Culture secretary Lucy Frazer is confident Russian and Belarusian players will abide by strict neutrality rules allowing them to return to Wimbledon.

Players from the two countries were banned from competing at the All England Club in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.

They are permitted to take part in this year’s Championship, which begins on Monday, but must follow a series of guidelines outlined by the government.

Frazer, who is in charge of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, believes it would have been “totally inappropriate” to not impose conditions in relation to the ongoing war.

“We’re really looking forward to Wimbledon, it’s one of the most important competitions in the calendar,” she told the PA news agency.

“We’ve made our position very clear: there are certain circumstances in which it would be totally inappropriate for Russian and Belarussian tennis players to take part.

“We put that in our guidance and that is being followed by Wimbledon.

“There are procedures in place to ensure that they don’t (breach the rules) and I’m confident that those will be followed appropriately.”

Wimbledon will fall in line with the other three Grand Slams by allowing Russian and Belarusian players to compete.

Men’s world number three Daniil Medvedev and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, ranked second by the WTA, are among those set to return.

Participation was dependent on players signing a personal declaration of neutrality, meaning they cannot express support for the invasion of Ukraine, or for the leadership of Russian president Vladimir Putin or his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

Players may also not be in receipt of state sponsorship, while they cannot be seen with any item containing a symbol which might indicate support for the war, or the Russian and Belarusian regimes.

With the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on the horizon, Frazer believes it is important there is a unified international stance on the situation.

“As a country we are working with other countries in relation to, for example, the Olympics,” she said, speaking in Eastbourne as part of a £30million investment by the government and LTA to refurbish 1,000 public tennis courts across the UK.

“I held a summit with around 35 other countries to set our position in relation to the Olympics because we need to ensure that across the world we’re taking the same international stance.”

LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd says guidelines for Russian and Belarusian players have been respected at warm-up competitions for Wimbledon, such as Queen’s and the ongoing Rothesay International at Eastbourne.

“We’ve worked extremely closely with the government and indeed the international tennis tours – the ATP, the WTA, the ITF – to ensure that there is a process in place that follows the UK government guidance and makes sure that players are able to play on the specific terms that that lays out,” he said.

“It’s worked well so far over the last few weeks of grass court tournaments here in Britain and I’m certain that will continue into the Championships next week.

“Those relationships with the tours are extremely strong and we are all aligned in making sure that the tournaments go according to plan.”

A coffee run with Andy Murray helped Cameron Norrie embrace the expectations and responsibilities that come with being the country’s leading tennis player.

“At Davis Cup in Glasgow last year I was walking with Andy to get coffee and there were 30 or 40 people stopping Andy every day for photos and he was so patient and took the time for everyone,” Norrie tells the PA news agency.

“Seeing him doing that, I was like, ‘Wow’. He’s on another level of being famous than me. I thought I have to do the same because it was unbelievable.”

 

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Norrie remains in Murray’s shadow in terms of public profile despite having been Britain’s leading man since October 2021 but he thrust himself firmly into the spotlight by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals last summer.

It was the 27-year-old’s first time beyond the third round at a grand slam and, coming at Wimbledon, that swiftly translated to much wider recognition for a player who had hitherto been distinctly under the radar.

“As the tournament went on people more and more started recognising me,” he recalls.

“I was staying at my flat in Putney. I would go into the coffee shop next door every day and they had no idea I was a tennis player. By midway through they were like, ‘Oh my God, we thought you were just some random club player.’

“And obviously walking around, people asking for photos more and more. It wasn’t crazy because there’s a lot more famous people in London than me but it was cool.

“I’m always going to take the time to take photos with people and ask them if they’re into tennis. I really like it if it’s a young kid because I was one of those kids who was always asking for photos and sweatbands. So I’m really pumped to hopefully see if I can make a positive influence on them.”

The draw opened up for Norrie early on and he took full advantage, although the run was certainly not without its challenges.

He had to come from two-sets-to-one down to beat Jaume Munar in the second round and then David Goffin in the quarter-finals, with straight-sets wins over Americans Steve Johnson and Tommy Paul in between.

“The match with Tommy Paul was just flawless,” he says. “We both played such a high level. That was maybe my best match of the year and it was just a perfect day.

“The match with Goffin was just special, there were a lot of emotions after it. Prince William was watching. It was such a crazy match, being down most of the time. I almost didn’t know what to say at the end, what to do. It was a bit too much for me.

