Ep 8: Can Tennis Survive a Changing Climate? feat. Kyle Edmund, the LTA's Jack Baker and Rafatennisonly

Live from Day One of the Lexus Nottingham Open! 🎾🌱

In this episode, Katie sits down on-site to explore how tennis is adapting to a changing climate, from elite tournaments to local grassroots courts. We are joined by a fantastic panel: Jack Baker (Head of Public Policy and Sustainability at the LTA), former British Number One Kyle Edmund (now stepping into his new role as Assistant Tournament Director), and grassroots tennis content creator and influencer Raf (@rafatennisonly). Plus, we feature a special guest appearance from BBC presenter Qasa Alom!

Jack opens up about the very real threats climate change poses to British tennis, from the increasing financial burden of flooded local courts to the introduction of extreme heat rules for domestic competitions. He shares how the LTA is leading by example—utilising solar energy, switching to 90% lower-emission HVO fuel for temporary power, and rolling out a 100% electric vehicle fleet for tournament transport.

Kyle gives us an exclusive look behind the scenes at transitioning from player to organiser, managing chaotic player requests, and reflecting on his own career training in brutal heatwaves. He also highlights the simple operational changes making a massive dent in waste, like banning single-use plastic racket bags at the stringing desks and partnering with Brita to eliminate over half a million plastic water bottles.

We also get a special update from Qasa Alom, who check-ins to deliver the latest standings from the LTA Pledgeball League table, celebrating our incredible Round One winners and reminding us how to get involved for Round Two.

Finally, Raf shares his inspiring journey as a self-taught player, the power of filming your own matches to level up your game, and how everyday players can drive massive collective climate action from the ground up.

We wrap things up with a tense, highly competitive sustainability quiz that puts our guests to the ultimate test! 🏆

Get Involved: Want to help protect where we play? Support your local club and help them climb the national leaderboard by logging a quick nature-friendly pledge at pledgeball.org. Every pledge enters you into a draw to win tickets to the HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club for the 2027 season!

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:16

Hello and welcome to Fightfield Podcast, the show that goes behind the scenes of sport to find out what goes on in a changing climate. Today I'm absolutely delighted to be joining you from day one of the Route 32 of the Nottingham Open. At a tournament that historically has seen several titles from the Brits. Since 2019, there have been seven British singles titles across the women's and men's drawers, including champions such as Consa, Katie Bolter, Dan Evans, Andy Murray, and Jacob Fernley. And in fact, today we should be singing Battle of the Britons as Katie Bolter takes on Harriet Dart. We have quite a lineup of guests here today, which will certainly make for a very interesting quiz. I know Jack's just been googling. So I am delighted to welcome to the pod Jack Baker, head of public policy and sustainability at the LTA, former British number one, and now assistant tournament director of the Lexus Mosseum Open. And of course, we have our grassroots champ, Rafa, self-taught, self-styled tennis player and implements there. So I am delighted to uh open up this pod, Jack, with you. I guess the first question, having arrived here at Nosseum Open, is how how are things going?

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Yeah, really well. And I should just clarify from Kenzie's inscription I'm not a British number on that's a girlfriend of all. That's Carl Element who sat just across from me, just uh in case there was any confusion. But um yeah, things are looking great. The the site looks great. Um, you know, the LTA actually operates this site year-round, so we've made a lot of investment into it over recent years, but it looked fantastic. There's lots of kids playing on the outside courts, um, picking up a racket, having the opportunity to play, and you know, tennis is in actual on the grass tower as well, which was great. So yeah.

SPEAKER_05 2:00

So so you have a lot of kids here playing whilst the whilst it's fashionable games going on?

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Absolutely, yeah. We we try and use these tournaments as an opportunity to engage local communities and and charitable groups and others that we work with to give as many people the opportunity to kind of pick up a racket, try tennis, and and we're very blessed at Nottingham Tennis Centre with the amount of kind of corps that there are as well. So there's lots of space on the kind of outside hard corps to be able to run stuff whilst the tournament's happening on the brass. So yeah, lots of opportunities for kids to kind of pick up a racket and play.

SPEAKER_05 2:31

We've certainly seen a lot of competition on the uh pledge ball swing ball today. A real appetite there. Um, so for you guys as the LTA, you know, addressing climate change, addressing the change in game is integral to what you do. I mean, we've worked with you for the last four years. Can you explain how that came about? Why is it so integral to what you do?

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Well, I think we recognise as an organization that the climate crisis changes to our environment are already having an impact on tennis at all levels, whether it be um Rhoda Garros a few weeks ago and the impacts that we saw on the at the end of the game and the extreme heat and the impact that that has players, or domestically and at grassroots, you know, rising sea levels, increased flooding from um more extreme kind of rainfall events and then flooding of tennis venues around the country. We're already starting to see those impacts on tenants at all levels. So, you know, as a responsible national governing body, it's important that we play our part. But it's also vital for the you know long-term health of tennis and panel um that we're tackling our climate impacts. Uh and but perhaps more importantly than that, we're engaging, influencing, encouraging those involved in the sport more widely to take action as well, because that's where I think we can have the greatest, the greatest impact.

