The politics of tennis

Given that we're in the midst of Wimbledon fortnight, I couldn't let the opportunity to pass to talk about tennis.

Anyone who has kept even a fleeting eye on coverage from the All England Club, just across the constituency boundary in SW19, will have picked up on rumblings among Britain's tennis "elite" over radical changes to funding arrangements and priorities being introduced by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) under Roger Draper's leadership.

Essentially, this is the usual debate about how, with the huge resources ploughed into British tennis, we get so little return. The difference is that things are now actually changing and some vested interests aren't happy. So far, that's taken the form of disgruntlement about the replacement of perfectly decent national coaches like David Felgate and Jeremy Bates with the very best on offer: proven winners like Brad Gilbert (who now coaches Andy Murray, and previously Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi) and Paul Annacone (today working with Tim Henman, but previously with Pete Sampras).

In the sedate world of British tennis those changes would be radical enough, but now Roger Draper wants to shake up the funding regime that for too long has gone unquestioned. Until now the LTA has picked up the tab for supporting not just players but also their coaches and assorted hangers-on. That's the right thing to do, provided those players justify the support they're getting. Too often, they're not making the grade: they're not fit enough to compete at the highest level; they're more focussed on who'll get the four or so wild cards into Wimbledon each year than actually trying to get there on merit - through having the ranking to get in automatically, or being good enough to win through the qualifiers.

Instead, the LTA's new management has begun prioritising those players who have the drive and commitment and to focus on identifying new talent early enough to really come through. About time too. Greg Rusedski's taking the lead on that aspect. Tim Henman's also been frank in his support for the changes. I haven't heard Andy Murray's views but I'd be surprised if he dissented either.

Tim comes from an affluent family steeped in tennis with the means and passion for the game to support their son's talent. Greg came through the Canadian training system. Andy's family had to relocate to Spain years ago to get the level of training and support he needed. Not one of our recent tennis successes is actually a success of British tennis development.

What does this have to do with Putney?

Well, I think we're in an unparalleled position locally to become the beacon for the new regime to prove itself. Won't it be great if Andy Murray isn't the only British player seriously competing for a tennis Olympic gold medal in 2012 - and if the other homegrown talent came from our patch? We in this area are now fortunate enough to have the spectacular LTA training facility in Roehampton. We have Wimbledon and The Queen's Club (in West Kensington) on our doorstep. We have Putney Tennis Club in Balmuir Gardens. There are tennis courts in our parks and our schools: Elliott, for instance, has six tennis courts in its grounds. If we in Putney can't lead the way in proving that Britain can identify, train and support home-grown talent then nowhere can.

That's why during this campaign - and hopefully as MP - I'm going to seek to work with the LTA to make Putney a pilot for the new approach to tennis: to get their fantastic facilities opened up to local kids - and to get them out in the community, making sure that tennis is being offered as a PE option and looking out for local talent. It's about time we had an MP advocating for British tennis. This isn't just about tennis politics though - it's about more than just money and training at a national level.

Schools need to engage with this agenda - using their facilities. I'd like private facilities like Putney Tennis Club to engage. Families need to be supportive of gifted children, because inevitably success at tennis will have consequences on academic pursuits - but the rewards are massive. And those who have the potential to be good or great tennis players need to have the commitment and rigour to train - not just on the tennis court but in the gym.

Part of the problem here is that tennis just isn't going to be our top priority - as an avid QPR fan and Sunday league footballer myself, I understand as well as anyone that sporty kids grow up wanting to be the next Beckham, Rooney or Gerrard; not Federer, Nadal or Djokavic (and apologies to the women's game here, which is in an even worse state than the men's).

An argument that seems remarkably true, even if it ultimately isn't the actual cause, is that the only sports we in Britain excel at are those associated with working class games: football, rugby, track and field. The exception is rowing - generally perceived as a middle-class sport at which we have a deep bench of talent. But it could also apply to tennis. And it could start with Putney. Local leadership is what's needed. The LTA appears to have it. I'm up for the challenge too.