Andy Murray calls on tennis bodies to capitalise on the Emma Raducanu effect

Andy Murray has called on tennis’ governing bodies to capitalise on the Emma Raducanu effect in the wake of her scintillating US Open title win.

The 18-year-old became the first qualifier in history – male or female – to win a Grand Slam with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Leylah Fernandez.

In the process, she pocketed £1.8million in prize money, became British No1 and climbed to No23 in the world as well.

And Murray, following his first match since the US Open at the Rennes Open, said: “What she did in New York was very special, a huge boost for British tennis and gives hopefully the governing bodies an opportunity to capitalise on that and get more and more kids involved in the sport. It’s great what she did and a huge opportunity for British tennis now.”

The LTA said today that it has already invested £8.5million into local authorities to help improve 40 per cent of playing courts that were in a “poor or unplayable condition”.

It is also calling on the Government to help find £15-£20m required to get 1,800 more courts back in action and convert a generation of players into taking up the game in the wake of Raducanu’s meteoric rise.

LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “Our vision is to open up tennis to the public facilities are there.”

Raducanu remains in the United States following her breakthrough success, appearing on American chat shows as well as attending the prestigious MetGala.

The previous night, she had stayed up long into the early hours of the morning with her entourage and former British No1 Tim Henman celebrating the victory, Henman recording a rendition of them all singing Sweet Caroline.

Henman has played a periphery role in Raducanu’s success, on hand as a calming influence while Murray has been another in a litany of British tennis stars to lend his support, twice acting as a hitting partner for Raducanu.

And Murray said: “I’ve spent a little bit of time around her on the practice court but more so in the same building, training close to each other and watching what she’s doing and she’s obviously really, really good.

“I think for a people in British tennis, we knew she was extremely good. She hadn’t competed much for the last sort of 18 months or so with school and coronavirus and those sorts of things but I think, at Wimbledon, everyone sort of got of a bit of a glimpse of how good she could be."

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