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Lars Hamer

Stars of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open joined Judy Murray for an outreach programme on Sunday, where they spent the day giving back to the local community and coaching children with special educational needs (SEN).
Murray, the mother of former world No 1 and three-time grand slam winner Andy Murray, takes the WTA Come Play programme, which aims to make tennis more accessible, to cities that feature on the tour.
She was joined by Germany’s world No 50 player Eva Lys, China’s Li Na and 2023 Hong Kong Open champion Leylah Fernandez, who said she was “honoured” to give back to the city’s children.
“Tennis has given me the privilege on so many levels, playing around the world, meeting new people,” 23-year-old Fernandez said. “I’m very honoured to be given an opportunity to give back to the community and to connect with more fans or introduce them to tennis.
“We’ve grown up very, very lucky to be at this stage. I’ve always said that when I have the chance, I want to give back, and to be able to do that here is amazing.”

Fernandez is a fan favourite in Hong Kong after winning the tournament two years ago. Lys, on the other hand, is experiencing the city for the first time, but said she wanted to come after hearing great things about the event from other players on the tour.
Last year, the Hong Kong Open won the WTA 250 tournament of the year.
“Everyone has been telling me that Hong Kong is the greatest tournament, and also the greatest place to be, and for now, I do agree with that,” Lys said.
“I love big cities, and I feel like the city never really sleeps. There’s so much to explore, so much to do. And that’s exactly what I like.
Lys arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday but said that she was eager to take part and do something for the city’s children that “I wish others did for me”.
“I always said, if I want to play tennis, I don’t want to be just a tennis player,” Lys said. “And I have the same feeling back in Germany, I have the same feeling when I’m travelling around the world: if there’s just one girl or one boy that I can help find the love for tennis, this is exactly what I want to do.”

Murray led a 90-minute tennis session at the Causeway Bay Sports Ground with volunteers from presenting sponsor Morgan Stanley and children from Special Olympics, a non-profit organisation that provides sports training and athletic competitions for people with intellectual disabilities.
The initiative has travelled to different cities around the world, including London and New York, and focuses on exposing different youth groups to tennis, not just SEN children.
“Today, we had about 60 people on one court and everybody’s very close together, it feels very intimate and you feel like you’re part of one big gang,” Murray said.
“It’s always been, for me, so important that when the big names and the big events come into a city, tennis uses the opportunity to showcase itself within the local community.”
Murray said one of her objectives was to show teachers and coaches who attended the session that you do not necessarily need a court and a net to start enjoying tennis.
“I think there were quite a number of teachers here today in the workshop who said it’s so perfect for schools that don’t have tennis courts,” she said. “You just need a space. We didn’t use the net at all today, and everything was in small spaces, so you can accommodate a whole class.”
Across the road in Victoria Park, the Hong Kong Open’s final round of qualifiers concluded on Sunday.
The story of the day came on court one, where Russia’s Kristiana Sidorova, aged 19 and ranked world No 527, beat the qualifier’s fifth seed, Haruka Kaji, 6-1, 6-2.
That win means Sidorova will make her WTA 250 debut when the first round starts on Monday.
Sidorova’s victory marked her second upset in as many days, after she came from behind to beat the seventh seed and world No 296 Zarina Diyas 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.


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Sport

Hong Kong

Tennis

Judy Murray, Leylah Fernandez, Eva Lys and Li Na give local groups some coaching as part of WTA’s Come Play programme


Judy Murray, Leylah Fernandez, Eva Lys and Li Na give local groups some coaching as part of WTA’s Come Play programme.


Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA)

WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

United States Tennis Association

Tennis stars Fernandez, Lys, give Hong Kong children an introduction to game they love

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Judy Murray, Leylah Fernandez, Eva Lys and Li Na give local groups some coaching as part of WTA’s Come Play programme

Judy Murray, Leylah Fernandez, Eva Lys and Li Na give local groups some coaching as part of WTA’s Come Play programme