Young tennis talent in the UK to be supported by new Amazon Prime Video Award
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Two of Britain’s most promising young tennis players are to receive an additional boost with the announcement of the new Amazon Prime Video Future Talent Awards.
The bi-annual awards have been created and developed by Amazon in partnership with Andy Murray, with one female and one male player aged 16-20 to be selected.
In addition to one-on-one progress updates with Murray, each player will receive £60,000 over two years, to be used for developing skills and progressing their career as they look to break into the professional ranks.
The awards have been welcomed by the LTA, with them complementing the Performance Player Pathway. They will add value to the existing world-class coaching, training and competition support the two chosen players receive from the LTA to help them successfully transition from junior to pro tennis.
The award winners will be selected by an expert panel, comprised of Murray, Tim Henman, Annabel Croft and the LTA’s GB Fed Cup Captain Anne Keothavong, who will provide additional insight from the rigorous selection processes that underpin the identification of players for the LTA’s existing programmes.
“Anything we can do to help the young talent in this country is hugely valuable,” said Murray. “I know how sport can inspire others and it’s only by creating winners of tomorrow that we’ll be able to continue to drive grassroots sport in this country.”
The Prime Video Future Talent Awards will complement the LTA’s Pro Scholarship and National Age Group programmes.
LTA Performance Director, Simon Timson, said “We have already made good progress following the launch of our new long-term performance strategy last year, and these new awards will complement our work by providing further support to two of the talented young players we have in Britain. It is great to see Andy teaming up with Amazon and continuing to help the next generation of British players.”
The LTA’s Pro Scholarship Programme supports the 12 British men and women (aged 16 to 24) who display the greatest potential , to reach the world’s top 100. PSP supported players have improved by an average of 303 ATP/WTA ranking places each in the two and half years since the programme started.
Alongside this, LTA’s National Age Group Programme supports players aged between 14 and 21 years old by helping them to successfully bridge the gap between junior and professional tennis. There are currently 18 players on this programme, with players such as Jodie Burrage halving her WTA world ranking to No.235 this year.
Last year, the LTA announced a new network of over 60 Regional and Local Player Development Centres across the country, with two new National Academies opening in Loughborough and Stirling later this year, providing a clear path from beginner’s mini-red tennis to major tournament success. The LTA’s Player Pathway has also been made more accessible and affordable than ever before. This includes the subsidising of weekly training sessions with excellent coaches, benefitting approximately 1,300 players aged eight to 14 years old at both local and regional levels.
Prime Video will be broadcasting upcoming LTA tournaments, including the Fever-Tree Championships and Nature Valley International, providing the latest action, analysis and commentary right from the courtside.