SPEAKER_05 3:52

And are you seeing you're seeing a lot of impact from the grassroots game, are you?

SPEAKER_02 3:57

I uh increasingly so, yeah. I think I think certainly flooding um it is an impact we've seen um for a number of years now it becomes kind of more regular in terms of the challenges and you know the financial costs that that um has on on venues that are impacted, but I I guess also the impact on participation as well. Um uh but but also you know that the more extreme temperatures are increasingly limiting participation. I mean, we have a there's an extreme heat rule that is often employed around the world in terms of elite tennis, but we also have that now for competition in Britain as well, um, because we know that you know at certain temperatures and levels of humidity it's not safe to participate in so we need to adapt um delivery of competition or even in very extreme cases kind of pause competition altogether. So we are starting to see those impacts more and more, and unfortunately they're again to continue. So it's important that we kind of play the part.

SPEAKER_05 4:51

And was it from that side of things, the business side of things? It caused it to be so integral.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

I think it it's partly the the um you know the the changes that we're seeing in the climate. I think it's it's partly also um, you know, uh interest from our colleague base, interest from our customers, whether that be fans, our major events, whether it be participants more widely, and expect an expectation from them that the LCA takes action and that the tennis in Britain takes action. I think you know there's increased interest from um uh funders, whether that be commercial partners, but also the likes of Sport England, um, for whom uh you know having a sustainability plan is now kind of going to be a requirement of funding from I think next year. Um so there's uh a combination of factors, but I think the most fundamental one is you know, if our vision for for tennis is tennis opened up and we want tennis to be accessible and open to all, then over the longer term we've got to be making sure that we're addressing sustainability is a fundamental part of that.

SPEAKER_05 5:52

But I like that tennis opened up, it's a really nice um and you're absolutely right. I think over the time that we've been in this, it has shifted to very much being a business case as opposed to a nice to have. Yeah. And then when you look at the different surfaces of the courts, which are the ones that I guess at the moment are most affected by climate change?

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Well, I guess look, the the majority of um courts in this country are hard courts, and obviously we're in the midst of the grass course season now, and that's a kind of I guess quintessential part of the British summer when you think about these events and and then obviously the the the championships of Wimbledon um as kind of the the bedrock of the sporting summer. Um, you know, grass courts require a lot of maintenance, a lot of water, a lot of upkeep, as to as do clay courts as well. Um uh so certainly those surfaces are going to be more difficult to maintain as we get um, you know, uh increased prevalence of drought and and and other challenges around kind of water scare water scarcity. Again, location's a big uh kind of point, and you know, we're we're starting to look at mapping out um, you know, where those facilities are and where where the areas are that might be most at risk. Um, because fundamentally a lot of sports, community sports facilities are often built on floodplains because you wouldn't build housing there. So whether that's tennis coursing or you know, panel course in our sport, or if it's uh football pitches or cricket pitches, often they're in areas that are at risk of flooding. So um there's a uh and you know, a a lot more that needs to be done to kind of protect those sorts of facilities where they're where they are in those locations as well.

SPEAKER_05 7:28

Amazing. And uh so what what exactly is being done in those locations and what is the LTA doing? I guess from a holistic level. So when you say, you know, tennis being opened up, yeah. What does this look like from a climate perspective?

SPEAKER_02 7:43

So I guess we you know that we actually do quite a lot of though different work at the LTA for for for those listeners who don't know, um we're the governing body for tennis and paddle in Britain, um, and that role spans kind of governing and growing game, so the kind of governance of the support. But we also operate two facilities, the National Tennis Centre um in London and the Lexus um Nottingham Tennis Centre here in Nottingham, um, which is the kind of the biggest kind of community accessible uh centre, certainly, in the country. Um so that those facilities have a footprint, and we're looking at how we kind of by example decarbonise, you know, here in in Nottingham, I think 20% of the kind of annual electricity consumption is generated by by solar panels on the roof. There's more we can do in that space for sure. We look at kind of resource efficiency and look at how we kind of support biodiversity around the facilities as well. We also stage a number of major events, whether it again be here at the Lexus Nottingham Open or HSBT championships, or the Queen's Club or Davis Believe Jupiter ties kind of year-round. We know those events have a footprint and you know often the nature of some of those uh facilities, those venues that we staged in the map means there's a lot of temporary infrastructure, which is quite energy intensive, quite resource intensive. So there's a lot of work around um around those events and uh and how we kind of tackle those impacts. But then I I think to kind of go back to your point in terms of grassroots and community tennis, that's where we feel we can really kind of drive a significant impact. When you think across um uh the country, we have about 18,000 LTA registered venues that span new traditional tennis clubs, parks with tennis courts, a few more kind of uh uh significant indoor tennis centres, schools, universities. So we have a huge reach into that network and you know, are looking at how we provide them with the right resources, whether that be through our kind of facility loan scheme, whether it be through guidance, um signposting to information, um to kind of educate upskill and help them um take action at a local level. And then of course working with Pledge Ball um to try to incentivize that to engage um players at LTA registered venues around the country to take action and hopefully you know drive impact locally. And we've we've certainly seen to start to see a lot of really significant progress. Um we have uh uh uh the LTA Wars every year, and this year we had um the Protect Where You Play Award um pinched uh from PlayPall, I think for us to say that. Um But it was fantastic because part of the judging process and and it nerfs some of these fantastic stories of a whole range of different Raspberry Svenus around the country, whether it be a smaller kind of two-core village tennis clubs right away through to I think West Worthing Club, which was the winner, which has kind of indoor courts, grass courts and hard courts, and the work that they're doing in their communities, both to bring people in, but also to think about their energy and how they decarbonize, how they utilise you know resources efficiently and promote kind of circular economy principles, how they support biodiversity in terms of the areas of space around their site or how they work with neighbours.

