Phill Hammond

Head Coach at The Avenue LTC.

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@TheTennisLetter Spot on @DjokerNole, about time one of the top guys brought this up. Hope you take a role in the future of our game when you decide to call it a day, respect to you.

[The Tennis Letter @TheTennisLetter]

Novak Djokovic says tennis is endangered at the club level, ‘If we don’t do something about it globally, they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into paddle or pickleball’

“In terms of innovation in our sport… other than Slams, we have to figure out how to attract a young audience. Tennis on one hand is in a good place, but at the same time, when we look at Formula 1 for example and what they’ve done in terms of marketing, in terms of growth of the sport, in terms of the races around the world and how popular they are.. I think we need to do a better job on our respective tours. The grand slams are always gonna do well. But I think our tours need to do better. We are lucky to be very historic and a very global sport. But I think one of the studies that was done by PTPA 3 or 4 years ago showed that tennis is the 3rd or 4th most watched sport in the world along with cricket. Number 1 is football or soccer as you call it in the states. Second is basketball. Then it’s tennis and cricket. But tennis is number 9 or 10 on the list of all sports in terms of using its popularity, commercializing or capitalizing on that. I think there’s a huge space for growth. We’re quite fractioned as a sport. There are quite a bit of things for us to collectively look at and try to improve it. We need to grow the number of players that live from this sport. Very rarely do I see in the media that you guys are writing about the fact that you have only 350 to 400 players both men, women, singles, doubles across the board that live from this sport on this planet. That’s deeply concerning for me. Yes, we talk about the grand slam winner wins this or that. The focus is always on the grand prize but what about the base level? We’re still doing a very poor job there… very poor job. Tennis is a very global sport and it’s loved by millions of children that pick up a racquet that wanna play, but we don’t make it accessible. We don’t make it so affordable. Especially in countries like mine that doesn’t have a strong federation, that has Grand Slam or history or big budgets.. so I think collectively we all have to come together or create a new foundation, a corner stone of really what tennis is about.. which is the base level. The club level. Now we have paddle that is growing and emerging. People kind of have fun with it and say ‘Yeah but tennis is tennis. Tennis is the king or queen of all racquet sports.’ That’s true. But on a club level, tennis is endangered. If we don’t do something about it, globally or collectively, paddle, pickleball in the states, they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into paddle and pickleball. Because it’s more economical. You have one tennis court… you can build 3 paddle courts on one tennis court. Do the simple math. It’s just much more financially viable for the owner of the club to have those courts. These are some of the things I wanted to share. In the grand scheme of things, we need to address all these challenges and issues. Because they’ve been out there for a while. I don’t think we’ve been addressing it in the proper way.”

(via Wimbledon Press)

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Few of the tecnifibre team at The Avenue LTC. #tecnifibre #tennis

[Tecnifibre @tecnifibre]

Pushing the boundaries.
🔓 2 titles in Indian Wells
🔓 8 WTA 1000 titles
🔓 19 WTA titles
Only 22.

You are just phenomenal Iga!
#TecnifibreTeam #IgaSwiatek

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

https://t.co/ESwa4NPbon

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@TheTennisLetter Wheelchair of course as it’s still tennis but pickleball?? Come on people, have a junior mini tennis event alongside and give the kids some experience of crowds?

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@TimHenmanFDN @jackdraper0 @WillGreenwood @StuartBroad8 @AndrewCastle63 @twhiddleston @BearGrylls @annekeothavong @laurarobson5 @laurabailey_uk @katiecboulter Congratulations Tim, keep up the good work 👍🎾

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@Helen_Parish Using this, thanks Chayah! 👍🎾😂

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Brilliant from Iga, congratulations @iga_swiatek and #tecnifibre
#FrenchOpen2023

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@josemorgado So happy that Emma showed how good she can play this week but there are 2 things that stand out to me.Defending on the wide ball using slice is relatively poor & movement up the court to drop shots can be slow. 100% top 10 in world on hitting ability alone.

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@cam_norrie unbelievable performance once again but win tonight was another level! Variation of shot was brilliant and no one is going to want to play you on that form. Congratulations 👍🎾

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

To book Easter Camps and doubles tournament @theavenuelawntennisclub contact via what’s app message to 07946591119. https://t.co/fFANoNgHiw

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@andy_murray you are an absolute joke ! Well played again, nothing but the utmost respect for you! 🔥 🔥🔥🎾💪

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

@Liambroady Well done @Liambroady you just keep plugging! Amazing week for you and fully deserved.

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Huge congratulations to @jamiekelliher05 who has passed his LTA level 2 course. This is not an easy level to get through and he deserves a lot of credit. We are so happy to have him working with us here at the Avenue. https://t.co/LDKai08tzx

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Super proud of these two juniors who have both been selected to play in an Essex 8u county training squad. Well done Lucy and Amanda 🎾👍 #EssexLTA @ Redbridge Sports and Leisure Centre - RSL https://t.co/H8rDhrgdR4

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Well done to our 10u & 8u teams last weekend, both matches were very close and played in a great spirit throughout! 🎾🎾🎾 @ The Avenue Tennis Club https://t.co/gMI34DdqEi

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Lucy won her first medal over the weekend, R/U at Chingford School of tennis. Congratulations 👏 🎾 https://t.co/avurvn9GFH

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Junior club finals day yesterday saw some fantastic tennis played in great spirit and enthusiasm for the game. Well done to all participants and organisers. 👍🎾 @ The Avenue Tennis Club https://t.co/ETZxOXL4jO

[Phill Hammond @TennisProPhill]

Great mornings tennis with these two and one other, who had to find water desperately!!! Touching 35 degrees but both gave 100%. #tecnifibre #fightsmart #hottestday