The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has unveiled its new Connecting Communities – Ethnically Diverse Communities Plan, aimed at making tennis and padel more inclusive for ethnically diverse groups in Britain. The initiative focuses on representation, belonging, and empowerment from grassroots to professional levels. It builds on recent progress while addressing ongoing barriers in culture, communities, and workforce.
The LTA announced the plan on a recent date, emphasizing the need to reflect Britain's diverse communities in the sport. As part of its broader Equity Diversity and Inclusion strategy, titled Belonging in Tennis, the plan outlines steps to reach underserved audiences, particularly where tennis and padel are perceived as inaccessible due to cultural or historical factors. It intersects with other LTA efforts, such as She Rallies for women and girls and Breaking Down Barriers for under-served communities. The plan identifies three key areas: culture, to ensure the sport feels welcoming and visible for diverse groups; communities, to listen, connect, and provide playing opportunities; and workforce, to increase role models and inclusive practices. LTA CEO Scott Lloyd stated: “We know that if you are from an ethnically diverse background you are more likely to be under-represented, in sport more broadly and parts of tennis, in relation to the size of your community in Britain. We also know the importance of seeing ‘people like me’ to feel inspired to play, to volunteer, to coach and to be a leader in sport. Our vision is tennis opened up and we want to ensure that people from all communities, no matter what their lived experience, cultural and religious background, or historical influences shaped by both ethnicity and race, feel like they belong.” Research and community feedback highlight shared barriers across ethnic groups, often overlapping with gender and socioeconomic issues. Progress includes increased participation from ethnically diverse individuals compared to five years ago, when the first Inclusion Strategy launched. Notable achievements encompass the Black and Asian Coaches Network, the annual Tennis Black List celebrating Black and mixed Black heritage excellence, and the Black Tennis Collective uniting five organizations for greater visibility. Additional initiatives involve funding research on Black girls in sport with Women in Sport, partnering with Brown Girl Sport for South Asian women, and engaging faith-based communities, such as Muslim groups during Ramadan at the National Tennis Centre and Lexus Nottingham Tennis Centre. These efforts aim to close representation gaps, particularly in coaching and leadership, fostering a sport where everyone feels it is 'my sport'.