Youth policy pays off for Henry Searle's tennis club

A Wolverhampton tennis club's youth policy paid off when unseeded 17-year-old Henry Searle lifted the Wimbledon Boys' Singles trophy.

It was a vindication for a club ethos of encouraging the stars of the future, the city's Lawn Tennis and Squash Club's director Steve Chilvers said.

Searle started at the club at two years old and quickly rose through the ranks.

He won 6-4 6-4 over Russian Yaroslav Demin, becoming only the 12th British boy to win a boys' Grand Slam title.

"He was playing virtually at senior level at the age of 10 or 11, he was that good," Mr Chilvers said.

Searle, an avid Wolves fan, received a message from the football club's manager Julen Lopetegui in the build-up to his final and the youngster said it was "pretty cool" to have his successes recognised in that way.

A large group of noisy supporters, wearing Henry's Barmy Army t-shirt travelled to Wimbledon to support him.

Henry Searle was the first British boys winner at Wimbledon since 1962

There was a similar atmosphere at the club in Wolverhampton.

Members were invited to watch the final on a big screen and the club told them: "Henry has done his bit, let's help him put Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club on the map."

Afterwards, Searle-supporter Nurinder Chahal said she was crying "tears of joy for him and his parents".

Fellow-fan Phil Lane said: "This means so much and everyone was welling up, he's got a massive future."

After Wolverhampton-born Searle ended Britain's 61-year wait for a boys' singles champion at Wimbledon, one fan said she was crying tears of joy.

The tennis club has about 250 junior members, seven academy coaches and a junior performance programme.

But it was not always that way.

Mr Chilvers said: "We were at one stage a very staid, old-fashioned club. We changed that dramatically, juniors are our lifeline and the future of tennis.

"As long as they can enjoy it and get a lot of satisfaction out of what they're doing there's nothing better than sport and nothing better than tennis."

Nurinder Chahal said she was crying "tears of joy" at Henry Searle's win

Young fan Freya said: "It's incredible he's from our club and it's so cool he's managed to get this far."

Another of the younger Searle-watchers, Damilola, said: It's truly just inspiring to everyone at the club, all the younger people in Great Britain, even the world."

He is the first Briton to win a junior Wimbledon title since Laura Robson in 2008 and, most impressively, the first boy to lift the trophy in more than half a century.

Club director Steve Chilvers says the club has sought to promote youth tennis