SPEAKER_05 10:56

Yeah, that's an amazing story, isn't that there? I know I remember one there was tree planting, but it wasn't just tree planting to kind of increase biodiversity, but also bringing the whole community into support without creating walk-a-ways, it was really lovely.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

So there's some great work already happening. You know, we know there's a lot more we can do, and I guess our role there is how we support those venues to take action, how we kind of provide them with the right resources and uh uh and help them to engage their members and local communities. And so that I think I think that's our role as the LTA and and how we can kind of help drive impact.

SPEAKER_05 11:31

Amazing. And I we'll come back in a minute to look specifically Nossium and where and some of the initiatives you've got specifically here as well.

SPEAKER_06 11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:38

Um, you know, around waste, around transport, etc. Then maybe we'll move on to Kyle, because you of course come in as a tournament director.

SPEAKER_06 11:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:47

Um, how is it coming to Nossium on the other side this year?

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Hello, I'm Casa Alam. I'm here to remind you that the LTA Pledge Ball League is well underway for 2026. If you still haven't joined in yet, there is plenty of time and there are massive prizes of grabs for both you and your local club. Just by making a pledge, you could win tickets to the HXBT Championships at the Queen's Club for 2027. On top of that, your venue could bag exclusive sustainability grants to fund green updates. Getting involved is incredibly simple. Between now and September, head over to pledgeball.org and make your nature-friendly pledge like cycling to practice or using a refillable water bottle. Every single pledge earns points to help your venue climb the national leaderboard. Head to pledgeboard.org right now, get pledging, and let's protect where we play. And speaking of the leaderboard, a massive congratulations to Norbury Park LTT, Rembury and District LTC, and Nottingham Tennis Centre for smashing it and topping the table to win round one. Round two is officially open, so let's see if your club can catch them. Get pledging.

SPEAKER_07 13:04

Yeah, it's been very enjoyable. Uh I've been here since Tuesday uh of the sort of prep week. It's my first uh event doing this, so I'm learning on the job, um, constantly trying to take things in. Um, we were very busy getting things organized, and then the first few days of the tournament now where players and coaches have come in, there's been lots of questions where I'm used to being on the side asking the questions, and now I've got to know the the answers. Um I've I've really enjoyed it and just uh trying to soak it all up as much as I can. And even though, like you say, I'm an assistant tournament director, you've got to be able to do lots of things in lots of departments, um, you know, whether that be uh helping with the build, um, doing the order of plays, uh taking in requests from accommodation, credentials, uh court requests as well, where they want to play. Um, could be anything you also got to make sure you go out on the ground and actually look what the product line is like as well, not just uh in the office, but how's the tennis coming across, how are the fans uh engaging, is there enough hospitality for them, all those things. So I've I've found it really enjoyable. My first event here in Nottingham. Uh I played my last ever uh professional tennis match here at Nottingham as well. Um I I got my first ever uh ITF point here as well, so there's a lot of full circle moments uh to be back here at Nottingham.

SPEAKER_05 14:31

So is it is good memories that you come back?

SPEAKER_07 14:33

Yeah, so um lots of good and uh a few hiccups as well.

SPEAKER_04 14:37

Yeah. I wanted to ask, what's like the craziest requests you've got from Lake Up Layout?

SPEAKER_06 14:43

Yeah, who about the Divas?

SPEAKER_07 14:45

Crazy. I don't know, there's not been too many, it's just been number of uh because we go with tour guidelines in terms of what people ask, and then we've got asked for six extra credentials. So it's quite a few credentials, and then you have to think about limits on space in here and number of people. Um also the tours are very vigilant with the with their checks and who's allowed on s on site in in terms of like safeguarding. So you've got to make sure that while you give them credentials, they've also done their safeguarding checks and they've done um like uh video questionnaires and all those type of things. So you've got to be you don't necessarily think about that as a player, but when you're this side you you really have to do that. But yeah, it's just you I was saying you think you've got everything covered and then someone's thought of something that you haven't thought of, so you've got to be able to jump into action and and sort that out. I come from a playing side and understand more what players like, um, what they require. A lot of times you want ease, just ease of access. I know where the stringers are, it's important I found the stringers are near where you're leaving, because often at the end of the day, when you mean you get your things into the stringer, when you go to practice, halls, towers are on the way, they're not you're not having to walk from all those other areas. So that's sort of what I bring, and then I've got to learn the other the other side of things. And as a tourman, my best experience is when you where you felt the tournament was always accommodating you. Sometimes I weren't always able to fulfil your requests, but if you could see the effort was there, they made they were trying to do it for you, and I think that goes a long way. So that's what I feel I'm trying to do and trying to help the the experience of players to leave and go. Actually, I I enjoyed my time there.

