by Staff Writer
Thursday, 10th July 2025
Aside from his obvious love of football, West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek is well known to have a passion for tennis.
Therefore it was no surprise to see the Irons midfielder at the Wimbledon championships on Wednesday afternoon, where he watched a number of matches before posing with tennis star and well-known Hammers fan, Andy Lapthorne MBE.
The four-times Paralympics medallist - who was awarded an MBE for services to tennis in last month's King’s Birthday Honours List - was in south west London to participate in the wheelchair quad singles, where he faced a tough test against Turkey's Ahmet Kaplan in a quarter final encounter.
Sadly for Lapthorne, he was unable to upset the odds and went down two sets to one to reigning Australian Open champion Kaplan, who won 6-2, 1-6, 6-2.
Still Soucek enjoyed his trip to Wimbledon regardless, where he was following a sport he recently revealed he plays whenever possible. "I spend a lot of time with friends and family since football keeps me quite busy," he told West Ham's website. "But whenever I get the chance, I love playing tennis.
"I've always enjoyed it, even just watching the sport. I used to play with my dad, and now I often play with friends during the summer when I have time off. I try to play as much as possible, though it’s tough during the season.
"I like to stay moving, so tennis suits me well. Playing doubles is especially fun because it’s challenging and competitive, and I enjoy the thrill of hitting the ball and competing against friends who are just as driven," added Soucek, who was back at Rush Green this morning where West Ham's pre-season programme is under way.
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