TENNIS COACH Miles Daley is of the opinion that the next ‘home’ winner at Wimbledon will come from the inner-city.

Daley believes that there is so much talent in those areas it is just a matter of time before they come good.

Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, told this correspondent many years ago that the likes of Brixton and Hackney possessed tennis talent that could be successful at SW19. Daley shares that view.

Daley told the Voice of Sport: “I wholeheartedly agree that there are so many talented kids of colour in the inner- city areas.

“It’s about harnessing that talent and giving them that opportunity to play and therefore get to a higher level. It all starts by making the sport accessible.”

To that end, Daley is a member of the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) new brainchild, the IDEA Group.

IDEA, standing for inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, it brings together LTA colleagues with diverse representatives from across the tennis community, including players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans. 

It is seen as the next step in the LTA’s work to drive forward inclusion and diversity in tennis, with the recruitment of a new group of almost 50 people from across all areas of the sport, who will advise and allow the governing body to draw on their diverse range of views and experiences.

Daley, who started playing when he was just six, said of the new initiative: “It’s a collection of coaches, players and those with a vested interest in the sport that the LTA has brought together.

Daley began his journey as a tennis coach, teaching children and adults across East London. 

After one year of coaching, he was offered the chance to coach recreational, Middle and High School tennis in the United States. He did this for three seasons where he became the lead coach for his team.

Upon his return to the UK, Daley continued his tennis development, training under former British no. 2, Jo Ward, whilst coaching again in the Newham area. He has most recently taken his Level 3 coaching certification, and been offered the chance to coach at Bromley Tennis Centre, Kent.

Daley takes up the story of his early love for the game.

“My first heroes were the Williams sisters and Pete Sampras and that came about simply by watching on them on TV.

“Watching the sisters’ was the first time I saw people of colour playing tennis. That was where my love of the sport was born.”

While the young coach from Hackney in East London is fully ensconced within the sport, he fully understands that many Black people are put off by the elite nature of the sport.

“I think from my view point, I’ve always had a massive passion for the game. I grew up in a single-parent household so it wasn’t always easy or possible for me to afford everything that goes into a sport like tennis.

“That point impacts a lot of people of colour because if you compare it to football and athletics, there is so much more that you have to pay for and that is the first hurdle.

“I did tennis and music. I couldn’t work out that those two things would co-exist when tennis is so much more difficult for me to tap into.”

That said, Daley is enthused by the IDEA Group and what it aims to do. He is of the opinion that encouragement is the most important point for aspiring players.

He has a word of advice for young talent. “Talk to your coaches about how you feel. It is our job, as coaches, to make young players feel comfortable.

“Sport is meant to unite people and tennis is something that has so much to offer in terms of mental and physical health.

“I always ask the players I coach, ‘have you had fun and have you enjoyed yourselves?’ It should be all about getting the kids active and doing something. If people want to take things a step further as they get into it, we can go from there.

“As a young coach of colour it is important for me to inspire children in general, and coming from East London inspiring children of colour through a sport I love is key.

“I know first-hand how it feels to not to be welcomed by the sport. Through this new group I want to help make some positive changes.

“I think it is a good thing that the LTA is prioritising diversity and inclusion. The diversity of the group itself can only be good to take tennis forward.

“I think the LTA know that there’s been a lot of missed opportunities in the past and there are still some now.

“There are so many amazing young people in this country that have the ability to be elite athletes. Why have we not got them yet into tennis?”

Daley was keen to also pay tribute to Serena Williams who came from a humble background herself to go on and dominate the sport.

Daley added:“Just watching her at 39, as a mum and still achieving in a sport that told her that she shouldn’t or couldn’t, that is amazing in itself.

“I think she is the greatest athlete of all time. Not only has she had to play her opponents but also had to face her critics, and like Venus, just persevered. It’s an incredible story.”