SPEAKER_05 16:34

I'm interested to to know what these uh what these requests are that you can't accord.

SPEAKER_07 16:39

We'll talk after that. A lot of it, so for instance, we just had the paddle, so people love paddle playing these days, as we know, and tennis players love it. Then we have a lot of the paddle courts are used for activations for for fans, they can go and play it, but also they're used as uh I guess rest areas as well. So before the tournament they're able to play, and then as the tour had started, it's been a lot trickier. So I don't want to say no, you can't go and play because I want them to go and play and enjoy their time. Some guys not uh and girls are not gonna play matches today, so maybe they'll go practice and have a 20-minute game of panel with their coaches. So you try and accommodate those things, lots of credential additional requests. Um I sort of learned that's very normal at a tournament. Um little things like the power went out earlier for for a little bit, so stringers can couldn't string, and that's very important. The cater uh catering can have uh you know electrics for cooking stuff, so that's important. So you sort of learn the the essentials of making sure if it's down, it's gotta be sorted straight away, you know. So you've got to click interaction and be adaptable um and quick thinking on your feet as well.

SPEAKER_05 17:52

Do you have more sympathy now? Or do you go and behave differently now you've seen behind the thing?

SPEAKER_07 17:56

Yeah, I I'd like to think I always try to behave a bit. That's no try to be reasonable, but no, for sure. It's your request is a is a small request for you. I just maybe want one additional pass. Come on. But if 40 players ask for that one initial pass, which I could probably easily say we've had 40 requests for exponentials, it it adds up, you know. And um and it it's not they're not tribe, it's not they're not trying to push the boat, or they're not trying to be difficult, it's just I understand that the allocations may be not enough, or when especially for home players, they want to bring their family as well. So you've got to take that into account and you've got to be reasonable if maybe you're local and parents work on a watch, you allow that, you know. So um, yeah, I've I've really enjoyed it and I've learned a lot in the time and definitely have all of an appreciation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 18:51

So I actually um messaged a relative of mine who used to work with you uh as a performance coach, and I asked him for anecdotes about you.

SPEAKER_06 18:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 18:59

Uh he he refused. He absolutely refused, but he did tell me to ask you two questions, one which was who was the best singer on top?

SPEAKER_07 19:10

I don't honestly know I could probably say it's more to do with Davis Cup because we had a lot of initiations. The Davis Cup um we had a few people singing, um, but I wouldn't put them in the category of best singers.

SPEAKER_05 19:25

Um would you most like to hear again and sing?

SPEAKER_07 19:30

No one.

unknown 19:31

No.

SPEAKER_07 19:32

I don't want to get anyone sing on the on the tennis tour.

SPEAKER_05 19:36

So why do you have initiations in the Davis Capital LSA? I think it's a team.

SPEAKER_07 19:40

It's a team event and it's just a a way to get mine, was actually a speech. So I didn't do singing. I know recently I haven't been obviously around the Davis Cup setup from a player point of view, but I know a few of them that were new and coaches had to do dance uh and singing. I think some people did a stand-up as well. It's just a good way to get them in, and it's embarrassing, isn't it? And it's good to make them feel uncomfortable and out of their comfort zone. No, I'm sure lots of people I think as a tennis for a reason, you tell you.

SPEAKER_05 20:11

What was your speech about, Jim?

SPEAKER_07 20:13

It was in the UMag. Uh I was there as a hitter.

SPEAKER_06 20:17

Right.

SPEAKER_07 20:17

In uh where we played Croatia. I think that was to get us into like the World Group in a very first time a very long time. I was hitting in UMag, and then in the old format, the Wednesday or Thursday before we did like the garlic dinner, um, with all representatives of the teams and the federations.

SPEAKER_05 20:34

And so you did this before the tournament?

SPEAKER_07 20:36

Yeah, before the tie began on the Friday. And yeah, I got up there very nervous and just said some probably very boring stuff and tried to make it sound interesting, but uh my wasn't wasn't the best, it wasn't the worst. Some I remember Liam Brody's we he did his in Glasgow, we were playing Argentina, um, maybe second round, and uh in the year we won it possibly, and we we told him to thank this person, um, and he was like, Yeah, you think I should do that? We said, Yeah, he's a very good person of Argentina, it's important to do it. And it ended up being the French uh Prime Minister. He was I've got all the Arzanian team, we were very perplexed at that. So that was that was quite funny, but anyway.

SPEAKER_05 21:24

So would you say that when he because I I recently read uh The Racket by Conan Island and which was just eye-opening in terms of just the pressure it takes to become a professional tennis player at times, the the grafting. But also it sounded like there was quite a party, you know, at every place that he went to. Would you say that that is that is a read on it relative to other sports?

