Two-time Olympic medallist Fatima Whitbread supports tennis awards
By Mohamed Hamza
Two-time Olympic medallist Fatima Whitbread revealed she didn't have to think twice when it came to supporting the 2025 Tennis Black List Awards.
Whitbread, 64, was one of several high-profile guests who attended this year's edition of the Tennis Black List, presented in association with Dante Talent and held during the HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club, London on the 11th of June, supported by the LTA.
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Whitbread, who memorably claimed bronze and silver in javelin at LA 1984 and Seoul 1988 along with golds at the 1986 European Championships and the 1987 World Championships, was the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event, doing so at the 1986 European Championships and she expressed her delight at the opportunity to attend the Tennis Black List Awards and lend her voice to the vitally important cause of championing for greater diversity and inclusion in sport.
'It's a great pleasure and honour to be here,' said Whitbread, who is of Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot heritage and who was adopted after a difficult early childhood in the care system. As a former sportsperson, to honour other sportspeople who are coming up and doing so well is what I call a flagship for others. To show that we need to honour the success and resilience of these people.
'As a lady of colour, I believe we should have more inclusion in sport. From my background in care, inclusion is really important for us to be able to feel a part of the community and a part of society and to share the talent that we have to offer.
'Sport teaches us so much. Its power is teaching life skills and that's fundamental for people to be able to express themselves and integrate and aspire.'
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Tennis Black List is the global celebration of Black and mixed black excellence across the game — spotlighting the unsung, the visionary and the next generation of changemakers.
Whitbread added: 'Tennis is widely admired but what we need to do is amplify the voices of those young players who are coming through. That's what life is about, knowing the person who is behind the racket and knowing more about who these people are and their backstories, and their remarkable resilience that they show in coming to the forefront.
'Diversity is really important because there's a lot of it in the people who are woven into the fabric of our lives. It impacts us all and awards like this can help those people to succeed and feel part of something.
'You don't have to be a player to feel inspired and I'm proud to be a part of it.'
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Founders Anne-Marie Batson and Richard Sackey Addo said: 'This movement is about legacy. Tennis Black List is creating space for Black and mixed-black heritage excellence to be seen, honoured and remembered across all areas of tennis. We are building a global legacy that makes space for what is next.'
Launched in 2022; Tennis Black List is the only global platform dedicated to celebrating and documenting Black and mixed-black impact in tennis — from grassroots organisers to elite players. A movement rooted in recognition, legacy, and cultural celebration.
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