ITF

04 ITFWorld // WINTER 2019 WELCOME TO THE LATEST EDITION OF ITFWORLD. MAY I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH ALL READERS A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. TWELVE MONTHS AGO, I REMEMBER WRITING THAT THERE WAS NO TIME TO STAND STILL IN MODERN SPORT AND THAT THE forthcoming year promised to be groundbreaking – that certainly proved to be the case. Over the past year, the ITF has started to implement several of the reforms which have been approved by either the board of directors or AGM, and there is huge anticipation about 2020 and the progression of the transformation. We are making important and comprehensive enhancements and to do so takes courage. From a personal perspective, I interpreted my re-election at September's ITF Conference and AGM as an endorsement and mandate to ensure such changes are successfully introduced and built upon. A major aspect of this was November's inaugural Davis Cup by Rakuten Madrid Finals and I go into greater depth about the tournament, my reflections and priorities for the 2020 edition in a dedicated section on pages 12-17, but it is my firm view that the event was a success. However, despite the dust barely having had a chance to settle on events in Madrid, the competition bursts into life again in a matter of weeks. On 6-7 March, there is a bonanza weekend of Davis Cup action with 36 home-and-away ties across Qualifiers and Group I and Group II Play-offs. Before then, we have Fed Cup Qualifiers, while by the end of April the world champions will be known, with the new 'World Cup of Tennis' format seeing 12 nations battle 04 ITFWorld // WINTER 2019/20 for supremacy at the Fed Cup Finals in Budapest. Elevating our premier women's team competition, ensuring comparable prize money with the men's equivalent and having Billie Jean King as the Fed Cup ambassador is a hugely exciting prospect and a major component of 2020. There is not long to go and all of us at the ITF, together with the members nations, are working incredibly hard to ensure that both Davis and Fed Cup are the best events they can possibly be. LANDSCAPE HEADING INTO 2021 In 12 months, I would like to be sat here writing that another fantastic Davis Cup Finals in Madrid has taken place, which improved upon the previous year, impressed stakeholders and saw an increase in the number of fans, sponsors and broadcasters attending and involved at the event. I'm also confident that we will be recounting a thrilling Fed Cup Finals at the Laszlo Papp Budapest Sports Arena, but also contemplating ways to make the 2021 instalment of the tournament even better. Davis and Fed Cup are extremely important but poring over the calendar for this year and the schedule is relentless, and we look forward to the many flagship competitions we will stage, whether that is ITF World Tennis Tour Men's/Women's, Juniors, Beach, Seniors or Wheelchair events. I would also like strides to have been made in growing the game. Our goal is to increase the number of participants in tennis from 87 million now to 120 million by 2030, so in the next year we will be working closely with the regions and nations to ensure more players are on court. Our goal is to increase the number of participants in tennis from 87 million now to 120 million by 2030. One vision vision One One One T H E P R E S I D E N T ' S V I E W

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