LTA to support British women's tennis players' health
The initiative will offer bespoke support around education, nutrition and research as well as medical screening to optimise their performance and well-being.
The programme has been designed to address specific challenges female athletes face, offering targeted interventions and expert guidance, led by LTA Chief Medical Officer Dr Guy Evans.
Examples include offering medical screenings to all professional players supported via the LTA Player Pathway.
These screenings are tailored around female health and menstrual cycles, and gives the athletes access to specialised medical support tailored to their physical reproductive health needs.
A podcast series has been launched featuring discussions with leading experts to highlight and educate critical female health issues that impact elite athletes.
DEXA scanning (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) has been introduced to assess bone mineral density, providing vital data on injury prevention and energy balance (Image: LTA)
Pioneering research into understanding and mitigating health risks for female athletes has also been announced as well as a Pregnancy and Maternity Policy – the first of its kind in British tennis – to support players through pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
LTA National Coach and former British No.1 Katie O'Brien said: 'The sporting health of our athletes is significantly important to us since this is awareness of female health has been growing massively in recent years since I was a player.
'We would like to thank Dr. Guy Evans for his leadership in driving work forward so we are able to support our British female players the best that we can and help them achieve their best performance.'
In late 2024, the LTA launched a Breast Health and Bra Fitting Service for female players, highlighting the importance of wearing a correctly fitted sports bra for both performance and breast health.
For the past two years, the LTA has hosted the UK Sports Gynaecology Conference at the National Tennis Centre, bringing together chief medical officers, gynaecological surgeons, and sports science experts to discuss and advance female athlete health.
The 2025 event saw over 50 industry leaders gather in Roehampton, tackling issues such as low energy availability, gender-specific concerns in sport, and effective medical strategies for female athletes.
Dr Evans added: 'These conferences provide a dedicated forum to discuss the care of elite female athletes across sports and disciplines. It allows sharing of knowledge, open discussion and healthy debate ensuring we provide optimal care for our female athletes. The conferences shine a light on some of the key topical issues such as low energy availability, sex and gender related issues in sport, and effective strategic planning related to the female athlete with the sporting setting.'
Through these innovative and tailored initiatives, the LTA is setting new standards for female athlete health and support in tennis. By addressing medical needs, providing essential education, prioritising nutrition, and driving research, the LTA is empowering female athletes to thrive both on and off the court.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
17 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
‘Nervous' Emma Raducanu enjoys win with Katie Boulter in rare doubles outing
The WTA 500 event marks the first time in 52 years Queen's has hosted women's tennis, and while the pairing of British number one Boulter and number two Raducanu were not quite ready to submit their entries to Wimbledon, there were hugs and fist-pumps aplenty as they got their grass court seasons underway. 'I was actually very nervous before the match,' said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who has drawn a to be determined qualifier for her opening singles match. 'I don't know if you could tell, but, yeah, probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't necessarily know what to do. 'I'm really happy once we got out there, Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I'm just so pleased to get a win.' This Queen's partnership, Raducanu revealed, came 'spontaneously', after a few close calls where she and Boulter nearly joined forces at Madrid, Paris and Miami. Asked it could extend as far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied: 'We haven't spoken about it. It worked pretty well, so we're just going to keep on trying to do as best we can this week.' Boulter joked: 'Scrap what she said – we're going for the Wimbledon title! No, I'm just kidding.' Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter were in good spirits (John Walton/PA) The British pair claimed an early break in the first set and extended their lead to 4-2 before Wu and Jiang drew level at 4-4. Boulter and Raducanu broke back and eventually claimed the opening set, converting their second set point. Momentum in their favour, the Britons made quicker work of the pair from China and Chinese Taipei in the second set, sealed emphatically by Raducanu's volley.
