with coaches and youngsters
Judy Murray OBE has said that young Canadians Bianca Andreescu, Felix Augur Aliassme and Denis Shapovalov are among the young guns to watch at this year’s Wimbledon tournament.
Speaking from David Lloyd Edinburgh, at the first of her six-day tour of various David Lloyd Clubs as a tennis coach consultant, Judy also predicted that Ash Barty and Stefanos Tsitsipas will make the biggest breakthrough.
“There are so many young talents breaking through on both the men’s and women’s tours and I’ve always enjoyed watching the most promising junior players taking their first steps in the majors. If you are making main draws of slams on ranking as a junior, then you are worth watching and I’ll definitely be looking out for young Brits Emma Radacanu and Jack Draper.” Murray comments.
Judy will be sharing her tennis philosophy and experiences until 24 May with over 300 coaches and hosting sessions for young players at six David Lloyd Clubs across the UK.
Judy Murray commented: “I am thrilled to be back in my role as coach consultant for a third consecutive year with David Lloyd Clubs. I’ve a huge passion for tennis and want to show how it can be fun and appealing to all, whether it’s taking your tennis skills to the next level or you’re a new starter. We always need to do more to attract kids in to playing tennis, because, like all traditional sports, we are competing with so many other things for kids’ time and attention. So, we must work harder than we have ever done to make tennis fun and stimulating in a welcoming, safe environment. “
Encouraging children into tennis has been a passion of Murray’s for some years. At David Lloyd Clubs, the number of kids in tennis has risen since Judy began working with the health, fitness and racquets group. Her own sons played at the club on Friday evenings while Judy was coaching when they were growing up, too.
Simon Pearson, David Lloyd Clubs Racquets Project Manager commented: “It’s great to have Judy back as a tennis coach consultant again. At David Lloyd Clubs, we’re committed to encouraging more children to get into tennis, no matter their age or ability. Judy helps to not only encourage those playing tennis, but also those teaching the sport.”
“These workshops are fun and engaging for all, and a fantastic opportunity to learn from someone who is incredibly knowledgeable in the sport. Tennis is a great agility sport, that improves general fitness, balance and co-ordination but also helps builds social skills and self-confidence. They allow kids to share some amazing team experiences, provide an opportunity for them to meet new friends, train with the best and help them to discover their competitive streak.”
Judy starts her tour of the UK in Edinburgh and ends in David Lloyd Berkshire on the 24 May. During her visits, Judy will host two one-hour junior coaching masterclass for the health and fitness clubs’ junior members, aimed to increase participation in tennis and sport and encourage kids to get more active.
Visit www.davidlloyd.co.uk for more information.
About David Lloyd Leisure Group
The David Lloyd Leisure Group has 114 clubs - 99 clubs in the UK and a further 15 clubs across Europe, comprising its two brands David Lloyd Clubs and Harbour Clubs (of which there are three - Chelsea, Notting Hill and Kensington).
It has over 600,000 members and employs around 8100 people. This includes an expert health and fitness team of over 2000 while it contracts the services of more than 680 tennis professionals. Across all clubs, David Lloyd Leisure has over 190 swimming pools (of which half are indoor) and offers over 13,000 exercise classes per week. Every week over 25,000 children learn to swim at David Lloyd Leisure, 14,500 children learn to play in the Tennis All Stars Coaching Programme.
David Lloyd Clubs' racquets facilities are unparalleled with over 1080 tennis courts as well as over 400 badminton and squash courts. Additional facilities include health and beauty spas, club lounges with free internet access, crèches, nurseries and specialist sports shops.