Iconic Davis Cup trophy once lifted by British court legend Sir Andy Murray makes an appearance at Elgin Lawn Tennis Club
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One of sport's most iconic pieces of silverware paid a visit to Moray this week.
The Davis Cup has been contested by the greatest names in tennis history over the years, and the trophy itself is a giant of the sporting world.
It appeared at Elgin Lawn Tennis Club and the Moray Sports Centre on Thursday as part of a nationwide tour.
Local tennis fans were served up with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a unique piece of the sport’s history as the famous Davis Cup by Rakuten trophy dropped in as part of the celebration of Scotland’s hosting of the illustrious competition.
The visit to Elgin Tennis Club recognised the Duff Avenue club's club promotion of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) Youth programme to inspire junior players of all abilities.
Then the trophy made the short trip to Moray Sports Centre, the first venue to receive investment from the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis fund.
Standing at 110cm tall, the Davis Cup is one of the most recognisable trophies within the sporting world.
Following in the lead of past winners including Scotland’s Andy Murray, Jamie Murray and current team captain Leon Smith, individuals across the nation are being handed the opportunity to witness the trophy up close before the ‘men’s world cup of tennis’ heads for Glasgow’s East End.
Supported by the LTA, sportscotland and Tennis Scotland, funding will see a four-court indoor tennis centre built at the Moray Sports Centre, with the aim of enhancing year-round community accessibility to tennis in the Highlands.
Selected as one of four venues to host the Group Stage of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, Glasgow’s Emirates Arena will stage Great Britain’s blockbuster Group D ties against USA, Kazakhstan and Netherlands between September 13 and 18.
Across an 11-stage tour, the trophy will drop-in at several inspirational locations that are continuing to play a pivotal role in broadening the accessibility of tennis in Scotland, helping to open up the sport to more people and building on record participation figures that have been recorded, with a 12% increase in players playing once or more a year over the past 12 months.
The tour aims to shine a spotlight on some of the programmes that are encouraging children to pick up a racket for the very first time.
These include the LTA Youth programme as well as LTA SERVES which is focussed on making tennis more accessible to children from underserved communities, and the Open Court Programme which enables disabled players to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of tennis.
Find a youth programme close to you.
Tennis Scotland and the LTA have coordinated the trophy tour to build momentum for September’s group stage matches whilst interest in the sport is heightened by the Wimbledon fortnight.
Following the Davis Cup Group Stage matches, the Emirates Arena will also host the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November after the International Tennis Federation announced that the ‘women’s world cup of tennis’ will return to Great Britain for the fourth time in its six-decade history.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Glasgow’s hosting of Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup matches is a massive boost for tennis in Scotland and comes at a time when interest in the sport has never been greater. We’re thrilled to bring two of the most coveted competitions to Scotland with the LTA, which will provide future players and fans of the game with the chance to experience top level tennis on their doorstep.
“The Davis Cup trophy tour provides the perfect opportunity to build momentum for the tournament and showcase the passion for tennis here in Scotland, whilst inspiring the next generation to follow their dreams of representing the nation on the international stage.”
Olly Scadgell, LTA Participation Director, said: “This is the perfect time for young people to pick up a racquet and get on court. We want to use the fact we are hosting the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup to bring more children into the sport and boost participation across the country.
"Our LTA Youth programme is designed to be easily accessible for all children, whatever their background or level of experience. Anyone interested in playing for the first time should go online and search for LTA Youth to find a course near them.”
