Sir Trevor McDonald pleased with the recent rise of British Tennis

Sir Trevor McDonald believes that British tennis is finally catching up to the rest of the world after a rise in consistent success.

The 85-year-old is a long-time tennis fan, regularly in attendance at Wimbledon and a notable presenter at the LTA Tennis Awards.

McDonald was back in action at the 2025 awards at the National Tennis Centre, celebrating the unsung heroes of British tennis, including presenting the LTA Lifetime Achievement award.

And with his love of the sport ongoing, McDonald is confident that British tennis is now in a blossoming period, with the likes of world number six Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu leading the way.

"For a long time we seemed to be behind the rest of the world but we're now consistently up there and winning trophies," he said.

"Those names of Jack Draper, Cam Norrie and Emma Raducanu that you hear about and are doing incredibly well.

"We got spoilt a little bit with Andy Murray but you now see a blossoming for the sport and it's wonderful to see where we were and where we are now.

"I think one of the most fascinating things about the game is the growth in our performances now."

Draper's recent success in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells alongside Henry Patten's Wimbledon men's doubles victory last year are the highlights of British success over the past 12 months, with many more names impressing according to McDonald.

The annual LTA Tennis Awards, presented by Lexus, highlight and celebrate the incredible achievements and contributions of people in tennis and padel across Britain.

The winners, selected from more than 2,000 nominations across 25 different categories, were all acknowledged for their outstanding contribution to tennis in 2024.

McDonald honoured to be one of the presenters at the National Tennis Centre, alongside other notable names such as Sue Barker, Laura Robson and Andrew Castle in what he believed to be a celebration of the unnamed heroes in sport, as well as the elite.

"It's important to celebrate what we do and listening to the ceremony today it's exciting to hear how much it's improved," he said.

"The number of tennis players we now have, you can see the progress and it's wonderful to have a sport which you can see perceptively growing and getting better and better in strength.

"You look around and there are so many names that are winning well and they're all so long so I think this will continue for a long time.

"It's a sport you can play outside and make so many friends along the way.

"Although individual brilliance is always celebrated, it's a very communal game and so it's a way of building enduring friendships as we heard here."

To find out more information about the LTA Tennis Awards, presented by Lexus or for information on how to play, coach, volunteer or officiate in tennis, head to: The Official Home of Tennis For Britain | LTA