Daily Mirror
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'Do you think I'm stupid?' - Tyson Fury has very clear opinion of Moses Itauma
Fury has been hinting at a potential return to the ring over the last few weeks, but should he return, the British star has refused to take on Itauma Tyson Fury has previously shut down a potential fight with rising star Moses Itauma as the Brit acknowledged the threat the youngster possesses. The 'Gypsy King' officially announced his retirement from the sport of boxing back in January. The news came just weeks after he lost to long-time rival Oleksandr Usyk for a second time. Immediately after defeat to the Ukrainian in December, fans had hoped to see the Brit take on Anthony Joshua this year. However, his retirement announcement handed 'AJ' a significant blow. That said, over the last few weeks, the 36-year-old has hinted at a potential return to the ring after uploading several videos of him training in the gym. He recently reunited with coach SugarHill Steward as he ramps up training for a potential comeback. While a fight with Joshua seems the most realistic for Fury should be make a retirement U-turn, there is one man that he simply will refuse to fight. In a video uploaded to Queensberry Promotions, the 'Gypsy King' praised the rise of Itauma - but joked that he would never face him in the ring. 'Fight Moses Itauma? No, definitely not. Do you think I'm stupid?' said Fury. Itauma has already made a name for himself in the sport of boxing. In his professional career so far, the energetic knockout artist has fought on two of Fury's undercards in Saudi Arabia - drawing praise from the 'Gypsy King' - and looked flawless on both occasions. He has enjoyed success against the likes of Demsey McKean, Mariusz Wach and Ilja Mezencev - with many backing him to become a world champion in the very near future. The Brit made his return to the ring last month and battered Mike Balogun inside two rounds. The 20-year-old is finalising a deal to fight boxing veteran Dillian Whyte in Saudi Arabia on August 16. Immediately after Itauma's win over Balogun, boxing promoter Frank Warren shut down a potential heavyweight dust-up with Martin Bakole. Warren said to Queensberry Promotion's YouTube channel: "No! Bakole's got to be able to get himself in shape, the state of him, not happening." "Moses has got a beautiful career before him. I want him to build up his career," he remarked. "But big Martin Bakole, [right] now, I think it is too early for him. I want him to work hard and maybe be a world champion tomorrow. But I don't want him to pick me now because he'd be making a big mistake. He's playing with the fire. [But] he's a man. If he thinks he can handle me, I'm open to it."
Daily Mirror
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Tyson Fury backed for Francis Ngannou rematch with very different rules
The pair first went head-to-head in the boxing ring back in 2023 - but a former boxing world champion has called for the two heavyweights to rematch in a different setting British boxing legend George Groves has backed Tyson Fury to rematch Francis Ngannou - but this time in a cage. Ngannou - a former UFC heavyweight champion - made his professional boxing debut against Fury back in 2023. The 'Predator' shocked the world after scoring a knockdown in the contest - but would ultimately end up losing the dust-up on points. The ex-UFC star has only fought once more in the ring - a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in March 2024. Ngannou made the return to the MMA cage seven months later and would go on to knock Renan Ferreira out inside the first round. With the 38-year-old eager to get back in the cage soon, there are no real top contenders for the Cameroon native in the PFL. However, Groves has a unique proposition. The former boxing world champion has called for Fury to rematch Ngannou in the cage following their fight in the boxing ring. In an interview with Action Network, when asked about Fury potentially making a return to fighting, he said: "I think he will come back and fight Anthony Joshua if there are guaranteed purses. "If you are going to fight Joshua, then it has to be soon and maybe they will announce that fight straight after Usyk v Dubois and the winner will still dream of becoming world champion again. But I would like to see Tyson Fury do something different and get in the cage. "I heard rumours of him fighting Francis Ngannou in the cage and that sounds brilliant, I would 100% pay for that. I'm all over that. He's a very good athlete who can chop and change, let's see if he can learn some wrestling or Jujitsu and a bit of defence before putting on some 4oz gloves on and see if he can put Ngannou away." He added: "Francis Ngannou stepped into Fury's domain and give him a run for his money and should've won but Fury got away with it. Let's see if Fury can return the favour by jumping in the Octagon and have a scrap with Ngannou, that's what I would like to see. Fury is past his best as a boxer, but he has not been sitting on the couch for six or seven years. He boxed less than a year ago, is a fit athlete and maybe he's already been in the gym with the cage fighters and the MMA guys. I'd love to see him in the cage next." Fury announced his retirement from boxing earlier this year. However, the 36-year-old has teased a potential return to competition over the last few weeks. While Groves' comments may come as a bit of a shock, the 'Gypsy King' does have some slight experience in the world of MMA. In 2021, MMA star Nick Diaz took to social media to show footage of a training session he did with Fury. The Brit responded by noting how much fun he'd had working on the ground game. Diaz and his brother Nate are both jiu-jitsu experts, and he likely showed Fury the ropes during a gym session. In a comment under the elder Diaz brother's post, Fury said: "Nice bit of rolling around the mat." A year later, Fury's close friend and former training partner Tom Aspinall opened up on training with the boxing icon. He told Sky Sports: 'I've grappled with him [Fury] before. He's interested in it. So, I know he's done bits of grappling, bits of kicks, and all that. He was down in our gym training with Darren Till before, doing kicks on the pads and all that stuff. So, he's definitely got interest in it. I don't know. I'd love to see it, though.'