SPEAKER_07 21:46

Yeah, I actually met Carl the first time in September last year, um at Rafa Nadal's Academy. There was an event there. But um Yeah, it he um his book was great. I haven't read it all. I read two chapters as I've sort of gone along. It's still in my bag because he gave it to me, so I do need to read it. But yeah, he his story is very interesting because you often hear um or I guess want to read books that are from people that have uh got to like really high upset like Rafa Lagal or Roger Federer, but the stories that you hear from down from further below or even coming up where you're not playing on the professional tour, there's a real eye opener to where it actually goes on and you get some really interesting stories, uh and more like the the real truths of what it is to be a professional tennis player and what and what it takes, like the the grind and stuff and the the reality financially as well. Um but yeah, it's something uh I've I've been asked actually recently if I want to do something similar just because of um I played at the top but also had some damages with my injury at 20 on the game. Um it's a sort of experience, but then trying to come up from the bottom again for a second time, if you could say. So yeah, it's it is interesting and um yeah, I definitely need to finish that book for sure.

SPEAKER_05 23:16

So when you were on tour and the in the time that you played, or actually in the time that you played tennis, did you notice that sustainability became something that was part of tournament organization? Or is it something that just wasn't visible?

SPEAKER_07 23:32

No, as things have slowly gone along. You you've definitely seen it. Um one of the first things that I noticed was uh the the racket bags. We used to always have plastic racket bags for restring. Every restring we'd get it, we'd put put in a plastic racket bag. Now that's stopped. Now they just give it to you. I used to have um uh used a company called P1, Priority One, who would travel privately. They do customization with rackets and string at tournaments so they're not the official tournament stringers, uh, and they stopped that um as things progressed. And there's also I found a big change through COVID uh with those things. Uh as well. Now it's it's pretty frequent that the the bottles, the reusable bottles are getting used on tours. I know like Water Drop uh is a sponsor of many tournaments in the UK. We have Brita, uh all the tournaments we're using there. So players come, they get the allocation of bottles, and there's we make sure there's all refill stations. Around the grounds, we have uh two in the hospitality area for the players' lounge uh on every court. So we have five match courts to make sure they're around the grounds to the public as well. Uh the practice courts are quite far away from uh our players' lounge, so we have uh two or three filling stations there. So that's that's uh something that's that's pretty obvious. And then as well, I think you touched on as a child sport, we had 100% uh EVs at the Nottingham Open.

SPEAKER_05 25:00

So there's definitely So that's transporting players around exactly or or electric.

SPEAKER_07 25:05

So we go to courts, the hotel, pickups from the airport, that's all been taken care of in that way. It is slightly changing, and um I think we'll the way is only going in that direction and we'll continue to do that. And I know the LTA are very uh they thought it's a very important issue, and you can see that the efforts being made.

SPEAKER_05 25:26

And did you notice I did it come to your attention, not sustainability as such, but rather the impact of climate change as you were playing? Did you notice that things changed or was it just not something you said?

SPEAKER_07 25:36

In terms of uh being a player, if we've been totally no, not really, because um rightly or wrongly you're you're very concentrated on what you're doing. And tennis can be quite a selfish sport in terms of you're very uh concentrated on yourself. You're not necessarily necessarily thinking about all the other elements that are are taking place. That's something I've actually noticed a lot more being on this side of things now, is being involved in a tournament and how many things you have to take into account and thinking about this stuff. Uh so I don't know if that's something that maybe needs to be improved in the future of players to take note, or a player might just go out on their own and take an initiative and an interest in improving that, but it's not saying I think players will do something if it's made provided for them, like the bottles and stuff like you're almost this is the option you have to take, and then the players will start doing it.

SPEAKER_05 26:32

And did you uh when we interviewed Lloyd Glasgow recently, he was explaining how the heat he's in having to chain a train and the heat don't prepare himself.

SPEAKER_06 26:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:42

And that uh, you know, in the cooling breaks part way through, and I in fact I know you spoke about this on a pod address you recently. Um you really noticed it wasn't enough time to cool. Um d was there a change, do you think did things become more difficult to compete?

SPEAKER_07 26:59

Or in the change of end, sorry.

SPEAKER_05 27:01

Well, just generally as you competed, did you notice the conditions shifted? Did it have to then impact your training? Or was it not something that was particularly dramatic?

SPEAKER_07 27:09

For sure the the heat has always impacting my training because a lot the tour follows, I think, the sun a lot of the time, so whether when you're over your your training in the in the heat, I am quite fair. So I always felt it way more than other people. So I was very aware of it constantly. I always made made sure that physically or um my body was prepared for it, like in the short term as in making sure I was protected, hydrated, all those kind of things. In the long term, my fitness needs to improve. So I'd always try and and play in hotter or train in hotter conditions. Um but yeah, I I was always very aware because the tour follows uh I'd say hotter conditions, I didn't necessarily notice if things were getting hotter in general as years went by, but when you go to Australia and America, there it's just constant. So you have to be ready, and I was always very aware of that. Because it was there was times as I grew up and I wasn't quite prepared and that I really felt it and and and took the hit as it I wasn't able to play properly. Sometimes I retired a few times just physically cramping. So yeah, it's something I had to get better and um with experience and learn my body and how to adapt to it.