“It was an amazing time, having my friends and family watching and having this deep run, it was so much fun.”

Norrie sparked hopes he could emulate Murray by reaching the final when he took the opening set against Novak Djokovic only for the top seed to hit back decisively and win in four sets.

The run showcased everything that has seen Norrie out-perform most people’s expectations – although not his own – by establishing himself in the world’s top 15.

He does not have a big weapon but instead grinds opponents down with his heavily spun forehand and compact, flat backhand, priding himself on a relentless appetite for hard work on and off the court.

 

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The gruelling five-set battles where physical and mental prowess become the key factors are the ones where Norrie feels the most comfortable.

“Once I get my teeth on a player, I’m pretty tough to shake off,” he says with a grin.

Norrie’s low-key, laid-back nature was encapsulated by him shunning tournament transport to cycle to Wimbledon last year from his flat in Putney.

This year, having joined many of the top players by moving to Monte Carlo – “Good guys to practice with, the weather’s good and obviously with the tax as well,” he explains – he is staying even closer to the All England Club.

He will have no need during the fortnight, therefore, for his new Lexus RZ 450e, with Norrie recently announced as an ambassador for the luxury car brand.

Driving an electric car is one of the steps Norrie is taking to try to reduce his environmental impact.

“I’m trying my best and I’m doing little things I can,” says the world number 13, who is an eager support of the ATP’s Carbon Tracker app, which aims to inspire greener travel on the tour.

“Obviously as tennis players we’re travelling so much so it’s not ideal. I’m trying to take as many trains as I can. I’m riding my bike around a lot, filling up my drinks bottles. I know it doesn’t seem like a big thing but hopefully they add up in the long term.”

Helping limit Norrie’s travel is the fact his parents have moved from New Zealand, where the British number one grew up, to London.

Norrie is enjoying being able to spend more time as a family and especially to hang out with dogs Lulu and Peggy, who help him relax away from the court.

 

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“It’s been really good,” he said. “When they were visiting I was thinking I needed to hang out with them as much as possible but now they’re close I can take my time and have barbecues and see my dogs and spend time with them without worrying that they’re going to be leaving soon.”

Norrie’s father David, a Glaswegian and one of his son’s biggest supporters, has been fully embracing the British grass-court summer.

“My dad is so pumped,” says Norrie. “He’s watching all the tennis. He’s been to (Wimbledon) qualifying, he went to Surbiton, he’s watching all the other British players. He’s in heaven. He knows how everyone’s doing.

“He’s joined a local club. Both my parents were good squash players so they don’t have traditional technique at the moment.

“My dad has a good slice backhand and decent kick serve but his forehand’s his weakness. If you’re playing him, you go into the forehand all day. I tried to give him some lessons but I can’t help the forehand.”

Norrie has been honing his own forehand on grass over the past weeks, reaching the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club, as he looks to hit peak form at Wimbledon following a broadly underwhelming couple of months on clay.

Whatever happens, the 27-year-old is determined to enjoy the pressure and expectation that come with his position.

“This is exactly where I want to be and I’m going to have to get used to it even more if I want to get better,” he says.

“If you’re going to be not embracing all of it, it’s going to come and eat you alive. All I can ask from myself is to do my best. I have to go out and enjoy the experience of playing at Wimbledon and playing in front of my home crowd because it only happens once a year.”

Wimbledon closed its newly installed roof over centre court during a match for the first time on this day in 2009.

A fourth-round encounter between Russian world number one Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo was under way when play had to be paused due to rain.

Covers were pulled across the court at 4.35pm and an announcement informed spectators: “Ladies and gentlemen play is suspended and a further announcement will be made shortly.”

Four minutes later the lights went on in the four corners of the stadium and the state-of-the-art roof buzzed into life, taking seven minutes to shut completely.

Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, told the BBC: “We’ve been waiting for it for so long, it’s the first time ever at Wimbledon somebody’s waiting for rain, but we’d still prefer the sunshine.”

The roof, reported to have cost £80million to install, was not used during play in the first week of the tournament except as a sun shade for the royal box.

Andy Murray branded a contentious poster of past and present Wimbledon greats a “disaster” as he highlighted the lack of prominence given to female players.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray was a notable absentee from the official All England Club artwork which features 15 famous players walking down a staircase.

