Leon Smith (tennis)

Leon Smith (born 1976, Glasgow)^[1] is a Scottish tennis coach. Smith is captain of the Great Britain Davis Cup team, and the Lawn Tennis Association's Head of Men’s Tennis.^[2]

Career

Smith began coaching professionally at club level aged 18. He has focused on elite players since 1998, and became national performance officer for Tennis Scotland that year. Two years later he helped set up a tennis academy at the Next Generation club in Edinburgh. He rejoined Tennis Scotland as LTA academy coach, and became national training coach for Scotland in 2004.^[3]

Smith has coached several Scottish junior players, most notably Andy Murray.^[3] Smith worked with Murray from age 11 to 15,^[4] during which time Murray won the Junior Orange Bowl under-12 title^[3][5] and five ITF Futures events.^[3] Smith and Murray remained friends, and Smith assisted Murray at the French Open in 2006 during a period when Murray had no full-time coach.^[4]

Smith became the LTA's national under-16s men's coach in 2005 and the under-18s coach in 2008.^[3] He was later appointed Head of Player Development in Men's Tennis, and promoted to Head of Men's Tennis simultaneously to his appointment as Davis Cup captain.^[2] In 2011 he became Head of Women's Tennis in addition to his existing responsibilities.^[6]

Davis Cup captaincy

Smith's appointment as Davis Cup captain was announced by the LTA on 12 April 2010. His appointment at age 34 made him the youngest Great Britain captain since Paul Hutchins (appointed in 1975 aged 30), and one of the few to be appointed without having been a top-level player.^[7] His first tie as captain was a Europe/Africa Zone Group II match against Turkey, held at Eastbourne from July 9, 2010,^[2] which Great Britain won 5-0.^[8]

References