'Hidden gem': Judy Murray opens the upgraded Maryhill Tennis Courts

Yesterday, dozens of local families gathered at the newly finished Maryhill Tennis Courts, where the tennis coach held a training session for children and cut the ribbon on the facility.

Following a months-long construction supported by the Judy Murray Foundation, Glasgow Life and Friends of Maryhill Park, the facility is now ready to be used.

It is located in Maryhill Park and welcomes anyone free of charge.

The facility includes four mini and three full-sized tarmac courts, floodlights and brand new fencing, all designed to encourage more local use.

Future plans for it include painting the black surface blue and green in the spring, to brighten the space.

Judy Murray, chair of her foundation said: "Getting families together, out in the fresh air is so important. It always has been but post-pandemic, it is even more important.

"In areas like Maryhill you need spaces where the communities can come together and the park, for me, has always been a georgeus and big place.

"When I saw the tennis courts derelict, I thought it was such a waste. This is absolutely a hidden gem.”

Overlooking the city, the sports facility is run by volunteers, like Sarah Howitt, co-chairperson of Friend of Maryhill Park.

She said: ”We worked on this for a very long time, for years we have been clearing up the courts. 

”They were really difficult to play on, we would clear them up and then it would rain. It’s a hugely significant place in the park.

"The park is well-used but we needed it to be better used and so we built this community of kids who come and play every Sunday.

"And now, we have a fantastic, classy facility to play on.”

The Scottish trainer who is the mother of professional tennis players Andy and Jamie Murray, emphasised the importance of creating spaces for playing the sport.

She said: ”If you want to open tennis up to new audiences, you need public facilites and they need to be accessible and affordable.

"Close to four years, we have been working on this and for three of those, I was working with my foundation in this area to try and build a workforce and a network of people because your facilities are one thing but they need people to drive activity.

"A wonderful group of local people helped to drive this project, not least Sarah Howitt, who really pulled the whole thing together and took hold of it.”