Tennis Ireland pushes forward with ambitious growth plans

Tennis Ireland’s chief executive officer Kevin Quinn is ploughing forward with his ambitious plans to develop the sport across the Emerald Isle.

In the face of competition from sports such as rugby, football and horse racing, Irish tennis has traditionally struggled to garner attention from the media.

An annual budget of around €4 million for the governing body forces many clubs to seek alternative routes for funding to keep themselves afloat.

Income from national lotteries has been a vital lifeline for tennis clubs worldwide, and the Republic of Ireland is no different in that respect.

Players who anticipate the Irish lottery results each week do so in the knowledge that around 30 percent from every €1 spent is invested in community projects and other good causes.

Quinn works tirelessly to ensure that Tennis Ireland plays its part in bringing vital revenue into a sport he believes is criminally overlooked.

The organisation recently secured an agreement with power solutions specialists Anord Mardix to become the premium sponsor of the new Dundalk Tennis Arena.

The development will transform tennis facilities in the north east of Ireland and serve as a hub for players of all levels.

“This partnership is more than just a name on the building - it’s a statement of belief in what this facility will mean for Dundalk and the wider region,” Quinn said.

“Together, we’re creating a space where talent can grow, communities can connect, and tennis can thrive.”

The Dundalk Tennis Arena will feature United States Open-style indoor courts, accessible programming for schools and community groups, and a calendar of local and national events.

The venue will support Quinn’s mission to develop more players who are capable of competing at professional level on the ATP and WTA Tours.

Quinn is eager to change the narrative and believes that grassroots participation levels highlight the untapped potential of tennis in Ireland.

“There’s huge momentum for tennis here,” he said. “We’ve 94,000 affiliated members but according to independent research anywhere between 150-200,000 are actually playing.

“We have a bottleneck given the demand and clubs are full. As a participation sport, tennis towers over rugby, for example.”

Former Irish tennis professional Conor Niland’s criticism of the way the sport was previously run in his homeland have helped to inform Quinn’s new era.

Niland beat Roger Federer as a junior and was tipped to make his mark in the professional ranks, but a lack of support from the governing body hindered his progress.

He subsequently wrote an award-winning book entitled ‘The Racket’, which details the challenges he faced and the political nature of Tennis Ireland at the time.

Niland does not pull any pictures, painting a picture of an amateur organisation negatively impacted by pettiness and a lack of ambition.

Quinn’s previous track record of success in sports administration and commercialisation made him the ideal man to drag Tennis Ireland into the 21st century.

“I could see an organisation that had gone through turmoil which held the sport back, but I could also sense some real appetite and energy for change in our clubs, which now number 190-odd - it felt like Irish tennis was at an inflection point,” Quinn said.

“I wanted to bring some structure and process, to commercialise the sport better but also to provide a pathway, to be able to spot some talent in the huge playing community and help to bring it through.

“There’s no doubt in mind that Irish kids could compete at the top of this game. They just need the opportunity.”

Quinn’s extensive work has already started to pay dividends, with Ireland now boasting more than 100 internationally ranked junior players.

Many of Ireland’s top prospects still head abroad to access top-class coaching and play in ranking events. They continue their education online.

Quinn acknowledges that significant infrastructure improvements must be made before Ireland can produce a healthy pool of tennis professionals and compete with local rivals.

“We’re building a database of all the performance players in the country, we’re looking to build relationships with tennis programmes in the US colleges, where the facilities are outstanding,” he said.

“We’ve also signed a memo of understanding with the LTA, which will enable our players to avail of their facilities and to play tournaments in the UK.

“We can’t fund players. Our resources are stretched as it is. But we need to work better with those private academies, with those players, those families, to help however we can.”