The national finals of the UK’s largest individual mass participation tennis competition will be hosted at SW19 this summer.
• Finalists will arrive at Wimbledon from Sunday 3 August for the start of the national finals of Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone.
• From wearing white match kit and receiving player accreditation passes, to using the dressing rooms and player restaurant, those competing will enjoy an authentic Wimbledon experience.
• Categories include Adult Doubles, Junior Singles and Doubles, and a range of accessible pathways.
Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, the competition which offers recreational tennis players of all ages and abilities the opportunity to compete on Wimbledon’s acclaimed lawns, returns to the All England Club for the highly anticipated national finals, Sunday 3 – Saturday 9 August 2025.
Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, and supported by the All England Club and the LTA, hosts the following categories:
• 14U Junior Singles – WTN 32.0 to 40.9
• 18U Junior Doubles – WTN 28.0 to 40.9
• 19+ Adult Doubles – WTN 25.0 to 40.9
• Wheelchair Adult and Junior
• Learning Disability
• Visually Impaired
The popular exhibition matches of para-standing and deaf tennis categories, which were introduced to the event in partnership with Vodafone in 2024, will also return for 2025. As Britain’s largest mass participation tennis competition, Play Your Way to Wimbledon, is part of Vodafone’s ongoing commitment to support grassroots tennis in the UK and making tennis more accessible for players of all ages and abilities.
The competition is one aspect of Vodafone’s role as Official Connectivity Partner to The Championships since 2021. The event aims to broaden playing opportunities and inspire more individuals to give tennis a try. This year, the ITF World Tennis Number (WTN) bands – the criteria used for entry into Play Your Way to Wimbledon events and akin to a handicap in golf – changed, shifting to ensure more recreational players could enter the competition.
This applied to non-disability categories, with disability events having their own criteria, which can be found on the LTA website along with more information about the competition.The lucky finalists, almost 350 players in total, will arrive at Wimbledon from Sunday 3 August for the start of the national finals.
From wearing white match kit and receiving player accreditation passes, to using the dressing rooms and player restaurant, those competing will enjoy an authentic Wimbledon experience as well as a tour of the Grounds and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum during the week.
In addition, Head Coach of the All England Club, Dan Bloxham, will lead a coaching clinic on Thursday 7 August for players who missed out on the 14U national finals so they can experience playing on the grass courts at Wimbledon.
Vodafone Ambassadors, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will attend and inspire those competing on Friday 8 August, alongside sports fan, British radio and TV host and Vodafone ambassador, Roman Kemp. Roman will be chatting to players and taking over the social channels for the day.
The matches commence on Sunday 3 August with the first round of the 14U girls’ and boys’ singles competitions; followed by the girls’ and boys’ 18U doubles on Tuesday 5 August; the adults’ doubles beginning Wednesday 6 August; deaf tennis exhibition matches on Thursday 8 August and the learning disability, visually impaired, para-standing and adults and junior wheelchair tennis categories taking to the courts from Friday 8 August.
Olly Scadgell, Managing Director of Tennis Development at the LTA, said: “This year’s Play Your Way to Wimbledon competition has once again seen thousands of grassroots tennis players emulating their British tennis heroes, competing during the summer for the chance to play at SW19. Changes to entry criteria this year meant even more players who have just started their tennis journey have been able to get involved, and whether they’ve made it to the All England Club or fallen just short, we hope that they’ve been inspired to continue playing for many years to come.”
22-time Grand Slam doubles champion and Vodafone ambassador Alfie Hewett, OBE, said: “Play Your Way to Wimbledon is such a brilliant competition and it’s been great to see the continued commitment of Vodafone, alongside the LTA & the AELTC, in making this event as inclusive as possible. I’m really looking forward to heading down to SW19 to meet some of the incredible participants and hear about their journeys to this year’s finals.”
22-time Grand Slam doubles champion and Vodafone ambassador Gordon Reid, OBE, said: “It has been great to see the growing participation in Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, over the years. The chance for participants from all different backgrounds and ability levels to potentially play at one of the world’s most iconic sports venues is so exciting. The national finals is always such a special week and best of luck to everyone taking part!”
Maria Koutsoudakis, Brand Director, VodafoneThree, said: “As the Nation’s Network, we’re committed to lifting the nation through the power of positive connections, so it’s fantastic to work with the LTA and All England Club to engage more people across the UK inthe sport, over a range of adult, junior and disability categories during Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone. We are wishing all the 2025 finalists the best of luck!”
Jamie Baker, Associate Director of Professional Tennis and Tournament Director of The Championships, said: “Alongside Vodafone and LTA, we are delighted to have encouraged a wider range of players to participate this year with the expansion of the ITF World Tennis Number bandings. For many, this will be their first time playing on Wimbledon’s grass courts, and we look forward to once again welcoming players to showcase their skills in the national finals at SW19. We hope this year’s competition continues to excite and inspire more individuals to pick up their racket and enjoy the game.”
About Play Your Way to Wimbledon:
Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, is the UK’s largest individual mass participation tennis competition and is delivered by Vodafone in partnership with the LTA and The All England Lawn Tennis Club, forming part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to support grassroots tennis in the UK, whilst encouraging more people to pick up a racket.
About Wimbledon:
The Championships, Wimbledon, is the oldest of the four tennis Grand Slams and the only one played on grass. Managed by The All England Lawn Tennis Club and staged on the AELTC Grounds, Wimbledon has evolved from its origins as a private members’ croquet club in 1868, to one of the world’s biggest annual sporting events and one of the most well-respected brands in sport. Visit www.wimbledon.com and follow us @wimbledon on all major social media platforms.
About the LTA:
The LTA is the National Governing Body of tennis and padel in Great Britain, governing and growing the sport from grassroots participation through to the professional game. Our vision is to open up tennis and padel, harnessing them and working with schools, volunteers, coaches and venues across the whole country to transform communities. We also represent the interests of over 2,000,000 Members, playing on more than 23,000 courts.
The LTA runs and supports a network of 11,500 approved tournaments for players of all ages, the main cornerstones of which are the LTA’s premier grass-court tennis events at The Queen’s Club, Nottingham and Eastbourne, leading up to The Championships, Wimbledon. For further information about the LTA and tennis and padel in Britain, visit www.lta.org.uk or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and LinkedIn.
