ITF

WELCOME TO THE WINTER EDITION OF ITFWORLD AND MAY I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH ALL READERS A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. There is very little time to stand still in modern sport and 2019 promises to be a groundbreaking and hugely exciting year for the ITF and the nations. The next 12 months also provide an opportunity for the ITF to continue progressing its ITF 2024 priorities and build on the momentum of recent years. The most notable action of 2018 was the reform of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and I am extremely passionate about seeing the competition evolve and blossom, particularly with us so close to the tournament's qualifiers in February. The qualifiers will determine the 12 teams that will join the six teams that have already secured their place at the Finals in Madrid in November and these fixtures are an important step in the growth of our event. But the transformation of Davis Cup goes way beyond these ties. There will be 133 teams playing Davis Cup during 2019, which is six more than last year and goes to show the extent to which the reforms have been welcomed by the nations. Our intention is to elevate every level of Davis Cup to an even higher platform than it currently occupies, and next month's qualifiers are just the first step in achieving that goal. Fed Cup by BNP Paribas will also be centre stage during the coming year and the ITF will be working with nations and collaborating with the WTA to drive reforms to establish a revised format from 2020. The intention is to increase prize money and ensure the top players are on court and representing their nations, ensuring Fed Cup is the best event it can possibly be. This is an important priority in 2019. ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR: THE WAY FORWARD November marked the formal launch of the ITF World Tennis Tour, which came into effect on 1 January and will provide a pathway for young hopefuls to become the global stars of tomorrow. It is the culmination of a series of ITF reforms designed to support talented junior players in their progression to the senior game and provide more effective targeting of prize money at professional tournaments. The ITF World Tennis Tour forms part of a new worldwide tournament structure that has been agreed between the ITF, ATP and WTA in order to address past challenges at entry level. Under the ITF World Tennis Tour umbrella, tournaments will be split into juniors, 15s and 25s+. The tour brings vital funding to the levels of the game where it is most needed, supporting the careers of those players with ambition, drive and talent as they climb the ranks. We are aware that change brings uncertainty, and aim to make sure that everyone fully understands what these changes mean. However, we believe that these reforms are the way forward for the future health of our sport. This is an intriguing time and seeing the ITF World Tennis Tour unfold during 2019 is something I am looking forward to. PLENTY OF WORK TO DO IN 2019 In addition, the ITF has been working on a new ratings project which will be piloted in the first quarter of 2019, with a launch planned thereafter. We believe it is important to have an international tennis rating which can be used in every nation around the world, so a player in one country can have a relationship with a player in another, and understand the level which that person competes at. The ITF will also be overseeing an additional $1 million investment into wheelchair tennis. There is so much scope to grow and expand wheelchair tennis in more and more regions around the world. This is another priority as we head into the New Year. All in all, it promises to be a significant and compelling 12 months, and very much in keeping with the last few years. If we step back and look at what has happened in that time, the ITF is stronger, with more than double the amount of revenue now than in 2015. This provides more tools and resources for the nations, and is very important for the game's development. The ITF is in a good place with a lot of opportunities to exploit and challenges to overcome for the betterment of the game. FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE Having outlined the roadmap for 2019, I would like to retrace our steps and highlight just a handful of the many accomplishments made during 2018. Firstly, the ITF once again increased development spending by $2 million to over $10 million. We also distributed the inaugural ITF International Junior Player Grants, with 15 players from 13 countries being the first to receive funding to help with competition-related costs and ease their transition to the professional game. This initiative has been very well received and our focus on development – in line with the ITF's 2017-2020 development strategy – with the goal to grow and promote the game around the world and ensure the sport of tennis flourishes, will continue. I also believe The ITF's 2024 agenda and the ambition, values and mission which that engenders is better Winds of change T H E P R E S I D E N T ' S V I E W This is an intriguing time and seeing the ITF World Tennis Tour unfold during 2019 is something I am looking forward to. 04 ITFWorld // WINTER 2018

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