Wimbledon 2021: Edinburgh most 'tennis-keen' location in the UK despite Andy Murray defeat, according to recent survey

Despite Scottish tennis star Andy Murray crashing out of Wimbledon, Scotland’s Capital has been revealed as the most ‘tennis-keen’ location in the whole of the UK.
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Recent data from Better – one of the largest public providers of tennis lessons and courses in the UK – showed an 84% rise in demand for tennis lessons in two years for both adults and kids in Edinburgh.

Investigating the search trends around tennis lessons, the survey revealed that Edinburgh ranked top, with the biggest increase in searches for terms like “tennis lessons” and “kids tennis lessons.”

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The Scottish capital is followed by Sheffield (66% increase) and then Glasgow (64% increase) - the birthplace of tennis champion Andy Murray who lost to Denis Shapovalov in the third round of Wimbledon this year.

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Following the latest data, Edinburgh Leisure has seen a demand for its tennis courts.

Kirsty Stobie, manager at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, Edinburgh Leisure’s flagship tennis venue, said: “Tennis has proved to be a big hit for Edinburgh Leisure and with it being one of the few sports that people could participate in during lockdown, we noticed a lot of people dusting off their rackets and getting outside for some exercise.

“With our six indoor courts and six outdoor all-weather tennis courts at Craiglockhart and our 16 outdoor courts at the Meadows, our facilities are first class and enable growing participation and the long-term development of players of all ages and stages in the game of tennis – so it’s not surprising that Edinburgh ranks as one of the top tennis-keen locations.

Child playing tennis on indoor court.Child playing tennis on indoor court.
Child playing tennis on indoor court.
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“Wimbledon always inspires people to come and try the game and there are lots of opportunities to learn or improve your game. Edinburgh Leisure’s new to tennis course will equip you with all the skills you need to begin your tennis journey, is played at the Meadows and is led by qualified LTA coaches.

“There are also children and adult classes, aimed at different levels from beginner to improver to immediate. There is also a Women Only coaching session, with match play created specifically for women of an improver to advanced standard. The sessions aim to develop the player’s tennis skills through a combination of informal coaching and match play and take place at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, which was recently paid a visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.”

Overall, the data shows that the demand for tennis lessons has shot to the highest in 14 years – a 40% national rise since the last Wimbledon tournament in 2019.

Historical search trends show that June and July often see peak UK searches for tennis lessons, but coming out of lockdown, April this has seen its highest year since 2007.

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Joachim Treasurer, Better’s National Tennis & Specialist Sports Manager said: “The fact that outdoor tennis was one of the first activities to be allowed after lockdown saw a real boost to the sport, and with lots of people working from home or on furlough, the uptake of off-peak times soared as they had much more flexibility in their day.

“Wimbledon is an exciting time for British tennis, as the data shows, and we hope that through coaching and increased participation, we can support future stars to join the sport and one-day play at major tournaments like this.”

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