National Visually Impaired Tennis Championships all set for Loughborough

Loughborough University will add another top level event to its ever growing repertoire this weekend as it plays host to the National Visually Impaired Tennis Championships.

Running from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 October, the event will serve up some top draw tennis, with the country’s best visually impaired (VI) players taking part in the countries showcase event. Run by the Tennis Foundation, Loughborough will play host for the second time, as the sport continues to go from strength to strength.

With a record number of entries for the 2018 edition, the event boasts quantity matched by quality, as all of 2017’s finalists return this year. The field also includes all of Great Britain’s medallists from this year’s International Blind Tennis Tournament in Dublin, where the team took global titles in six categories.

The visually impaired version of tennis is played on a smaller court than usual, with a lower net, using an audible ball so players can hear it bounce. Depending on your sight, you’re allowed up to three bounces before returning.

The tournament comes fresh on the back of significant investment in tennis at Loughborough, with the commencement of an exciting project in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association and Tennis Foundation, which aims to shape the future of tennis through playing and workforce development pathways.

For further information on VI Tennis or the weekend’s tournament please click here