Young tennis duo claim national title on Wimbledon's hallowed lawns
Thousands of players took part in the qualifying stages this year, leading to county and regional finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on Wimbledon's Aorangi Courts last week.
Arif, who described Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz as his tennis idols, soared to victory in the boys' U18 doubles finals alongside close friend and schoolmate Seed and revealed it was an experience he will never forget.
He said: "I was just quite happy to be here so it feels really special to win.
"There is no one I would rather win with here than Kai. We are both quite relaxed and it's always better playing with someone you know.
Seed added: "It was a really good atmosphere and it's really busy which makes you a little bit nervous but apart from that it's good.
"It's really good to be here and to win with someone like Kam because he is so good.
"I'm really happy to get the overall prize.
"I came last year for a school trip and a few years ago with my family.
"It was never really a big dream of mine but I used to want to be a professional tennis player. I really hope it can help with my composure and learning how to handle pressure in everyday situations."
Our grass courts are back in action 🤩
This week, they're hosting the Finals of Play Your Way to #Wimbledon, powered by @VodafoneUK 🎾 pic.twitter.com/y4FET2PzUJ — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) August 7, 2025
This year's tournament delivered over 10,000 playing opportunities with thousands of singles and doubles players taking part at 800 venues, leading to county and area finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on the All England Club's Aorangi Courts from 3 – 9 August 2025, with Arif representing Hampton Sports and Leisure Tennis Club.
The competition aims to broaden playing opportunities and to inspire people of all ages and abilities to play tennis and follow in the footsteps of their tennis heroes by competing for a chance to play on Wimbledon's iconic courts.
In addition to 14 and under singles, 18 and under doubles and adult doubles draws, the categories also included wheelchair (adult and juniors), learning disability and visually impaired competitions. The national finals also saw the return of popular para-standing and deaf tennis exhibition matches held during the week.
World No.1 wheelchair doubles partners and Vodafone ambassadors Alfie Hewett OBE and Gordon Reid OBE were in attendance to cheer on the players at SW19 and offer their experience and advice.
'We would have loved to have had something like this when we were younger and playing,' said Hewett.
'Play Your Way to Wimbledon is a massive event for someone to pick up a racket for the first time or start playing again if they haven't for a while.
'It's about being active at grassroots level, making friends and new tennis partners and that is the beauty of events like this.'
Reid added: 'We want tennis to be available and accessible to everybody and get as many people as possible enjoying the sport.
'This event encapsulates that perfectly and we're proud to be a part of it.'
Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, is the UK's largest individual mass participation tennis competition. It is delivered by Vodafone, in partnership with the LTA and the All England Club, forming part of the Vodafone's ongoing commitment to supporting grassroots tennis in the UK and making the sport more accessible for players of all ages and abilities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Asylum seeker's exhibition explores politics of displacement
At its core lies the story of Aqsa Arif's arrival in the UK from Pakistan with her family. Initially placed in a high-rise council flat on Glasgow's Southside, they were moved years later for the production of Sony Bravia's 2006 Paint advert, which saw 70,000 litres of coloured paint explode in and over her childhood council flat. With a reported budget of £2 million, the advert resulted in the mostly working-class residents, refugees and asylum seekers being displaced and rehoused in other Glasgow high-rises. Arif told the Sunday National that being moved for the advert was the first time she truly sensed that her family had no control over where they lived, or what they could call home. READ MORE: 'Vital' mental health art exhibition at risk due to funding cuts 'There was a deep sense of being othered, of being displaced not for our benefit, but for something commercial, something glossy,' she said. 'It made us feel invisible, as though we were pieces to be moved around rather than people with needs, attachments, and roots. That experience has stayed with me, shaping how I think about belonging, visibility, and the politics of space.' Arif's new solo exhibition uses South Asian folklore to explore themes of displacement and assimilation. 'Moving to the UK was a significant shift for my family, one that to this day, remains largely unspoken,' she said. 