Those hoping to follow in the footsteps of Andy Murray now have a chance after run-down tennis courts were given a major spruce up.

The improved courts in Brook Green were opened by Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter on Saturday (September 27) after the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson gave the Friends of Brook Green a £50,000 grant via his Sports Facilities office.

The funding allowed the volunteer-led community group to resurface and reconfigure the courts, giving them three full-size and two mini courts after they managed to provide £70,000 of their own funding.

New floodlights have also been installed and improvements made to the drainage system to combat tree root damage and poor lighting which had previously restricted participation levels.

Keen tennis player Mr Johnson recently agreed to play a game of doubles with Prime Minister David Cameron against a Russian Conservative donor who has paid a whopping £160,000 for the honour.

The Mayor said: “We want to help other clubs to improve their facilities, so even more Londoners get the chance to get active and participate in sport and I am urging groups to come forward and take advantage of this fantastic funding opportunity.”

Friends of Brook Green will now work with local schools to get youngsters involved in tennis while the refurbished facilities will allow teams to participate in the LTA Middlesex League and enable individual and group coaching sessions to people of all standards.

Jason Eker, director of the friends group said they were very grateful for the Mayor’s contribution as they can now provide tennis to the community at an affordable rate.

Mr Slaughter added: “Recreational sites such as these are vital in improving the health and well-being of communities across London and providing young people with a chance to get involved in sport. I’d like to congratulate Friends of Brook Green for their excellent work and thank the Mayor of London’s Sports Facilities Fund for their considerable investment into Hammersmith.”

A pavilion with a kiosk, tennis office and loos will be built next year.