ITF

ITF World Winter 2021 05 THE PRESIDENT'S VIEW DAVID HAGGERTY ITF President is a concern, so it is clear the difficulties associated with the virus have not passed and we must be vigilant. Countries are taking measures regarding travel restrictions, and the ITF will continue working with every member nation to ensure the grassroots of tennis is serviced and supported. The ambition remains for the professional ITF World Tennis Tour and the non-professional Seniors circuit and Juniors pathway to surpass pre-pandemic levels in terms of number of events and the quality of those tournaments. The ITF is working hard with the nations to make this a reality. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the nations for their outstanding work this year in staging the number of events they have in what have been, at times, difficult circumstances, and for advancing the sport of tennis generally. At the ITF Conference we will make an announcement in the coming weeks. A five-city model will provide the flexibility of schedule needed, allow even more fans to enjoy the unique experience of Davis Cup and secure the economic and commercial sustainability of the competition. Tennis family The triple crown of an incredibly busy period was the ITF Conference and AGM, which was also held in Madrid during the Davis Cup Finals. was fantastic to see more than 80 nations in attendance, while another 50 joined virtually. It was important to bring the tennis family together, review 2021, reflect upon how the sport's ecosystem has coped with the adversity of another challenging 12 months and look ahead to next year with optimism. However, there is no getting away from the uncertainty heading into 2022. Covid-19 infection rates are once again rising and the omicron variant witnessing others making similar strides in the coming months. For the time being, all that is left for me to say is best wishes for the remainder of 2021 and for all those around the world celebrating Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful festive period and a restful holiday season. I am spending a couple of weeks back home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and I am very much looking forward to reconnecting with family. I am particularly excited about seeing my two-year-old granddaughter Linnea for the first time. Owing to travel restrictions, Linnea has not yet met her grandfather, so I will be heading to New Hampshire to introduce myself, before returning to work refreshed and eager to meet the challenges of 2022 head on. All the best and see you next year. n and AGM, we spoke about being stronger together, which reinforces the need for continued cohesion and alignment. As I say, these are challenging times, but I am confident we will succeed. Congratulations As we prepare to bid farewell to 2021, I would like to draw your attention to the pages which immediately follow my welcome message as the 2021 ITF World Champions are celebrated. Congratulations go to Novak Djokovic, Ashleigh Barty, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic, Shingo Kunieda, Diede de Groot, Dylan Alcott, Petra Marcinko and Juncheng Shang. So many players, however, have enjoyed memorable campaigns, some of whom were profiled in the ITF's recent 'Class of 2021' content series which is available here, and I look forward to A seasonal message from the ITF

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