A vacancy has arisen for a new top man in UK tennis after Michael Downey announced that he will step down from his post as CEO of the Lawn Tennis Association after this year's Wimbledon. The Canadian's desire to return to his native country after three years in post co-incides with an opportunity for him to take up his former role as the chief executive of Tennis Canada. Downey was in post when Great Britain became the top nation in world tennis by dint of the country's first Davis Cup win in 79 years but hasn't been universally popular, with some of his innovations being given short shrift by the likes of Andy and Jamie Murray among others even in the wake of that historic triumph in Ghent. Ironically one of the last acts of his tenure will be to oversee Britain's Davis Cup side in a World Group first round tie in Canada.
“I’ve been honoured to have led the LTA over the last three years, as we’ve sought to drive grassroots tennis," said Downey, who is 59. "While the opportunity for me to return to Tennis Canada coincided with my personal desire to return to my home country, I am hugely proud of the foundations the team at the LTA have laid in order to turn participation in Britain’s beloved sport around. It’s an exciting time for tennis in this country and I look forward to the next six months, maintaining the momentum we’ve built in our continued mission to get more people playing tennis, more often.”
“Although I enjoyed the job hugely, the pull back to Canada was strong. I have a 19-year-old son and a 21-year-old son there, and I felt that the opportunity to spend time with them was running out. My wife also has an elderly mother with dementia.”
The LTA has stepped up its work on grassroots tennis in the wake of that trophy win, with Sport Scotland recently announcing a landmark £15 million investment to double the number of covered courts in Scotland over the next 5-10 years.
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