16 outstanding winners crowned at 2021 LTA Tennis Awards
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Sixteen outstanding winners were crowned at the 2021 LTA Tennis Awards national ceremony on Thursday evening.
Streamed on the LTA Website, Facebook and YouTube channels, and presented by LTA Head of Men’s Tennis Leon Smith OBE, the sixth edition of the annual event saw over 100 national finalists in contention across 16 highly competitive award categories.
The LTA Tennis Awards celebrate the achievements of outstanding tennis volunteers, coaches, officials, venues and players in Britain, with elite players’ Dan Evans, Alfie Hewett and Heather Watson joined by a list of award winners from the grassroots of the game.
British No.1 Dan Evans, and multiple Grand Slam Champion, Alfie Hewett shared the men’s ‘LTA Player of the Year’, the first time there has been joint recipients of the award. Heather Watson claimed the women’s award with 16-year-old Matilda Mutavdzic scooping the ‘LTA Junior Player of the Year’ in the first year the category has been combined to incorporate both boys’ and girls’ in the same group.
2021 saw a record number of over 2,600 nominations across all of the grassroots categories including ‘Young Person of the Year’, won by Yorkshire’s Reuben Newman-Billington and ‘Club of the Year’ won by Giffnock Tennis Club from Scotland. The Cathie Sabin Volunteer of the Year Award went to Sarah Strawbridge from Somerset, while the Isle of Man’s Pat Sharp received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The winners of this year’s awards were announced by a host of special guest presenters, including Judy Murray OBE, Sally Bolton OBE, Chief Executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and HRH the Duchess of Gloucester.
LTA President David Rawlinson said: “The LTA Tennis Awards are a real celebration of the people that make our sport thrive. They celebrate the achievements made by outstanding volunteers, coaches, officials, venues and players, who are all vital in helping us to grow the game.
“The past year has been challenging for everyone, but to see the tremendous positive contributions the nominees have made to the sport and to their communities has been tremendously uplifting. To be named a national winner is a fantastic achievement so I’d like to congratulate all of this year’s winners and extend my thanks to each and every one of them for all that they do for tennis in Britain.”
LTA Tennis Awards 2021 National Winners
- Women's Player of the Year - Heather Watson
- Men's Player of the Year - Dan Evans & Alfie Hewett
- Junior Player of the Year - Matilda Mutavdzic
- Development Coach of the Year - Mark Bullock (Middlesex)
- Performance Coach of the Year - Francesca Lewis (Wales)
- Competition of the Year - Western LTC Club Championships (Scotland)
- Official of the Year - Alison Jackson (Oxfordshire)
- Club of the Year - Giffnock Tennis Club (Scotland West)
- Disability Award - Neil Frankel & No Barriers at Riverside Tennis Club (Bedfordshire)
- Communities and Parks Award - Leeds Community Tennis Programme (Yorkshire)
- School of the Year - St Paul’s Way Trust School (Essex)
- University of the Year - University of Nottingham (Nottinghamshire)
- LTA President’s Award - Warwickshire U14 County Cup Boys' Team (Warwickshire)
- Young Person of the Year – Reuben Newman-Billington (Yorkshire)
- Cathie Sabin Award - Volunteer of the Year - Sarah Strawbridge (Somerset)
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Pat Sharp (Isle of Mann)
Meritorious Service Awards
The Meritorious Service Awards honour the outstanding contributions of individuals to tennis in Britain, as nominated by their county or member organisation.
This year, the 12 recipients below we recognised, all of whom have made a significant impact in tennis over several years in county, regional or national activities. Between them they have provided opportunities for many people to participate in tennis and have developed a legacy to be proud of.
This year’s recipients of the Meritorious Service Awards are:
- Robert Bosshardt from UK Armed Forces Tennis
- Jeremy Cameron from Norfolk
- Chris Day from Yorkshire
- John Dixon from Berkshire
- Nigel Garton from Durham & Cleveland
- Benson Greatrex from Staffordshire
- John Heffer from Wiltshire
- Richard Herriman from Herefordshire & Worcestershire
- Jennifer Keates from Hertfordshire
- Clive Sampson from Avon
- Bob Taylor from Lincolnshire
- Richard Walmsley from Sussex
About the LTA Tennis Awards
To find out more information about the LTA Tennis Awards or for information on how to play, coach, volunteer or officiate in tennis, head to www.lta.org.uk. To watch this year’s national ceremony, head to www.lta.org.uk/awards or the LTA’s YouTube channel.