'Perhaps out of trauma or necessity, there's been a strong emphasis on looking forward rather than dwelling on the past. I was five when we were placed by the Home Office in a high-rise flat in Scotland. At that age, I didn't have the language to understand the situation fully but I understood I had to adapt. I found myself in a predominantly white area where sectarianism, gang violence, and racism were very present realities.' Arif said there was a noticeable generational divide in how the family navigated this new and often hostile environment. READ MORE: Tree-planting is not climate change fix, report urges 'My mother, like many others, wanted to hold onto her culture, seeking familiarity and belonging in a place that made it clear we didn't quite fit in,' she said. 'For me, starting school meant learning quickly how to blend in and how to be accepted. At five years old, the question of which football team I supported (Celtic or Rangers) became more influential in forming friendships than the colour of my skin. But beneath those small negotiations was a larger pressure to assimilate and lose my heritage.' This generational tension between preservation and adaptation forms the emotional core of the exhibition. Arif said it had shaped the mother-daughter dynamic that runs through the work, reflecting not just the individual responses to displacement but also the silence and resilience that have come to define much of that shared experience. Displacement is one of the most pressing issues of our time, she believes. 'It's only intensifying,' she said. 'From the ongoing genocide in Palestine to the escalating impacts of the climate crisis, more and more people are being forced to leave their homes. 'In Raindrops Of Rani, I use the metaphor of a flood to explore this reality drawing on the colonial legacy of dams in Pakistan, which continue to cause devastation, particularly as climate change worsens.' Arif said that storytelling had the power to create connection and empathy. 'I hope that through the work, people see the complexity, grief, and resilience behind these experiences and resist the growing apathy that surrounds us,' she said. Raindrops Of Rani draws on the folk tragedy Heer Ranjha a well-known South Asian folktale, as a way of creating space for emotion, memory, and imagination without the constraints of hard facts. 'Through this lens, I could explore the fear of not fitting in, the shifting perceptions of my mother and the loneliness of being a child trying to adapt,' said Arif. 'Fantasy gives me a realm where audiences can connect through empathy rather than instruction. It's not about being didactic but about inviting people to sit with the relationships, emotions, and dynamics that might resonate with their own experiences, especially through the archetypes and symbols rooted in South Asian storytelling. Folklore, in my practice, is a bridge between personal and collective memory.' Aqsa Arif: Raindrops Of Rani runs until November 2. It is one of two exhibitions Edinburgh Printmakers are showcasing as part of the 2025 Edinburgh Art Festival which runs until August 24
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Tennis ace delighted to win second title at Wimbledon
Abassi, 48, who plays and coaches at David Lloyd Chigwell, featured in the national finals at Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, which is the UK's largest individual mass participation tennis competition and is delivered by Vodafone in partnership with the LTA and the All England Club. Thousands of players took part in the qualifying stages this year, leading to county and regional finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on Wimbledon's Aorangi Courts last week. Abassi won the men's wheelchair tennis competition, having also claimed the inaugural Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone title in 2023. Our grass courts are back in action 🤩 This week, they're hosting the Finals of Play Your Way to #Wimbledon, powered by @VodafoneUK 🎾 He said: "It's great the way Play Your Way is giving opportunity to the players from the regions and all disabilities. This is a great initiative, and I really admire the hospitality and the venue itself is very historic. Being a part of this family is incredible. 'Playing on these courts reminds you how the big names have been part of this venue, and we are a part of the same. It's an amazing feeling.' This year's tournament delivered over 10,000 playing opportunities with thousands of singles and doubles players taking part at 800 venues, leading to county and area finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on the All England Club's Aorangi Courts from 3 – 9 August 2025. The competition aims to broaden playing opportunities and to inspire people of all ages and abilities to play tennis and follow in the footsteps of their tennis heroes by competing for a chance to play on Wimbledon's iconic courts. In addition to 14 and under singles, 18 and under doubles and adult doubles draws, the categories also included wheelchair (adult and juniors), learning disability and visually impaired competitions. The national finals also saw the return of popular para-standing and deaf tennis exhibition matches held during the week. World No.1 wheelchair doubles partners and Vodafone ambassadors Alfie Hewett OBE and Gordon Reid OBE were in attendance to cheer on the players at SW19 and offer their experience and advice. 