The county’s best players looked back on another year of success at the annual Kent Tennis Awards at the Avenue Tennis Club in Gillingham.
First up was the Junior County Colours Award, presented to Finlay Gratton, Henry Harrison, James Meachen, Eva Hutchins, Milena Nahornaya, Julie Oprchal, Leticia Romanova, Isla Smith, Charlotte Spratling, Bella Thomson and Judy Zhang.
The Junior Player-of-the-Year Award went to Bromley’s Eloise Newberry and the boys’ under-12 County Cup squad won the Junior Team-of-the-Year Award after becoming national champions for the fourth year.
Margate LTC’s Jack Pegden was the Young Person-of-the-Year winner. Pegden volunteers extensively, running social sessions and organising tournaments.
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar’s teams have excelled over the last few seasons and they were worthy winners of the School-of-the-Year Award.
Canterbury Christ Church College’s university tennis club took the University-of-the-Year Award. A newly LTA-registered university, they have strong ties with Canterbury Tennis Club, enabling their members to access their facilities for just £42 annually, with use of the indoor courts from 9am-3pm weekdays for free.
Hayes LTC’s Luke Saunders has helped grow coaching programmes, encouraging players of all ages with patience and enthusiasm. Even while his brother battled terminal illness, he remained committed, earning his Level 1 coaching badge at 17 and nearing Level 2. He received the Kent President’s Award.
Senior colours were presented to Blackheath’s Kate Hands, with Deal’s James Davis winning the Adult Player-of-the-Year Award. Davis is Kent’s highest-ranked ATP player since Lewis Burton 10 years ago.
The Adult Team-of-the-Year Award was shared between the men’s over-45 County Cup team and the women’s County Cup summer team, while the two Club-of-the-Year titles were presented to Harrietsham LTC and Canterbury LTC.
Harrietsham, celebrating their centenary, were the 1-4 courts winners with chairman Andrew Rogers leading efforts to become an LTA-registered club. They introduced a £5 family membership and free summer coaching.
This year’s 5+ courts winners Canterbury added three courts in 2024 and have nine in total to expand pay-and-play, university access, coaching, tournaments and mix-ins. A free practice wall was built, and clubhouse expansion is planned.
Coach-of-the-Year was Chris Hollands of Hythe LTC. Hollands has transformed the coaching programme since his 2021 appointment and membership has grown from 392 to 830.
Juniors benefit from LTA youth programmes, home-school tennis, holiday camps and competitions. Adult coaching from beginner to advanced, plus walking tennis, ladies’ sessions and drill and doubles are also offered. This year free disability-inclusive sessions will be launched.
Mark Ruffle of Park Langley, the Performance Coach-of-the-Year winner, has played a crucial role in Orpington player Alex Mirrington’s development, helping him transition from domestic under-14 tournaments to junior internationals.
Tunbridge Wells’ Jason Baker won this year’s Official-of-the-Year Award and has shown exceptional dedication in managing tournaments and enhancing engagement.
The North West Kent Rural Box League was awarded the Competition-of-the-Year Award and the Tennis Opened Up Award went to the Gurdwara Gravesend Project.
Gravesham LTC, supported by Kent Tennis, initiated a project to engage the Sikh community by collaborating with the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara. At the Vaisakhi Festival, the club distributed flyers leading to 80 new contracts and sign-ups for an open day. The event attracted many Sikhs, especially women and girls, resulting in new members.
Deal and Dover Park Tennis Community Interest Company won the Venue-of-the-Year Award and the Cathie Sabin Volunteer-of-the-Year Award went to Andy Candler of Meopham Tennis Club. Since joining the Kent Tennis Board in 2024, Candler has made a significant impact on Kent communities, introducing tennis to Gravesend’s large Sikh population, establishing an inter-club singles box league and supporting two clubs’ 100-year celebrations.
Sue Greenwood, a volunteer at Harrietsham LTC for more than 60 years, is this year’s winner of the Charles Bailey Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Every county can send in nominations for the LTA President’s Award. Kent have nominated Candler and Avenue Tennis Club’s Colin Jarvis, who built and funded Avenue Tennis in Gillingham in 2017 and has seen the club go from strength to strength with more than 300 juniors involved in the weekly tennis programme. He has also set up the Avenue Tennis CIO charity to help support children at academy level and make tennis more affordable.
Kent Tennis provide a discretionary funding award and this year’s recipient is Whitstable’s Vanessa Oakes, who is hoping to buy specialist equipment and replace a sports wheelchair which she has on loan.
On the panel this were chair Mary Evans, Andy Candler, Keith Gill, Janice White, Vanessa Webb, Siobhan Butler and Emma Nelson, with Evans, Candler and Nelson organising the event this year.
Special thanks were given to Natixis for their support of the Kent Tennis Awards and Trevor May Contractors, who donated the prizes for both Club-of-the-Year categories. HEAD donated the prize for the Schools’ Award winner and East West Connect Ltd were thanked for their support of Kent Tennis’ junior players.
