Town have paid tribute to locally-based tennis star Elena Baltacha, who died of liver cancer on Sunday, aged 30.
Baltacha, the daughter of former Blue Sergei, was diagnosed with the illness in January, having retired from tennis two months previously.
"Elena was the guest of the club for our game against Barnsley in November and was also at the club recently wearing a Town shirt and showing off her football skills for a TV programme," Town’s media manager Steve Pearce told the club site.
"We were working with her on ways to promote her Academy of Tennis, which helps local children from disadvantaged areas learn to play the game and she was known to a lot of staff at the football club.
"Everyone at Portman Road sends deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Elena at this incredibly sad time.”
During her career, Baltacha won 11 singles tournaments and was in Britain's Fed Cup team for 11 years, despite being diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition, aged 19. She reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2002 and made it to the third round of the Australian Open in 2005 and 2010.
On Sunday 15th June, Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova and Tim Henman will take part in exhibition matches at three tournaments as part of British Tennis’s Rally For Bally.
Funds raised will be split between The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and The Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis. For more details and to make donations, visit the Rally for Bally Just Giving page.