'We would have loved to have had something like this when we were younger and playing,' said Hewett. 'Play your Way to Wimbledon is a massive event for someone to pick up a racket for the first time or start playing again if they haven't for a while. 'It's about being active at grassroots level, making friends and new tennis partners and that is the beauty of events like this.' Reid added: 'We want tennis to be available and accessible to everybody and get as many people as possible enjoying the sport. 'This event encapsulates that perfectly and we're proud to be a part of it.' Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, is the UK's largest individual mass participation tennis competition. It is delivered by Vodafone, in partnership with the LTA and the All England Club, forming part of Vodafone's ongoing commitment to supporting grassroots tennis in the UK and making the sport more accessible for players of all ages and abilities.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Tennis pair delighted to win national title at Wimbledon
Heathfield, 26, and Bush, 28, featured in the national finals at Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, which is the UK's largest individual mass participation tennis competition and is delivered by Vodafone in partnership with the LTA and the All England Club. Thousands of players took part in the qualifying stages this year, leading to county and regional finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on Wimbledon's Aorangi Courts last week. The pair claimed victory in the men's doubles final to win the competition and revealed it was an experience they will never forget. Our grass courts are back in action 🤩 This week, they're hosting the Finals of Play Your Way to #Wimbledon, powered by @VodafoneUK 🎾 — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) August 7, 2025 Heathfield said: "I don't think it's really sunk in yet. We were just happy to be here and play, so to win it is just a cherry on top of the cake. 'When it sinks in, I will probably feel a lot better about it but at the moment I'm just in shock. I've been to Wimbledon to watch before but never played here so I really enjoyed it. 'It's a really special opportunity. You don't get these opportunities very often so you have to make the most of it and getting to the final allowed us to play more games on the grass. It felt like our game improved every time we played a match.' Bush added: 'It's great to be here and play on a great court. I was here last year and I got to the group stages and got knocked out in the last game so it was great to be back again.' This year's tournament delivered over 10,000 playing opportunities with thousands of singles and doubles players taking part at 800 venues, leading to county and area finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on the All England Club's Aorangi Courts from 3 – 9 August 2025. The competition aims to broaden playing opportunities and to inspire people of all ages and abilities to play tennis and follow in the footsteps of their tennis heroes by competing for a chance to play on Wimbledon's iconic courts. In addition to 14 and under singles, 18 and under doubles and adult doubles draws, the categories also included wheelchair (adult and juniors), learning disability and visually impaired competitions. The national finals also saw the return of popular para-standing and deaf tennis exhibition matches held during the week. World No.1 wheelchair doubles partners and Vodafone ambassadors Alfie Hewett OBE and Gordon Reid OBE were in attendance to cheer on the players at SW19 and offer their experience and advice. 'We would have loved to have had something like this when we were younger and playing'' said Hewett. 'Play your Way to Wimbledon is a massive event for someone to pick up a racket for the first time or start playing again if they haven't for a while. 'It's about being active at grassroots level, making friends and new tennis partners and that is the beauty of events like this.' Reid added: 'We want tennis to be available and accessible to everybody and get as many people as possible enjoying the sport. 'This event encapsulates that perfectly and we're proud to be a part of it.' Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, is the UK's largest individual mass participation tennis competition. It is delivered by Vodafone, in partnership with the LTA and the All England Club, forming part of Vodafone's ongoing commitment to supporting grassroots tennis in the UK and making the sport more accessible for players of all ages and abilities.
