Why the renovation of Manchester’s tennis courts is vital

Everyone has different ways of keeping themselves fit. Some people go to the gym, some play sports while others prefer to do home workouts.

Living in Gorton for the past 12 years has given me an opportunity to try something different with Debdale Park offering many activities for the local community to take part in.

The news of the renovation of the park’s tennis court will not only attract more players, but it will draw more people from different communities in Manchester.

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Tennis is a game played by millions of people across the world that mixes athleticism and strategy. It is important to remember the value of well-kept tennis courts if you want to feel the true core of the game.

The concrete tennis courts of Debdale Park were great for my opening years of living in Gorton. The lines were visible, the net was doing its job. Although it wasn’t the prettiest, it worked.

Just next to the basketball courts and the skatepark in Debdale Park, the tennis courts were among the most popular sporting venues that were used by the local community.

However, over time, fewer and fewer people including myself would use them due to how worn out the court actually became.

The tennis lines became non-existent (although they have been improved over time) making it almost impossible to recognize if you have hit the ball inside the court.

Furthermore, running to hit a tennis ball back can result in you slipping and hurting yourself due to the worn-out concrete court.

After hearing the Manchester City Council will be teaming up with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to ensure people can continue to play tennis safely and adequately, I’ve wanted to play again and I know others have to.

Knowing I can play without the potential of slipping and injuring myself brings the encouragement of playing the sport again.

While I still partake in other sports such as Football and Basketball, tennis is a refreshing sport that isn’t as popular as the previous two but compiles similar characteristics from both sports making it an easy transition.

Watching Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer would help inspire me to play the sport with friends and family however, the renovation will no doubt bring me back to the court.

While the concrete courts have me on edge, the renovations bring some sort of relief. The grip is essential when playing tennis and without it, playing the sport is useless.

My long-term friend, Yousif Gamal, would play for hours on end with me and my dad in the past with the competitiveness being a major part of the game.

When I asked him if he would play again after the renovations of the court, he said: “I am definitely up for playing again. I remember seeing a few people slip, I never did myself but it wasn’t becoming safe.”

He continued: “It wasn’t until just a few years ago we stopped going, it’s almost impossible to play now if you want to play a serious game, you won’t even know if it went out or not.

“The renovation will definitely make me go play again, it’s something that is needed and while I was expecting it to be done sooner, I have no complaints and am thankful for the council to see this was needed.”

Councillor John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said: “This partnership coincides with the news that Manchester will be welcoming the famous Davis Cup this September after winning a bid to host the competition earlier this year.

“It’s great that Manchester City Council and the LTA are going to refurbish and upgrade tennis venues in and around the city. I hope that with the Davis Cup and refurbished tennis courts, local communities and residents of all ages are encouraged to get involved with tennis and enjoy being active.”

Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Manchester City Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active.

This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come.

We will also be working closely with Manchester City Council to ensure that the local community has a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.