British tennis chiefs have been warned that part of their public funding is at risk after the sport suffered a drop in public participation despite Andy Murray's historic Wimbledon triumph.
Sport England, the body which distributes Lottery money to boost sport at grassroots level, says tennis has failed to capitalise on Murray's success at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Tennis, which has earlier this year had a funding cut of STG530,000 ($A964,000), could lose more of its STG17.4 million ($A31.6 million) four-year award after participation fell from 423,400 in April to 406,000.
There was a small rise in the summer when Murray beat Novak Djokovic to become the first British man to win the Wimbledon singles' title for 77 years.
But this was not sustained and Sport England will hold meetings with the Lawn Tennis Association before deciding in January whether up to 20 per cent of their funding will be suspended.
"The tennis results are disappointing. As fantastic as Andy Murray's victory at Wimbledon was, that gives them a platform and a great profile," Sport England chief executive Jenni Price said on Thursday.
"They did a lot in August and September and had a bit of a lift from that but it was not sustained. They need a really good delivery system outside the clubs such as on the park courts and they will be getting that message very loud and clear from us."
Meanwhile, football's 2013-17 funding award was STG30 million ($A54.59 million), but the sport's participation numbers are down to 1.83 million, a drop of 100,000 since April, and more than four per cent down on the 2005 figure.
"We are very disappointed by football's results and the FA really need to grasp this," Price said.
"There is now to be a discussion with the FA and our board, but we operate a payment for results scheme so football are definitely in the at-risk zone. They have to think big in their participation program."
