For many years, tennis was seen as a game for the middle and upper classes dominated by 'rich kids' and exclusive members' clubs.

Britain has not produced a Grand Slam champion since the 1930's, and many feel that the sport's perceived exclusivity is partly to blame.

The Lawn Tennis Association is trying to counter this perception by setting up tennis schools for inner city children and encouraging participation in the game as much as possible.

Is it enough or is tennis still beyond the reach of most potential players?

Yes it is still elitist, for example the funding secured by the national coach for encouraging young players is to fund two of her own children!, I find that repugnant to the point these people should be sacked and her kids should not be shown any more favouritism than anyone else, and absoloute disgrace !!!
Adam alari, Scotland

Unless the authorities who control the purse strings can be persuaded that a) there is a demand and b) those who gave them their power to spend ie Joe Public, will agree that there is a demand, the emphasis will always be on providing facilities that are seen to cater for the majority.

However there are some positive signs that I have seen such as the admirable tennis facilities adjoining Bolton Wanderers football ground but (no surprise) the bulk of the money was from the lottery.

Anyway you should be so lucky, here in the IOM we have one, yes only one indoor court. So much for the future of tennis in the middle of the Irish sea! I'm glad I don't have to make the spending decisions, there are always plenty of voices to tell you that you got it wrong!!
Mike Gerrard, Isle of Man

The LTA for several years has tried to attract players from all backgrounds. What many critics fail to realise that commitment to produce a champion in any sport requires time and dedication from parents.

My children play tennis & every day is devoted to training/playing. We travel over 30,000 miles a year & even holidays are spent at competitions. We have sacrificed a great deal. I have even taken out a �500,000 bet on my 7 year old to win wimbledon in order to try & attract sponsorship to continue developing his potential.

I have found that children from all backgrounds are welcomed into tennis, but the major problem of financially supporting talent is not the exclusive reserve of the inner city or other under-represented groups. There is much wrong with the game, but pundits making a good living of the back of sport should put their time where their mouth is & help develop the obvious talent that already exists.
Adrian Bambridge, UK

I was a member of a tennis club as a boy and it was quite soul-destroying. Old men and women throwing you off court so they could have a game of mixed doubles, horrendous middle-class kids with too much money, and old boys doing the coaching. And it all cost a bloody fortune.
Ben Morris, UK

The US has done more to open up the game to minorites and all classes, which you can see through the new players coming through from the US. I doubt the UK would ever have the Williams sisters.
C. Williams, UK

Yes. How many kids from inner-city schools do we see encouraged to play tennis? Have the LTA put the money into the infrastructure that we have seen in countries such as France and Belgium? I think not!
Hilary Sinclair, England

It costs quite a lot and not everybody can afford it. By its nature, it has to be elitist even if it is not intentionally so.
Mike Cundell, England

Tennis is most certainly still an elitist sport in the UK. The weather doesn't help, but so few children are rigorously coached outside of public school, and even less have the huge financial support needed to play competitively. Is there any will to improve the situation?
Robert Shaw, United Kingdom

Ascot with balls.
Simon, England

I do not think tennis is elitist. Golf is far more class and rule conscious than tennis. There are, however, a couple of reasons why I think the perception of tennis is elitist. Football gets almost exclusive sports coverage on news broadcasts. It's rare tennis gets a look in.

Secondly, schools rarely spend any time on tennis. When I was at secondary school there were six tennis courts, but I had one single hour tennis lesson in my entire school career. Somebody somewhere should have organised tennis at school level.
Roy Matthews, England