ORGANISERS of the prestigious Liverpool International Tennis Tournament (LITT), which has helped launch the careers of some of the sport’s biggest names, have unveiled plans for a new stand to double its capacity and encourage more young players to enjoy the game, as it prepares to mark its 25th birthday in style.

The current venue at:- Liverpool Cricket and Sports Club on Aigburth Road does not have permanent multi-tiered stands, which means viewing matches relies on temporary seating, pitch-level or pavilion watching rather than a permanent structure.

But as part of plans to mark the tournament’s quarter-of-a-century anniversary in June next year, organisers Northern Vision hope to be able to build a new stand, doubling capacity, to give prospective talent the chance to watch games more comfortably.

The LITT is a 3-day annual event which sees pros compete on grass ahead of Wimbledon, plus the finest up-and-coming tennis talent.

Novak Djokovic, who played here when was 15 and is widely recognised as the greatest player of all time, and Emma Raducanu, who played here in 2015 and went on to win the US Open Grand Slam, as well as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev, are some of the tennis greats who started their careers with the tournament.

The competition has also welcomed tennis stars of the past including the famous reprisal of the John McEnroe vs Björn Borg rivalry.

And now organisers of the event billed as:- “an undisputed highlight of the City’s sporting and cultural calendar and a celebration of community, opportunity, and local pride” are hoping businesses want to bring the game to even more youngsters, building on the 100,000 who have already been introduced to a sport traditionally seen as elite.

A major push from Anders Borg, its director, hopes to attract even more talent to their Grade ll-listed courts on Aigburth Road through a new, permanent stand when it celebrates its milestone moment from:- 17 June to 19 June 2027.

The exciting 25th year plans were unveiled as the City again hosts the international Under 14s Tennis Europe Junior Tour and ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors from:- 30 October to 13 November 2026, as part of several junior tournaments which take place globally. More than 2,500 juniors from more than 50 different nations applied to compete.

Local players are given a wildcard to the events to try their luck against foreign and the best of British opponents, and 2 years ago Wirral’s Abi Redman utilised hers in the International Tennis Federation U18 tournament which she won. It meant she was offered a full scholarship at a university in USA, where she was able to play tennis whilst doing her studies for free.

Confirming plans for the 25th anniversary stand Anders Borg, director of Northern Vision, the competition organisers, urged sponsors to come forward and help make the idea a reality and tournament extra special next year by taking up 1 of the many corporate packages on offer.

Anders said:- “Tennis is a big part of the offer at Aigburth Road’s Cricket and Sports Club and we hope a new stand will breathe new life into the grounds, making tennis more accessible and fun for everyone. The plans are in their infancy, but we hope lots of people can get behind them. We’re particularly appealing to sponsors to get involved to make this new stand a reality, with some great packages on offer. Together, we can build a permanent viewing platform which will double the capacity not only to mark our 25th anniversary in style but to be there for generations to come. You never know, we may be inspiring the next Grand Slam champion! These events are also highly beneficial to the Liverpool and City region’s economy as hotels, restaurants and transport all benefit from having these tournaments in Liverpool.”

The event, which welcomes 1,000 hospitality guests each day, plus up to 600 members of the public, has introduced 100,000 plus youngsters to a sport traditionally thought of as out of reach.

A key component of its community-focus is Kids Only Day which invites around 450 primary school children to Liverpool Tennis Centre for a full day of tennis clinics with professional coaches and players, numeracy and fitness-based learning activities and a chance to try tennis in a professional environment.

Businesses wishing to find out more about how they can get involved can visit the official website here.