Young pair Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz – neither of whom have made an impact at the Championships yet – stand in the foreground of the painting, followed by a selection of “epic” rivalries, beginning with Murray’s long-time competitors Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Of the six women depicted, only Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova are among the front 11 players, with the other four, including Serena and Venus Williams, at the back.

While Murray’s uncle and brother criticised his exclusion, the Scot insisted that is not the issue as he spoke about the poster for the first time since its release.

With a smile, he initially said: “It was a disaster, wasn’t it? I don’t need to elaborate any more on it, it’s pretty obvious if you see the poster.”

Asked about four of the front five groups of rivals being men, he continued: “That was what was slightly strange.

“I guess the players that are on the poster are ones that have had incredible careers and have been unbelievably successful at Wimbledon.

“But elsewhere are some of the greatest players of all time.

“For me, Alcaraz and Sinner are unbelievable players but it just seems strange that they were all sort of behind them.

“I personally don’t really care that much about it. But I can see when you look at it’s like, ‘that does look a bit strange’.

“Me not being on it is certainly not a problem.”

Murray’s final warm-up ahead of Wimbledon ended in a 6-4 6-4 loss to world number six world number six Holger Rune at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic.

The 36-year-old, who is ranked 39th, goes into his home slam unseeded and awaiting his fate in Friday’s draw.

While he would relish another meeting with reigning champion Djokovic before the end of his career, Murray is keen to avoid star names in the early rounds, albeit he is ready for that scenario.

“Ideally that wouldn’t happen right at the beginning,” he said of facing a top seed. “I would obviously want that to happen probably later in the tournament.

“But at the same time, because of the situation, I need to be prepared for that. I need to be ready to play against anyone right from the start.

“I’ve had some pretty tough first-round draws in the slams over the last couple of years so I need to to be ready for that and I think I am.

“Obviously, I would love to play against Novak again. I can’t remember the last time we played. It’s a long time ago.”

Murray moved well on court against 20-year-old Dane Rune at the Hurlingham Club but could not capitalise on his chances as he slipped to defeat.

Prior to last week’s first-round exit at Queen’s Club, he had won 10 successive matches in claiming back-to-back grass-court titles in Surbiton and Nottingham.

“Form-wise, I think has been good,” he said of his recent displays. “There are some positive signs there.

“Maybe the other players would see it differently but I don’t think there are loads of guys that would want to draw me in the first round. That’s a good place to be.”

World number seven Coco Gauff cruised into the last eight of the Rothesay International at Eastbourne with a comfortable 6-1 6-1 victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.

The American took just 59 minutes to complete the win with the only highlight for Burrage, who has a Wimbledon wildcard, being a break of serve to make it 5-1 in the second set.

Gauff will now face compatriot and doubles partner Jessica Pegula, who beat Colombian qualifier Camila Osorio 6-2 1-6 6-3, in a meeting of the top two Americans on tour.

The American is enjoying the relative peace of Eastbourne ahead of Wimbledon next week.

“Being in a town like Eastbourne where you can walk reminds me of home. It’s peaceful and I need that before getting into a Grand Slam,” she told BBC2.

Britain’s representation in the women’s singles ended with Harriet Dart’s exit to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, losing 6-3 6-4, while Russian ninth seed Daria Kasatkina beat 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova in three sets.

Defending men’s champion and top seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out by fellow Californian Mackenzie McDonald, who recovered from a break down in each set to win 7-6 (3) 7-6 (8) against the world number nine.

“It’s a big win for me. Taylor’s a close friend and it’s always tough playing your friends. It was a battle out there,” McDonald said in his on-court interview.

The American will face Swede Mikael Ymer in the quarter-finals after he defeated home favourite Liam Broady 6-2 6-4.

Eighth seed Miomir Kecmanovic struggled past qualifier qualifier Aleksandar Vukic for a 7-6 (6) 6-4 win and will face Frenchman Gregoire Barrere after he upset fifth seed Nicolas Jarry in three sets.

Andy Murray’s final warm-up for Wimbledon ended in a straight sets defeat to world number six Holger Rune at the Hurlingham Club.

The two-time Wimbledon champion, who opted for some extra match play following his first-round exit at Queen’s Club last week, was beaten 6-4 6-4 at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic.

Murray moved well on court against his 20-year-old opponent but could not capitalise on his chances, notably four break points in the sixth game of a tight opening set.

