New figures obtained by the party from the House of Commons Library show that 677 courts have been closed under Conservative-led governments since 2010.

Tom Watson, deputy leader and shadow culture, media and sport secretary, said the trend must stop if the UK is to nurture a new generation of world-class tennis players to compete in future grand slam tournaments.

The figures – sourced from Sport England – showed that the number of public-access courts fell from 14,539 in January 2010 to 13,862 in January this year – a decline of almost 5 per cent.

Some 159 courts were lost from schools as the total fell from 2,465 to 2,306. And the publicly-accessible courts which disappeared included 371 which had disabled access.

All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July Show all 10 1 /10 All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July Former football manager Sir Alex Ferguson attends day 11 of Wimbledon. Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July British comedian Michael McIntyre takes in the matches from the Royal Box. AFP/Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July British actor Damian Lewis and his wife British actress Helen McCrory are also in attendance Friday. AFP/Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July Former golfer Gary Player sits in the Royal Box during the matches Friday. Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July Pippa Middleton is among attendees on day 11 of Wimbledon. Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July Actor Jude Law attends the matches dressed in a blue suit and dark sunglasses. AFP/Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July Included among the Hollywood stars in the Royal Box is Hugh Grant, who watched the matches with his wife Anna Elisabet Eberstein. Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July British singer Leona Lewis, who rose to fame after winning the third season of X Factor, takes in the matches alongside Dennis Jauch. AFP/Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July British TV presenter and natural historian David Attenborough sits in the Royal Box. AFP/Getty Images All the guests in the 2019 Wimbledon Royal Box on 12 July David Beckham is among Wimbledon attendees on Friday as he appeared intent on watching the matches. Getty Images

Mr Watson said the cuts were “a consequence of nine years of Tory austerity which has damaged the provision of grassroots sports facilities across the country” and had also seen 2,488 grass pitches lost from schools across England.

Mr Watson said: “It’s been a brilliant few weeks at Wimbledon. People across the country have enjoyed the very best of the world’s tennis talent.

“We want this to continue, but this Tory government is slashing the public’s sports facilities and putting our sporting future at risk. We’ve lost over 600 tennis courts since 2010 because of endless Tory austerity. This has got to stop.

“If we want to nurture the next generation of world-class British tennis talent, this government must put an end to its austerity drive today.”

A government spokesperson said: “Sport and physical activity have a unique power to increase physical and mental wellbeing, and connect people of all ages and backgrounds. That's why we are investing over a billion pounds to encourage more people, particularly those from under-represented groups, to be more active.