A restaurant owner from New York is living the American dream in London after stepping on court with a grassroots tennis scheme – and has urged others who want to boost their friendship network to do the same.   

Bethnal Green resident Kurt Williams moved to the capital 14 years ago for work and started playing the sport casually for two years, before signing up to play in his local tennis leagues in Docklands and Lee Valley.

Local Tennis Leagues is a nationwide initiative aimed at adults over the age of 18 who use public parks and facilities and want to play friendly, competitive tennis.

Designed to create a unique playing experience of mixed-sex singles and doubles matches, as well as women’s only leagues, the Local Tennis Leagues operate in all areas of the UK and represent a revolution in public and park tennis.

After signing up, players create their own online account where they receive the contact details of their opponents, which allow them to schedule matches as well as receive regular updates, reminders and incentives to play. 

And Williams, who has chalked up over three years’ playing experience with Local Tennis Leagues, admits playing the game has revolutionized the way he approaches his busy work life.

“Playing in a local tennis league definitely keeps me fit, it’s great fun, helps me keep my mind off my job and gives me a bit of mental headspace,” said the 55-year-old.

“I never came across anything like this when I was in New York. It’s like a grassroots thing which has been growing and growing and you can just feel the whole bubble of it. It’s a great thing.

“In the five years that I’ve been playing tennis in London, I’ve noticed the popularity, the visibility and the availability of the sport have all tripled, mainly because there are a lot of resurfaced courts across many London boroughs and the courts are really playable.”

Aimed at everyday players who use parks and public courts, Local Tennis Leagues is among a number of initiatives supported by the LTA, the governing body of tennis in the UK.

All told, the organisation is investing more than £125 million in public access tennis, much of which will be spent on renewing public courts and ventures like Local Tennis Leagues have helped changed perceptions of tennis.

Through grassroots initiatives like this, the LTA is keen to demonstrate that tennis is anything but an elitist sport.

And Williams has hailed the league as the perfect platform to strike up new relationships and build a social circle – after meeting one of his best pals, Mark, across the net.

“We were playing mixed doubles, we just got talking, we’re a similar age and he was quite keen to play more tennis, as was I,” said Kurt.

“We exchanged numbers and the rest is history. He’s now one of my closest friends here in London.”

And the New Yorker has urged other city dwellers who may be struggling to escape the demands of their busy schedules to pick up a racket and play.

“I would 100% dive in. It’s so fun – everyone you meet on the court is positive and you can really feel the sportsmanship of the game of tennis,” he said.

“It’s a great way to meet people and you build up a great camaraderie off the court.”

Are you looking to play more friendly, competitive singles matches? The next round of the Docklands Tennis League begins on 19 October 2017.  To join, visit localtennisleagues.com/docklands