A double fault from the 36-year-old gifted Rune the first break of the contest and he was ultimately unable to battle back after dropping serve in the first game of the second.

Murray had won 10 successive matches in claiming back-to-back grass-court titles in Surbiton and Nottingham before suffering an early exit at Queen’s at the hands of Alex De Minaur.

“It’s great obviously to play these sorts of matches a few days out from Wimbledon,” Murray said in his on-court interview after his defeat.

“He’s one of the top players in the world, so you get to see exactly where your game is at. There are things to work on but it keeps you very sharp.

“I would have liked to have done a little bit better but I can start from here and build on this.”

Two days before discovering his fate as an unseeded player in the Wimbledon draw, the Scot was given a serious workout on a warm afternoon in west London.

A fashion show provided the pre-match entertainment on the north bank of the river Thames and it was the energetic Rune who proved to be the more stylish on court.

Like many of the catwalk models, the Dane had his baseball cap on backwards and he exuded the confidence of a player who has recently won four ATP titles, including defeating Novak Djokovic in the 2022 Paris Masters final.

Former world number one Murray grew into the encounter and showed glimpses of his grand-slam winning best throughout with soft hands at the net, powerful groundstrokes and some delightful lobs.

However, Rune often had the edge when it mattered in an exhibition match lasting around an hour and 40 minutes.

Murray, currently ranked 39 by the ATP, was finally broken in the ninth game following one of a handful of double faults across the high-profile exhibition match.

Rune wasted little time in wrapping up the set and then swiftly backed it up with a further break en route to another impressive victory of his fledgling career which underlines his credentials as an outsider for glory at SW19 in the coming fortnight.

Elina Svitolina makes a startling admission about her trips home to Ukraine.

The former world number three is discussing visiting her troubled homeland and how it fits in with life as a new mother.

Her husband, fellow tennis player Gael Monfils, is, she reveals, “really worried” about her safety.

 

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But Svitolina told the PA news agency: “Of course it’s unsafe because the country’s in a state of war. I have to plan it really well with the safety measures and be careful always. But mentally I feel safer in Ukraine than anywhere else in the world.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine coincided with the early stages of Svitolina’s pregnancy – baby Skai was born in October – and she was absent from the match court for a year.

As one of Ukraine’s most high-profile sportspeople, the hiatus gave her an opportunity to dive fully into doing what she could to support her compatriots.

Alongside family snaps and pictures of her on-court exploits, Svitolina’s Instagram feed features images of her highlighting the heartbreaking damage caused to Ukraine and in meetings with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

 

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Along with former Ukraine footballer Andriy Shevchenko, the 28-year-old is an ambassador for United24, the country’s official fundraising platform, while her own foundation, set up to support young tennis players, has widened its remit to provide relief for Ukrainian refugees.

Former boxer Vitali Klitschko made the switch from sport to politics and has a prominent role in Ukraine as mayor of Kyiv, but Svitolina is content with using her sporting profile to help her country.

“I’ve been quite interested in politics, and especially this time when I was pregnant, I have lots of friends who have different positions in Ukrainian politics and many friends as well who know a lot about it,” she said.

“But I never really wanted to go that way. I just want to be aware what is happening in my country, to learn and to understand how we can help at different levels for the people.

“I’m really happy with the position I have right now, using my platform, using my voice in every possible way through sports. This is my way and I feel I’m in the right place, and I want to use it as much as possible to help people.”

Next week sees Svitolina return to Wimbledon, where her best performance was a run to the semi-finals in 2019.

Svitolina’s ranking was not high enough to earn her direct entry into the championships but the All England Club awarded her a wild card.

She will hope to make a similar impression to her emotional French Open return, where she followed up a WTA Tour title in Strasbourg by reaching the quarter-finals to propel her back into the top 100.

“For sure it was a great step forward for me,” said Svitolina, who only returned to the tour in April.

“I played really well in Strasbourg, Roland Garros was a great run for me, so I’m really happy I could find again this fighting spirit, playing well under pressure. Hopefully I can build on that. I’m really motivated to go back on the practice court and find again my good game and my good mindset.”

Svitolina will hope, also, that the Wimbledon crowd are more generous should she face a Russian or Belarusian player after she was booed in Paris for sticking to the Ukrainian position of not shaking hands with opponents from the two aggressor nations.

She knows she has work to do on grass, which is not such a natural surface for her, and her first match in Birmingham last week ended in a one-sided loss to Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova.

