Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and co issue plea to Keir Starmer in passionate letter

and have written to the urging the Government to help fund 40 new community sports hubs.

The two British No.1s have joined an LTA campaign to provide indoor facilities in areas with the highest levels of obesity and inactivity across Britain.

The new hubs will cost £75-80m - with the LTA providing some of the money.

The governing body was given a record £49.8m grant by the All England Club last year from profits from Wimbledon.

The letter to Sir Keir Starmer was also signed by wheelchair stars Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid and Lucy Shuker. It read: "A new national network of community accessible covered tennis, padel and multi-sport hubs would support year-round play, and grow participation, particularly among underserved communities and disabled people.

"Delivering this network in partnership with the LTA would bring the benefits of sport to so many more people across the country."

The campaign follows the Parks Tennis Project where 3,000 public tennis courts were improved by a UK Government-back initiative.

Britain's leading tennis players have penned the letter in the build-up to Wimbledon this summer, which kicks off on June 30 and runs until July 13.

Plenty of eyes will be on how Britain's hopefuls get on at SW19, with Jack Draper in great form and into the world's top five while Boulter and Emma Raducanu will be hoping to produce a brilliant run themselves.