‘They can see you can be a girly girl and still play sport’

Heather Watson returns to Wimbledon tomorrow but already has an eye on helping the next generation get into tennis

- FLO CLIFFORD

With only a couple of days to go before the start of Wimbledon, you might expect the 128 main-draw players to be hunkered down at Aorangi Park, getting in some practice and a feel for the grass. Those higher up the pecking order might be breaking in the surface on Centre Court.

But for a handful of WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) players, their final Friday before Wimbledon is spent a few miles away at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, introducing some potential stars of the future to the world of tennis.

One of those is former world No 38 and British No 1 Heather Watson, while recent Queen’s finalists Tatjana Maria and Amanda Anisimova and former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez add to the star power of the event. The quartet are in Roehampton for the WTA Come Play tennis outreach programme, now in its seventh year, which partners with two UK-based foundations to encourage young girls to get into tennis.

Leading the session is coach Judy Murray, one of few people who could corral more than 50 excitable youngsters into something vaguely resembling order. A huge team of volunteers are on hand as the girls - ranging in age - play with balloons, ribbons, and racquets themselves, practising a range of skills needed in tennis.

Watson has been part of the Come Play initiative, and others like it, for some time. “I absolutely love getting involved,” she tells