 

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Svitolina now has to juggle training with life as a mother and managing the conflicting feelings of spending time away from Skai.

“It’s not easy, especially a performance like (against Fruhvirtova), it makes you feel not great,” she says.

“But me and Gael decided it’s going to be a better way for her as well to not travel so much because it’s very draining travelling, different zones. She will be coming to London if we both play there so it will be nice to spend some time together.

“I think the hardest thing is for sure being away from the baby. Also finding the mindset again, playing matches. Physically I feel I’m there and I’m hitting fine but the mindset of being in the match and being focused from the start until the end, this has been the most challenging to me.”

 

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Always on her mind as well will be Ukraine and Svitolina is already thinking of when she might be able to return to her home city of Odesa.

“I’m looking to go back home in the near future,” she says. “I don’t know exactly when, maybe in a few months, maybe half a year. Obviously the tennis season is packed with tournaments but, as soon as I have the opportunity, I will definitely plan to go there.

“I want to see my grandmother, who is there, my dad was there as well for a couple of weeks. And just to see my friends, to go back to my home. I really miss my country and especially what is now happening, lots of damage to a lot of the cities that mean a lot to me.”

British number one Cameron Norrie continued his preparations for Wimbledon with victory over American Frances Tiafoe in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club.

Norrie, who reached the last eight at Queen’s, made a solid start in the overcast conditions on Tuesday afternoon as he took the opening game on serve with an ace and then forced an early break chance to move 3-1 ahead.

World number 10 Tiafoe, who won the Stuttgart title on grass earlier this month, held to reduce the deficit to 5-3, but Norrie closed out the first set in the next game with a backhand winner down the line.

The pair last met in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in March, Tiafoe winning in straight sets.

Norrie, who had made the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year, showed little sign of being troubled by recent his knee issue as he moved freely around the court to hold in the second set at 1-1.

Tiafoe survived a break point in the next game, then converted one of his own in the sixth before holding to open up a 5-2 lead and served out to level the contest.

Under the exhibition regulations, a 10-point match tie-breaker decided the winner rather than playing a third set.

Norrie secured the first mini-break at 6-4 after Tiafoe hit a wide return and then converted a match point on serve following another unforced error from the American to complete a 6-3 3-6 10-6 win.

The British number one is set to play at Hurlingham again on Thursday, when he is scheduled to take on Norway’s Casper Ruud.

British number one Katie Boulter insists successive first-round defeats have not dented her confidence ahead of Wimbledon following an early exit at Eastbourne.

Boulter was flying high after claiming her maiden WTA tour title at Nottingham on June 18 and expressed ambitions of one day becoming the world’s top-ranked player in an interview published on Monday.

But on Tuesday she failed to take her chances and was second best in a 6-4 7-5 defeat to world number 30 Petra Martic in the Rothesay International.

The 26-year-old’s loss in two hours and five minutes at a blustery Devonshire Park followed last week’s premature departure from the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham to limit her preparations for SW19.

“It wasn’t bad tennis – I’m playing someone ranked 30 in the world, I’m having a go at her,” said Boulter, who was initially drawn to face world number 10 Barbora Krejcikova before the withdrawal of reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina led to a reshuffle.

“Of course it was tough conditions and we could have that at any tournament, you could have that at Wimbledon, and I have to be ready for it and try and play the best I can on the day.

“Ultimately her experience showed today and she played better in the biggest moments.

“I feel like I’m playing some really good tennis. I’ve practised unbelievably well every single day this week. I’ve played seven matches going into the grass, I’m very happy with where I’m at.

“I don’t think I’ve lost any confidence this last couple of weeks just because I lost to higher-ranked players. I really don’t feel that at all.”

Heather Watson suffered elimination shortly after Boulter following defeat to Italian Camila Giorgi.

Watson, one of two lucky losers to benefit from the withdrawals of reigning champion Petra Kvitova (fatigue) and Anastasia Potapova (right shoulder), lost 6-3 6-4.

“I was prepared because yesterday I heard Kvitova wasn’t going to play,” said Watson. “I was very happy that I had another opportunity, but she was too good today.”

In the men’s draw, Liam Broady won the battle of the Britons by beating fellow Wimbledon wildcard Jan Choinski in straight sets.

