5 days ago
Tennis duo soar to national title on Wimbledon's hallowed lawns
Kent's Anna Daniel and Veronique Vera were delighted to lift silverware on the manicured lawns of Wimbledon as they enjoyed an unforgettable experience at SW19.
Daniel, 28, and Vera, 35, who represent Kent at tennis and live in Crystal Palace, 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 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.
Daniel and Vera, who described Jannik Sinner as their tennis idol, claimed victory in the women's doubles competition on the famous grass courts of Wimbledon and revealed it was an experience they will never forget.
Daniel said: "It's crazy, absolutely crazy. We said at the beginning just enjoy it, take each game and each point as it comes. We didn't expect [to win] at all.
'I competed two years ago but didn't get past the round robin stage, so this is a very different experience going further.'
Vera added: 'I never thought I would be playing here. I played a lot of tennis as a kid and you obviously always think about Wimbledon, even if it's not the actual Grand Slam, just being here is amazing.
'It's very surreal to play here, also because we don't usually play on grass so it's a really nice 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.'
