The biggest indoor women’s tennis event in the UK will kick off in Shropshire of all places next week - but do you know how many tennis balls players will get through or how many rackets will be restrung during the course of the week?
The ITF World Tennis Tour, which sees leading British and international stars compete in the W100 Women’s Tour, is now taking place (to November 6) at The Shrewsbury Club. But events of this magnitude don’t just happen, as Dave Courteen, Managing Director of The Shrewsbury Club, explains.
Throughout the course of the week-long event, there will be:
· 70 players
· 30 officials
· 48 volunteers
· 76 members of the ball crew
· 150 tennis rackets will need restringing
· 2,100 tennis balls
· 1,149 coffees ordered by players, officials and spectators
There are also:
· 34 local business sponsors
· 529 ITF women's events in the world in 2022
· 14 W100 events in the world in 2022
“It’s an immense privilege that the club has once again been selected by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to stage this event - the biggest indoor women’s tennis event in the country,” said Dave. “However, I’m keen to stress that events like these don’t happen by magic - they take a great deal of hard work, planning and logistics but that’s a challenge that the team and I relish.
“There’s also a great number of people involved in making it happen - from volunteers to the ball crew, the players and officials, as well as those providing the hospitality - not to mention, the spectators, who add to the vibrancy of the event. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our 34 local businesses, who have taken out some form of sponsorship and in turn, helped to make this year’s event a success.
“There’s also a whole host of other elements to factor in, from rackets needing restringing to the sheer volume of coffee that everyone drinks to keep us all going. It takes a village.”