The British number five, ranked 147 in the world, 20 places above Choinski, eased through 6-3 6-4 after breaking serve at the first opportunity in each set.

German-born Choinski briefly threatened a comeback following a break of his own in the sixth game of the second, but Broady immediately hit back before capitalising on his third match point.

The 29-year-old from Stockport will face Mikael Ymer of Sweden in the next round after he defeated Dutch ninth seed Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6 6-4 6-2.

Elsewhere, last year’s runner-up Jelena Ostapenko set up a last-16 clash with Britain’s Harriet Dart.

The Birmingham champion defeated lucky loser Barbora Strycova, who had replaced the absent Kvitova, 6-4 6-3.

World number seven Coco Gauff will play Britain’s Jodie Burrage in round two after she cruised past fellow American Bernarda Pera 6-3 6-2.

Also on Tuesday, former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur overcame Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-2, second seed Caroline Garcia beat American Madison Brengle 6-1 7-5 and Beatriz Haddad Maia battled back to triumph 3-6 6-3 7-6 (3) against Marie Bouzkova.

Sport England funding is helping people with complex disabilities to get involved in tennis.

Research from the governing body has shown more than half of disabled people are physically inactive, and the funding means national disability charity Sense can expand its programme of sports across England and directly support an extra 5,000 people.

Lin Wallace, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and is blind, is a big tennis fan and has taken up sensory tennis, which uses special equipment, including balls that make a sound when they are hit.

The 64-year-old from Devon said: “Tennis is very important to me. When I’m being active, I feel calm. It’s part of how I support my physical and mental wellbeing.

“I’ve always wanted more opportunities to play. My vision loss has led me to find new ways of enjoying and playing the game and now, with sensory tennis, I can join in. Sensory tennis is designed for me and it makes me feel really happy. It’s my favourite sport.”

Paulette James, who is deafblind, non-verbal and has a learning disability, plays sensory tennis in Barnet, and her support worker has seen the difference the sport has made.

Nancy Williams said: “Paulette is very quiet but she knows what she wants. If we’re doing an activity she doesn’t enjoy, she’ll get up and stop, and since I’ve known her there’s not many things she likes to do. But then we found tennis.

“There is no day we have taken her there and she hasn’t enjoyed it. We’re so pleased she has something to look forward to.”

Mandy Burns, also from Barnet, was largely inactive before taking up sensory tennis.

Tracey Robson, who manages the sports sessions, said of the 60-year-old, who is deafblind: “Tennis is Mandy’s favourite thing.

“At first she was initially a bit confused about the concept, so we use hand-under-hand signing to help explain it to her. As the sessions have gone on, we’ve seen her smiling more and more.

“It’s amazing seeing the impact that sensory tennis has on Mandy and all the other participants. We have about 10-12 people that come every week and we’ve really seen the benefits. It helps build strength in the arms, which can help with other things like eating and signing.”

Louis Wickett-Padgham, head of sport and physical activity at Sense, believes playing tennis can help disabled people in different areas of their lives.

“Stories like Lin’s and Paulette’s show there’s no reason why people with more complex needs shouldn’t be able to enjoy sport – we just need to provide a more meaningful, appropriate way to do so,” he said.

“Tennis is a great example of a sport than brings really tangible benefits to players, as well as being a lot of fun.

“Playing tennis can improve motor skills, balance and co-ordination and, for people with complex disabilities, this can really help them to build up their independence and confidence both on and off the tennis court.

“With new Sport England funding, we hope to reach thousands more people through sports like sensory tennis, to help people with complex disabilities to lead more active, healthy lives, learn skills and make friends.”

Daria Kasatkina branded the war in Ukraine “s***” following her first match in Britain for two years and revealed she is “very worried” about loved ones back home in Russia.

World number 11 Kasatkina, who was banned from competing in the UK last year due to the ongoing conflict, overcame Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina 6-3 6-1 in a politically-tense first-round match at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.

The 26-year-old has been following the news on a daily basis since the outbreak of war and feared friends living in the Russian city of Voronezh could be caught up in the recent rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group.

Kasatkina, who is now based in Dubai, acknowledges Ukrainians are in a “way worse situation” and concedes she cannot see an imminent end to the fighting.

“My family, my parents are still in Russia,” she said. “As you can see, the last few days it’s been a big mess also there.

“I’m worried for my friends, because my best friends they actually live in Voronezh, where the guy with the private army (Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner) entered.