SPEAKER_05 28:31

Do you think it'll be something that the current tennis players will have to prepare for more?

SPEAKER_07 28:36

Yeah, they'll always have to prepare for it. It's quite interesting now that the heat rules have come in. There I think it's a lot they're a lot more vocal with that. Like even as a player, I was 100% off the heat rule, I didn't even know it was a thing, but now they're making it more public that this is a thing and it could happen where there's braid to play.

SPEAKER_06 28:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 28:54

Um so yeah, as they as they go along, they'll have to do it. And you saw Sidna the other day and um how he shrilled strong on that first week when the the temperatures just hit up, it affects the players a lot.

SPEAKER_06 29:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 29:07

Um and tennis is a group was falling that way to play for hours in that heat.

SPEAKER_05 29:11

Yeah. And so obviously you touched upon the fact that you see now behind the scenes and what's produced at the end of a tournament. Yeah. So coming back to you, and you know, we've talked about the EVs that have have, you know, been used in the Nottingham, in the Lex Nottingham open, but you've also got other aspects in there, other things that you're accounting for.

SPEAKER_02 29:31

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So Kyle also touched on the partnership with Britain and across the Grasscore major events over the last couple of years, we've removed nearly half a million single-use plastic water bottles. Um so that number will go probably uh by about another 200, 250,000 at the end of this year. Um, so that's been a really tangible impact that we've been able to make working with a commercial partner to tackle single-use plastic waste, which you know is historically been very visible in tenants, in terms of the amount of water that um we get through cost talking about them, the heating and needing to stay hydrated. So that that that's that's definitely driven an impact, um, which is great. Partnership with Lexus and and our uh you know the the work that we do with them and and here in Nottingham 100% EVs is also fantastic. But you know, we also look across lots of different areas as well. So for instance, the the energy that we use on site, we obviously use Mains power in terms of some of the facilities that are here kind of year-round. But where there's temporary infrastructure, we need to bring in temporary power. Um, but across all our events, we use um HVO fuel, which is a um more sustainable fuel, I think to about 90% less let less carbon emissions than kind of fossil fuel. So that's helping us mitigate our empower. We've still got to consume and use energy as you'd expect, but it's it's it's it's helping have it have an impact. We've also done quite a lot of work around kind of food and beverage, um, both in terms of working with our suppliers, in terms of sustainable sourcing, but also, and if you go around the site, you'll see carbon labelling on the menus as well to try and, you know, again, just give a nudge towards um customers where they're on side to get and to think about um uh the role they can play. You know, we also do that in terms of pre-com communications, encouraging use of public transport where possible. Here at Nottingham again, we're very fortunate that there's a tram stop, just a short way away. Um, you know, there's electric bikes that people can use. I certainly jumped on one from the station on my way here earlier. So there's there's things like that that we can encourage fans who are attending to do as part of their planning before they even arrive on site. And then once they are on site, we've obviously got lots of touch points to be able to kind of communicate with them and influence behaviours as well, which is really, really important. So, yeah, lot lots going on um around the events, working with kind of partners and our our wide suppliers. But um yeah, it's interesting some of the stuff Carl says about um you know players perhaps not seeing stuff because actually a lot of the work we do to mitigate or reduce our impact is around the infrastructure that's built, yeah, the energy that's used and the kind of resources they've consumed. But then we also do have this incredible platform that the events provide with, you know, world-class tennis to engage the fans, to engage wider communities to have that impact as well.

SPEAKER_05 32:17

Yeah, absolutely. And I guess Ralph coming to you, especially as a punter today, interest to see what you've noticed. But um, I'd love to hear a bit of your backstory to start with. Um, you know, how you've come into tennis, how I know you've come here today with Kenneth. Um his Kenneth, Kenneth is off camera, but maybe his hand can wave. Um but Kenneth you used to compete with and now kind of almost refuses to compete with you. So I'd love to hear a bit of that backstory.

SPEAKER_04 32:44

Yeah, of course. Uh first of all, I just want to say thank you so much for having me. Um yeah, I love how Pledgeboard was a great cause and how you're trying to you know reduce the carbon foot friend of the early tennis player.

SPEAKER_05 32:55

And I think that's a first guest who's ever thanked us on the show.

SPEAKER_04 33:02

I think the awareness is a lot better uh for the everyday player. And I think maybe putting that word out there, it's it's a start. And it starts from the community, isn't it, from the foundation. Yeah. Um word of mouth as well. So I think if we can start from the bottom, then everyone can be incentivized to you know start doing action towards this. Uh but yeah, love the cause. Um, great to be here with Kyle uh representing the great cause.

SPEAKER_05 33:29

So our former bishop will win that.

