Megan and Charlotte deliver as Northampton doubles duo become Wimbledon winners

Megan Ransford and Charlotte Johns were Wimbledon winners (picture: imagecomms)

Johns and Ransford of Northampton County Lawn Tennis Club struck gold in the national finals at the Play Your Way to Wimbledon event, powered by Vodafone – the largest individual mass participation tennis competition in the UK.

Thousands of 14 and under and 18 and under players took part in the qualifying stages this year, leading to county and regional finals in June and July, with the winners progressing to the national finals on Wimbledon’s Aorangi Courts last week.

The pair took the top prize in the girls’ under-18s doubles, winning 6-1, 6-2 in the final, and revealed it was an experience they will never forget.

Johns said: “It feels super good, we’re still in shock, we can’t really believe it.

“We played so well on the first day and didn’t really care if we won or lost then, so we just tried to carry that mentality over and try to enjoy ourselves.”

Ransford added: “It was great to get to the final.

“We’ve known each other for so long and it just works. We like each other sometimes too!”

Billing’s Joshua Wright, 13, featured in the under-14s boys’ singles event.

The Weston Favell Academy student failed to progress to the latter stages but improved upon his performance at the world-famous venue 12 months ago.

Wright said: “It’s been a good few days. Last year I didn’t get the result I wanted but this year I’ve been better and stronger.

“I’ve been more relaxed this year. I’d say I’m more focused this time.

“It’s very special to play at Wimbledon, you don’t really get these chances so you have to make the most of them.

“I’d say grass is my favourite surface now, it’s a good test of how fit you are.”

The competition looks to inspire the next generation of tennis talent; allowing junior players to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and compete for a chance to play on Wimbledon’s iconic courts.

Formerly known as the Road to Wimbledon, the competition launched in March and is delivered in partnership by the LTA, The All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Vodafone.

This year’s tournament will deliver more than 10,000 playing opportunities across singles and doubles competitions in 800 venues.

From 2023, the LTA and The All England Lawn Tennis Club are planning for the competition to expand further, through the introduction of additional age groups and disability categories, which Vodafone is proud to support, whilst helping to encourage more kids to pick up a tennis racket.

Former British No.1 Laura Robson was in attendance to cheer on the youngsters at SW19 and offer her experience and advice.

She said: "It’s just so cool to get the chance to play on these courts at Wimbledon. I still get a buzz every time I walk out there, so I can't imagine how they’re feeling.

“I played Road to Wimbledon when I was much younger and I’m still friends with some of the people that I played against.

“It’s amazing to see how much it’s grown over the years and with the new categories this year, it’s bigger and better.

“Growing the game involves letting people enjoy themselves on court and letting themselves have as much fun as possible so they want to come back and do it all over again next year.”

Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, is the UK’s largest individual mass participation tennis competition that gives players an opportunity to follow in their heroes’ footsteps and compete at Wimbledon. The All England Club and LTA are proud to partner with Vodafone to expand the competition to more players in 2023 with an Adult Doubles pathway, alongside Visual Impairment, Learning Disability and Wheelchair tennis categories.