“I was pretty worried about that because they were very scared.

“Obviously Ukrainians, they are experiencing a way worse situation but also I can feel the same. I’m very worried for the people I love.

“It’s been a tough year, and we don’t know how long it’s going to be. Honestly, so far I don’t see the end.

“(It) feels s***, honestly. I’m not gonna hide it. It’s tough to face the circumstances for such a long time already. I’m just trying to be a good human in this scenario. That’s all I can do.”

Kasatkina was booed off court earlier this month following her defeat by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina at the French Open.

Knowing Ukrainian players’ stance of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents at the end of matches, she gave Svitolina a thumbs up, which was reciprocated, before walking to her chair.

There was little reaction from the East Sussex crowd on Monday afternoon as Kalinina followed the stance of her compatriots before swiftly departing Centre Court.

Kasatkina, who respects the reasoning for the post-match snub, admits playing tennis is providing her only escape from the war.

“When I’m on the court, I’m not thinking about it,” she said.

“I am in the different state of mind, which actually helps me to turn off from all this.

“Since the beginning of the war, I was actually following everything every day. It’s a lot.

“I was overwhelmed in some moments, and I’m just trying to turn off my head at least on the tennis court. It helps me a lot.

“I’m really glad to be back and to have this opportunity to play the tournaments, Wimbledon included.”

Katie Boulter insists she will not become distracted by off-court commitments after expressing her dream of becoming the world’s best in a high-profile article with Tatler magazine.

Boulter, who this month replaced Emma Raducanu as British number one, features on the front of the August edition of the lifestyle publication alongside compatriots Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper.

In the piece, the 26-year-old shared hopes of emulating 2021 US Open champion Raducanu by clinching a grand slam title, in addition to ambitions of one day rising to the top of the WTA rankings.

 

Despite feeling comfortable in the spotlight and enjoying the glamour of a photo shoot, Boulter, who on Tuesday faces world number 10 Barbora Krejcikova in the first round of Eastbourne, is adamant sport comes first.

“That was super-fun for me to do,” she said of the Tatler piece, which was done before the French Open. “I have never done anything like that before.

“We can always get lost in tennis and I spend my life in sweats and working my arse off and I think it’s sometimes nice to kind of completely switch off and do something totally different.

“(But) I would like to think that I am quite grounded with this stuff. No matter what I am going to do, I am going to be working hard, day in, day out.

 

Andy Murray will warm up for Wimbledon with a match against rising star Holger Rune at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Hurlingham on Wednesday.

The two-time former Wimbledon champion has opted for some extra match play following his first-round exit to Alex De Minaur at Queen’s Club last week.

World number six Rune, 20, reached the semi-finals of the cinch Championships before also losing to De Minaur and should provide strong opposition for Murray at the exhibition event.

Hurlingham frequently attracts the world’s best players and will also host world number one Carlos Alcaraz, top British player Cameron Norrie and defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian, who will bid to equal Roger Federer’s tally of eight titles at the All England Club, faces exciting American star Frances Tiafoe on Thursday.

Andy Murray revealed he has a plan for how he would like to retire from tennis but reassured fans it will not be for a while yet.

The two-time Wimbledon champion turned 36 in May and is continuing to defy expectations of what can be achieved with a metal hip.

While Novak Djokovic is as dominant as ever, Murray has seen one of his other big rivals, Roger Federer, bow out, and Rafael Nadal announced his intention to call it a day after a final tilt next year.

Murray had a taste of retirement during his battle to recover from his hip problems, and he told the PA news agency: “That’s an experience I went through where I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play again.

“So I certainly don’t want to put myself in that position – I want to finish my career on the tennis court. It’s something I have an idea about when it is I would like to stop and a plan for that – certainly nothing immediate.”

Murray does not see himself playing a farewell tour like Nadal intends to do and admired the way Federer bowed out in emotional scenes at the Laver Cup last autumn.

“It was a great way for him to finish,” said the Scot. “I don’t think there’s a special or particular way or right way of doing it, just so long as the individual’s happy with that, and hopefully you get the chance to do that on the tennis court rather than it being through an injury or anything else.”

Murray still has ambitions on the court, including what he hopes can be another strong run at Wimbledon.

He looks set to fall just short of his aim of being seeded at the All England Club so will be keeping his fingers crossed for a kind draw.

With Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper injured, Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans are the only other direct British entrants into the main singles draws this year, although 10 players have been given wild cards.

Negative headlines around the absence of British women at the French Open have been mitigated to an extent by success on the grass, with Katie Boulter winning the WTA title in Nottingham to return to the top 100.

“Is it disappointing? It’s always a difficult one to know what British tennis should be expecting, or what should be considered success,” Murray said.

“Because, in the last 10 years, I’ve won some grand slams and Emma Raducanu obviously won a grand slam on the women’s side.

“That hadn’t been the case for, I don’t know, 70 years on the men’s side, and I think it was 40 years on the women’s side – so that’s a big improvement.

“People will want more – more players competing at the top of the game. I would obviously like to see more but hopefully that will change in the next few years.”

Murray returns as an American Express ambassador this summer to help tennis fans make unforgettable memories at the Amex Fan Experience onsite at The Championships, Wimbledon. To find out more, visit wimbledon.com/americanexpress

Novak Djokovic has the chance to match Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam singles titles as he takes his dominant form of recent years to Wimbledon.

With the Serbian also chasing a calendar year Grand Slam, the PA news agency takes a look at his record.

Grand slam record

Djokovic has won six of the last eight major tournaments he has played, including the last three in a row – Wimbledon last summer and this year’s Australian and French Opens.

That 21-match winning run extends his record to 52 wins and two defeats since the start of 2021, and 58-3 since he was defaulted at the 2020 US Open for hitting a ball girl with a ball.

He missed last season’s Australian and US Opens due to his unvaccinated status but has otherwise been in a class of his own since tennis returned following the most stringent Covid lockdowns.

Wimbledon was not staged in 2020 and Djokovic’s US Open nightmare followed before he finished as runner-up to perennial champion Rafael Nadal at a rescheduled Roland Garros.

He won 2021’s first three slams and reached the final in New York, only for Daniil Medvedev to deny him a calendar year grand slam. Nadal again defeated him in Paris last year, at the quarter-final stage, before his current all-conquering run.

In his career as a whole, Djokovic has won 88 per cent of his grand slam matches, 348 of 395. Wimbledon therefore provides his first opportunity to tick off two landmark numbers, 350 wins if he reaches the third round and 400 matches by getting to the last eight.

His 23 grand slam titles are the most ever for a male player, having broken a tie with Nadal by winning the French Open, and alongside Serena Williams for all players in the Open era. Court’s 24 were split almost equally between 13 in the amateur era and 11 in the Open era.

Wimbledon dominance

Djokovic goes to Wimbledon as a four-time defending champion – a run dating back to 2018 given the 2020 cancellation.

His 2018 triumph saw him account for Tennys Sandgren, Horacio Zeballos and Karen Khachanov in straight sets and Kyle Edmund and Kei Nishikori in four before an epic semi-final against Nadal – winning 10-8 in the fifth set – and a three-set final against South African giant Kevin Anderson.

He was similarly dominant the following year, dropping sets only against Hubert Hurkacz and Roberto Bautista Agut on the way to the final where he needed two tie-breaks to take Federer to a decider and another to win it 13-12.

He dropped only two sets in 2021 but was more sternly tested last year, with only two straight-sets wins while he trailed Jannik Sinner by two sets before winning a thrilling quarter-final 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 and going on to beat Cameron Norrie and Nick Kyrgios to retain his title.

Calendar slam on agenda again

Two years on from going within one match of the calendar slam feat achieved by only two men in history, Djokovic is halfway through another assault on that target.

American Don Budge won all four of 1938’s majors while Australian great Rod Laver did so in both 1962 and 1969.

Djokovic is already the third and final man to hold all four titles simultaneously, winning Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015 and the Australian and French in 2016, as well as uniquely having at least three wins in each.

In this season’s two grand slam triumphs he has dropped only three sets – to French journeyman Enzo Couacaud at the Australian Open, on a tie-break while conceding only three games across the three sets he won, and to both Khachanov and Carlos Alcaraz in France.

In 2021, outside of Wimbledon, he was made to work for his titles, starting in Australia where he faced a five-set battle with American Taylor Fritz and dropped sets also to Frances Tiafoe, Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev.

He trailed both the unheralded Lorenzo Musetti and final opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-0 in France, where Matteo Berrettini and Nadal also took him to four sets, and had only one straight-sets win in New York before losing the final 6-4 6-4 6-4 to Medvedev.

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