SPEAKER_04 33:32

But in terms of my story, I talked about that earlier with you, but um, I used to be all my friends essentially at tennis, and I told myself I kind of want more of a challenge, you know. So then I joined a local uh tournament and I got humbled pretty quickly. Uh I played someone that kind of just was a war, and I was trying to get with topspin at the time, but I wasn't that great, so I was completely missing everything. Uh but then yeah, that kind of started my whole journey in terms of you know being self-taught as well, because I what does that look like?

SPEAKER_05 34:07

What does what does being self-taught? How did you teach yourself?

SPEAKER_04 34:10

Yeah, so uh one thing that I tell everyone is that recording yourself is the best thing to do when you're trying to uh get better at something, um especially tennis as well, because it's so technically focused, I think, in terms of the strokes. So that's one thing that I started in the beginning, and I was very apprehensive at first because recording yourself is in front of everyone as well. It's a bit nerve-wracking at first. Uh, but you get used to it. And yeah, my thought process was more of like, you know, you gotta see yourself in video and then compare that with the pro, like, you know, Khaled when I've seen his matches so many times, and it's such an inspiration for you know, playing at the highest level. Um, so yeah, that was that was what started um losing that match started my whole journey with tennis.

SPEAKER_05 35:02

So in practice then, you you go and record yourself playing and then you go back and do you compare that then to exactly.

SPEAKER_04 35:09

I'd go on YouTube, I'd type in core level angle of you know the pro is and I try to nitpick certain stuff that would they would do. For example, I have a one-handed backhand, so I'd probably not probably look at Fedora because you can't really copy Fedora. Uh but the likes of you know Richard Gasquet, uh Samuel Brinker, uh those sort of guys uh kind of look up to. And you just kind of apply those small things, maybe your takeback is a bit shorter, maybe a bit larger, and and then see what works for you. And then yeah, you just keep blowing from there. And I think the the most important thing for me is the journey. I think the journey is uh what makes it so relevant for me and the challenge as well. You can kind of take that into everyday life. Uh for example, right now, I feel like if I didn't have tennis, I'd be like, oh my gosh, like it's so nerve-wracking to be in a room with so many accomplished people. Uh but with tennis, I think if you like, I think I'm sure Carl can relay when you're down love for we and you come back from there, I think that's that's the story right there.

SPEAKER_05 36:11

Oh, it's such a psychological thing as well, isn't it? Being on on your own now. So then do you when you're going to apply then these changes? Is there say for example, I took up football very late. I'm now I played a lot of tennis to kid, but not football. And football is overtaken by love of tennis.

SPEAKER_04 36:28

We need to go with that.

SPEAKER_05 36:30

But at home, I can I can go and I can go on YouTube and I can look at something, and there's there's stuff I can do at home in the kitchen without requiring a large space. Does it always require you to be on a court to to practice some of these techniques, or can you do stuff at home?

SPEAKER_03 36:44

Um I think I think home home-based, I think it's more of like just reviewing your own footage, I think.

SPEAKER_04 36:53

Uh I feel like shadow swinging is helpful as well, but because you don't have the feel of the wall, it's very hard to gauge how well you're gonna hit the ball. But if there's something that you're trying to maybe tweak a bit, maybe you know, a bit of low to high motion a bit more, then maybe being at home with just your racket and just doing that motion over and over again might help. And then translate that into the core, and then obviously it's gonna feel much different on core because you have the ball to interact with, but yeah, I think mainly at home I just look at my footage and it just kind of compare that with the pros and yeah, just and you're playing two tournaments a week, is that what you said? Uh I try to do two tournaments a month.

SPEAKER_05 37:33

A month? Yeah, okay. So I'm not sure how you fit that into the and so is that I mean, how is this is that in kind of seasons? Is it within a within a league at the moment? Like how are those how are those tournaments?

SPEAKER_04 37:45

Oh, so it's mainly through the LTA that I join. Um because I have a full-time job as well, it's very hard to join the week-long tournaments. However, the one day tournaments I'm very keen with and the level at the National Center as well, where I when I get to play, it's it's amazing. So you get to play That's at Roadhampton. Roadhampton, yes. And we get to play kids that are half my age and hitting the ball like absolutely bombs. And yeah, it's very, very humbling, but at the same time, uh, I look up myself, I I I do this joke, I tell this joke to a room where I'm kind of the gatekeeper too for these kids. Like, if you want to go to the next level, I'm hey, you're gonna be me. But most times, I'm I'm the one losing most of that.

SPEAKER_05 38:26

Right. Now it is time. My favorite part of quiz, when I think we should all do a Lloyd Glass ball and all lean forward ready for the quiz. Um, so are you ready, guys? So, what you won't tell is that when we click this together, there's really tense music playing over the top as well. So you feel that tense music. Right, question one. It is it is multiple choice, but if you know the answer, you can jump in.

SPEAKER_07 38:50

So as a team.

SPEAKER_05 38:51

You are not as a team. No raps. You are using it to Raph and Jack. Okay. Are you ready? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, question one is on tournament transport. We know the LCA is pushing for cleaner transport, but thanks to the partnership with Lexus, what percentage of the official tournament fleet right here at the Northing is fully electric? I won't give you all sorts of choice.

