When Qasa Alom spent time living in Germany, the difference in tennis facilities compared to the UK was evident.
The broadcaster, who hosts the BBC's 'Today at Wimbledon' show, admits he was fortunate to have free courts near his home in Birmingham when he was growing up. However, he realises not everyone is as lucky - at least not in the UK.
"We know sports funding has been cut a lot in the UK for a long time and community clubs have been cut a lot, so that's something that is hugely unfortunate," Alom tells Mirror Sport . "I remember when I was living in Germany and there were just tennis courts everywhere.
"Whether it's clubs or whether it's public parks, there are tennis courts all over the place. So it's perhaps just a little bit more visible there, whereas maybe that's something that needs to happen here. But also I think there is some good work going on."
Alom is speaking at an event in London's Larkhall Park held by tennis charity Young Champs, which has set out to offer free tennis coaching to children from lower-income backgrounds. He also points to the LTA's ClubSpark system, which allows regular people to book facilities free of charge, but recognises the obstacles in place in the UK
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"The problem is we live in a country that's quite wet, and also for a large part of the year it gets dark at 4, 5, 6 o'clock," he admits. "At the tennis club I play at, floodlights are something like £4 for half an hour, and I can barely afford that so how are kids going to afford that?!
"So it's really hard. And then indoor courts - when it's been really wet we've been trying to play on indoor courts, an hour is £16 where I live which again is a lot of money. If you want to play with four of you for two hours, which is usually what you've got to play, that's eight pounds for just one of you, it's really expensive. So what can we do there? You can make as many tennis courts as you want, but then if it's raining it's raining, so maybe we have to play more indoor."
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Qasa Alom grew up playing tennis with his brother in Birmingham (Young Champs)It was a different story when he was growing up, though. The courts on which he played with his brother weren't the highest-quality, but they were free, removing at least one barrier to entry, even if there are other things that cost money..
"It's about having equipment, the right tennis balls, having the racquets," he adds. "So I think yeah, there needs to be more of a push to getting more facilities, making it more accessible and easier for kids to get involved, but also actually sort of trying to ignite that passion in kids to want to play, because maybe they don't see enough of it.
"WImbledon is pretty much the only free to air tennis, so apart from that time of the year, when are they going to see tennis and be inspired enough to play and pick up a racquet. Because what I will have you know is, and this was true for me growing up, when I used to watch Wimbledon, all the parks used to be full of people picking up a tennis racquet and playing, because they've seen it. So maybe there's a bit of that as well, trying to get more tennis visible."
Alom is part of the BBC's 2024 Wimbledon broadcast team (BBC / Helen Murray)When he watched tennis as a child, Alom took inspiration from the likes of Goran Ivanisevic and Rafa Nadal, even naming his dog 'Rafa'. However, he recognises a good coach is just as important as an on-court idol - if not more so. "Having coaches, having people who can foster that connection at an early age, is what's going to do it really."
This filters into Young Champs' mission, with the charity launching in April with its 'Project 10K'. Through the initiative, it is aiming to provide 10,000 hours of free coaching, and co-founder Chris Marshall explained the extent of the barriers in the way of those without the funds to pay for regular coaching.
"An LTA registered tournament now is £25 a go, a couple of private lessons anywhere around here will be £40 or £50 an hour, group coaching £15 an hour," Marshall says. "You're talking £600-700 a month for coaching and you start to work out the amount of people in the country who can afford that.
"And this is part of the Project 10K. Because there is no recognised pathway for a child from a lower income family, or even a working family, to get there."
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Alom, who spent his childhood dashing out to the local courts while recognising they could be taken by other players or simply out of use for the day, recognised the situation as well as anyone. Those early games helped foster his own love for tennis, and his visit to Larkhall Park - and tennis courts just like the ones from his childhood - brought that all into focus.
"It's great that this sort of initiative is out, so kids who don't have the opportunity to play tennis are able to play tennis," he says. "That isn't just about race or colour but also class, finances, and the location. Because actually having something around their estate where they can walk to it is really important."
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