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Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI)

The Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) is a programme to deliver tennis coaching and also promote a fitness lifestyle and sports education in Merton and Wandsworth schools.

The WJTI is run by the All England Club coaching team, headed by Dan Bloxham. Since it began in May 2001, the WJTI has introduced tennis to more than 65,000 children in over 280 schools in the Wimbledon area. In addition, some 4,500 children have now attended free tennis coaching and skills sessions at the club.

The squads span a broad range of ages from 4-15 years, with an extra squad added at the top end aiming to involve players over 15.

Juniors involved in the program have a good track record in winning LTA Mini-Tennis events in Surrey, Kent and Middlesex, and many have attended Surrey squad training. Three of the WJTI players have recently been selected for the LTA national squads for their age-groups.

In addition to tennis training, children from the WJTI squad have been involved in the launching of tennis coaching books. They took part in the launch of the William’s sisters coaching book just before the 2004 Championships, and the new Dorling Kindersley book, Tennis School, in 2005.

You can see selected players from the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) in action on Court 14 before play starts on the middle Saturday of The Championships, when they traditionally entertain the crowds with a mixture of tennis exercises and general sports skills and drills.