SPEAKER_07 39:12

Well, 100%.

SPEAKER_05 39:14

You should have jumped in there. Because Kyle's just got that such claim.

SPEAKER_07 39:17

I'm gonna take that off.

SPEAKER_05 39:22

Raf, remember this competitive spirit. Some of these have been caught.

SPEAKER_04 39:25

I think it was uh multiple chairs I'd give it.

SPEAKER_05 39:27

Oh sorry. You're right as well. That was unfair. Right, are you ready? Question two. This is also one that Jack has mentioned. Temporary generators are a massive source of emissions at major events. The LTA is using HVO, which is hydro-treated vegetable oil fuel this year. Compared to standard fuel, how much does HVO reduce greenhouse gas gas emissions? Does anyone want to answer this before I give them multiple choice?

SPEAKER_02 39:55

I know the answer, but we're making more gas.

SPEAKER_05 39:59

Don't be honest. It's 90%. It is 90%. Right, question three: battling plastic. We've all seen the British hydration stations across the site, across all the major summer grass court events. How many single-use plastic bottles is this partnership expected to eliminate this summer? Is it A, more than 220,000, B, more than 350,000, or C up to half a million?

SPEAKER_03 40:28

A to another.

SPEAKER_05 40:30

Yeah. I mean, it would be great if we got up to yeah. Well, we're we're one apiece at the moment. We've only got two more questions, so it's it's tense.

SPEAKER_06 40:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 40:40

Question four, behind the scenes gear. Sustainability isn't just fan facing it, it's happening in the player spaces too. What item has been completely banned and removed in the racket stream desks this year? Is it A, single-use plastic water bottles, B, plastic bags supplier rackets, or C disposable brick wraps? You guys have done a great job.

SPEAKER_04 41:04

Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 41:04

Ralph go.

SPEAKER_04 41:07

I got A. Single use.

SPEAKER_05 41:09

It's not A. It's not the plastic water bottles.

SPEAKER_04 41:11

It's the plastic bags.

SPEAKER_05 41:12

Plastic bags. Is the plastic bags, is it to do with performance, or is it was it just a vanity thing?

SPEAKER_07 41:19

Yeah, it was I don't think it's necessary performance because if the heat uh makes your strings lose tension. So I don't I don't think it was that I think it was more of uh the presentation once the strings, the stencer, and the grip was done, you put it in, then the grip is also if you don't want people touching the fresh grip.

SPEAKER_06 41:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 41:39

So it's just in there, it's fresh.

unknown 41:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 41:42

It's quite a nice feeling taking it out of something as ready to go, but of course people are getting sometimes people are getting seven to eight rackets for grandstand matches for one player. So it's all that every time you get rid of the bag side.

SPEAKER_05 41:57

Yeah. Right. So the last one then, are you ready? Something we've mentioned, or not something you've mentioned. Okay, so we're currently just scores on the doors, Carl is in the lead, both are on one point. So this either ends up with Carl winning or a draw. Don't be modest okay. Question five, second life for tennis balls. Millions of tennis balls are used during the grass call season. When the pros are finished with them, the used balls are resold to fans on site. Where do the proceeds from these sales go? Is it A, the local mutting and reciting project, B a fund for low-carbon player travel, or C the LTA tennis page?

SPEAKER_02 42:35

The LTA tennis package. It is a lot of narrative alarms that I really do have good cause.

SPEAKER_05 42:41

So we finished that quiz with champions here, Kyle and Jack. Well done.

SPEAKER_02 42:48

No tiebreaking.

SPEAKER_05 42:50

Actually, maybe there should be a tie break. Yeah, you listened to Lord Glasspool.

SPEAKER_00 42:56

Something that doesn't especially be. What was the Germany Curate house for that?

SPEAKER_05 43:05

Um well guys, it's been an absolute pleasure hosting you today. Thank you so much, all of you, for joining us. Uh Raf, I I genuinely found your story inspirational, and I plan on in a year's time being better at football through recording myself and working on that. That's amazing. Um so, really, just to finish up, unless there are any other points of wisdom anyone would like to drop, look. It is simply a call to action. Um, as Raf beautifully said, we all have a part to play. We feel very stuck in the structures in which we exist, but we all have a huge part to play in driving change, whether that's individual changes at home that we're happy with, whether that's talking amongst friends and family, whether that's writing to clubs, leagues, governing bodies, government, but we all have a part to play. To get involved with the tennis, with the LTA Pledgeball League, go to pledgeball.org and pledge in support of your local tennis club. And in so doing, not only do you then find out what you could do and see that you're part of a wider community, but you also enter a draw to win tickets to the HSVC Championships at Queens next year.

SPEAKER_00 44:24

Thank you for joining us on the Pledge Ball Podcast. Before you go, it's time to turn your passion into action. Make a nature-friendly pledge for your team today at pledgeboard.org. You can join the thousands of fans who are already making a difference and helping to protect where we play. Also, with each pledge, you'll be automatically entered into the draw to win a ticket to the prestigious FSA Awards at the end of the season. So that's pledgeball.org. Go on.